With the conclusion of U.S. military activity in Iraq, the Department of State and the Iraqi government are joining forces in an effort to attract more Iraqi students to study at universities in the United States.  

USA Today reports that the Iraqi government “will fund scholarships for 2,500 students to attend U.S. universities in 2012 —quadrupling the current enrollment of Iraqi students in American universities.” Additionally, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, “has earmarked $1 billion to be spent on education initiatives over the next several years.”

With this surge of Iraqi students, the United States hopes to help shape the next generation of Iraqi leaders. Recent efforts by Department of State to “identify some of Iraq’s brightest students and connect them with American universities” included Department of State sponsored college recruiting fair hosted in Iraq; more than 20 American universities and 1,500 Iraqi students attended.

Source:  U.S. Opens Its Doors to Iraqi Students,USA Today