U.S. embassy holds training workshops for 200 Iraqi professionals

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The U.S. Embassy, in cooperation with the Agency for Educational Development in Washington , D.C. (AED), has launched a $ 1.2 million country-wide series of workshops to train over 200 Iraqi professionals in the field of student a dvising and career development. After their intensive 4-day training sessions, and in accordance with the principles of the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement of 2009 to expand bilateral educational exchanges, these workshop participants will soon begin offering professional advising services throughout Iraq to students who wish to study at U.S. colleges and universities. Ambassador Christopher Hill spoke at the opening of the Student Advising Workshop in Baghdad on Saturday, October 10 and commended the 43 Iraqi participants for volunteer ing to become student advisors. Citing the well-known Chinese saying that ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step,’ Ambassador Hill noted that this student advising initiative will be an important step in helping Iraq overcome a sense of isolation and helping Iraqi students take full advantage of the many educational opportunities available in the U.S. Ambassador Hill highlighted the crucial role that such students will play in the building of a new Iraq, saying that the training Iraqi students receive abroad will help strengthen the Iraqi economy and institutions. Ambassador Hill noted that America would also benefit if more Iraqi students studied in the U.S. , as many Americans have not had the opportunity to travel abroad and would learn much from t hese Iraqi ‘student ambassadors.’ AmR (S)/SR 1