Former Yemen Peace Corps Country Director Joseph Ghougassian spreads American ideas of politics, law, rights and governance in Iraq with Fulbright Scholarships
25 Iraqis named Fulbright scholars
By David E. Graham
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 14, 2004
As Americans rebuild and reshape Iraqi society, including education and universities, they have named the first 25 Iraqis for Fulbright Scholarships to study for two years in the United States.
The scholarships are one effort at spreading American ideas of politics, law, rights and governance into the country, said Joseph Ghougassian, a senior American official guiding the reorganization of the university system in Iraq.
He has returned from Iraq to introduce the Fulbright scholars to Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush. Ghougassian, who is deputy senior adviser to the higher education ministry, spoke Thursday night about his experiences in Iraq to the Institute on World Affairs at San Diego State University.
His work involves instilling precedents for academic freedom in the more than 60 universities and community colleges, including travel and independence for faculty councils from centralized direction, he said. He also is working to bring Internet connections to campuses where they had been prohibited, he said.
Ghougassian, who maintains a residence in San Diego, is former U.S. ambassador to Qatar and director of the Peace Corps program in Yemen. He is also directing the Fulbright program in Iraq.
In other observations:
He said the Iraqi Governing Council's interest in restoring properties nationalized by former President Saddam Hussein may lead to the return of many expatriated Jews to Iraq to claim land and businesses.
He said some of the most common complaints Iraqis have are about street crime, which often goes unchecked, and lack of electricity.
He predicted a political climate that will be favorable to the United States and to foreign business investment.
He predicted U.S. military forces will maintain a significant presence in the country for quite some time after a new government is elected there.
He chided American media for reporting on the continual spate of bombings to the exclusion of the rebuilding. He said he believes most Iraqis appreciate that American forces ended Hussein's rule.
