Stories of IREX

“My whole life I have dreamt of being an engineer, a successful one that actually could make a difference in this world and turn it into a better place.” - Aqeel, University of Basrah

“I am returning home to complete my degree as a civil engineer. After that, I want to get an MA in the US but then return to Iraq and work in a private company. I want to give back to my country and my family, because they have given me everything." – Dhuha, University of Kufa

When Noela Jonathan asks the Tanzanian government for a shilling, she considers herself lucky to get just half. Such is life at public universities across Tanzania, where an already cash-tight government is the primary source of funding.

For several months, the Children's Library of Feodosiya in the Crimea has implemented a project called "IgroLand (GameLand): A Place for Imagination, Fun, and Games." According to coordinator Elena Stepanova, the project has attracted many young people to the library, in particular Azerbaijani children of recent immigrants. Online games and new technologies have enticed these children—many of whom have very limited means and struggle to communicate in Russian—to effectively integrate, access new resources, and even improve their language skills.

Dr. Jeanine Braithwaite, a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Virginia as well as a Senior Economist at the World Bank, was an IREX research scholar as part of the Long-Term Research Program, an educational exchange program between the United States and the Soviet Union, between 1987 and 1988. Dr.

The power of reading to a young learner is immense. In honor of International Literacy Day, IREX recognizes two Filipina master teachers and alumni of the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP), Rowena Hibanada and Christine Guinicaran, each working to advance early grade literacy.

Lebanon’s diverse religious groups live in close proximity to one another, scattered from block to block in a jumbled, overlapping mosaic of faiths. Despite this proximity, there is often little to no interaction among the various groups, resulting in limited understanding of different religious perspectives.

Students in the Study of United States Institutes (SUSI) for Azerbaijani Student Leaders on Civic Engagement program recently presented their Action Projects at IREX headquarters in Washington, DC.

On a cold winter morning, 300 female students studying at a low-income school in Rawalpindi gathered in the school courtyard for an unexpected surprise. Volunteers from the nearby Fatima Jinnah Women University had brought them a mountain of books, gifts and educational prizes they had gathered as part of an ambitious book drive that received donations from over 300 university students.

Leaders from diverse religious and political backgrounds recently gathered to celebrate the renovation of an interfaith dialogue center in Lebanon.

The Center of Salim Ghazal for Inter-Faith Dialogue will host youth activities designed to promote tolerance and understanding. It represents an olive branch in the village of Mashghara, which has a history of violent conflict between Christians and Muslims.