The Challenges Iraqis Face With the Study Abroad Programme

In 2009, the Iraqi government sent a few thousand students to study abroad. Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani’s administration is restarting the programme, as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) announced 5,000 students will be completing their undergraduate and graduate studies in various universities around the world. Most students partaking in the programme have received scholarships from the government, while the rest are receiving scholarships from the university they will be attending. The expertise gained will benefit the public sector as graduates will be given employment in the field pertaining to their studies. To ensure this programme is successful, lessons must be learnt from prior experiences.

For many students who want to broaden their opportunities for professional and personal development, studying outside of Iraq is a valuable option. Not only do they get access to higher quality education, but it is also an opportunity to explore the world and learn about different cultures and educational systems. However, Iraqi students in the past have faced major challenges.

The first challenge pertains to finances. Slow Iraqi bureaucracy has meant that there have been delays in processing payments for both stipends and tuition. This has resulted in disruptions to the studies of students, who have either had to vacate their accommodation or be suspended by the university. The second challenge is the language barrier. Many students do not have the necessary level to succeed in studying abroad, and complain from the poor language training provided in Iraq. The third and most frequently faced challenge is the difficulty to adapt to a different culture, which leads to the issue of social isolation. Iraqi students abroad complain about the lack of support structures available to help them handle the culture shock they experience.

These are challenges faced before and during the programme, but perhaps the biggest challenge comes after graduating with making the decision of whether to return home to Iraq or stay abroad to seek a new life. Because Iraq has faced instability in the past two decades, hundreds of students who left to study abroad have chosen not to return. This happens despite the strict measures enacted by the Iraqi government to ensure the return of their students and the difficulty in obtaining residency or asylum status from the host countries. The issue with students choosing not to return to Iraq got so bad that the study abroad programme was suspended. Since 2009 Iraq lost several highly talented graduates who remained abroad after completing their studies. This includes dozens of PhDs in electrical engineering, computer programming, and other highly specialised fields that Iraq is desperately in need of. In some ways it is reminiscent of the brain drain the country experienced in the 1980s as many who had studied abroad or gained expertise and specialisation in their fields decided to leave the country in search of a better life elsewhere.

Iraq has turned the page on its violent past and it is imperative that the government seeks to avoid another potential brain drain with the resumption of the study abroad programme. This partly requires MoHESR to better understand student experiences. It should conduct a survey with as many students who have studied abroad to learn where they can strengthen the programme to ensure students look forward to returning home rather than seeking to move abroad permanently. The experiences of students, both the good and the bad, would be the best way to inform policy and help Iraq develop homegrown talent.

Maher Adil Abd Al-Hussain is a typical example of a student in the study abroad programme. He had completed his undergraduate studies in Computer Science in 2010 before securing a government scholarship to complete a master’s degree at a university in Connecticut in 2017 in the same subject. Upon his return, he was hired as a university lecturer and is now pursuing his PhD. When asked about his experience, Maher was very positive, although he faced the above-mentioned challenges. When asked what recommendations he has for the programme, Maher said: “More language training before students head abroad, also better orientation so they have an idea of what to expect when they get there. I would encourage the government to expand the scholarship programme particularly for graduate students as I think they will return with the right skills and experiences to help develop our educational system”.

Perhaps the study abroad programme is the best way for the Iraqi government to provide the next generation of elite scholars and scientists. But to make it more efficient there needs to be more work put in before students are sent abroad. Preparing them as much as possible gives them a better chance at success and ensures Iraq has talented young people who bring back their skills and education to help rebuild our country.

This essay is part of a special series – Empowering Change in Iraq: Policy Recommendations for a New Era