Partners
US Embassy Baghdad
Iraq University Linkages Program
The Iraq University Linkages Program (ULP) promotes higher education reform in Iraq by working with Iraqi faculty and administrators to strengthen university curricula, enhance and update teaching methods and technology, and improve career services for students.
Through the ULP, Iraqi universities engage with the global community and catalyze social, political, and economic development in Iraq. Through capacity building activities, Iraqi faculty are better equipped to conduct ongoing curriculum review and improvements to model internationally recognized accreditation standards.
The Iraq University Linkages Program (ULP) promotes higher education reform in Iraq by working with Iraqi faculty and administrators to strengthen university curricula, enhance and update teaching methods and technology, and improve career services for students.
Through the ULP, Iraqi universities engage with the global community and catalyze social, political, and economic development in Iraq. Through capacity building activities, Iraqi faculty are better equipped to conduct ongoing curriculum review and improvements to model internationally recognized accreditation standards.
Goals
- Promote higher education as an important pillar in rebuilding civil society by bridging the gap between universities and the private sector in Iraq.
- Build higher education capacity in Iraq in targeted program areas related to curriculum development, technology, pedagogy, and career services.
- Strengthen mutual understanding and US-Iraqi relationships through technical assistance, collaboration, online and videoconferencing courses, and training and exchanges.
- Forge substantive and long-term connections between US and Iraqi universities that will endure beyond the scope of the program as a sustainable partner network.
The ULP most impacted my university by changing the way we look at our academic programs. We will ask [to revise] them to be more applicable for jobs and students’ future careers.
University Linkages Program annual survey, 2016
Project Activities
- Providing technical assistance to universities through consulting and training in curriculum development, technology, and pedagogy, and supporting US-Iraqi academic collaboration.
- Creating and supporting Iraqi university career centers to prepare students for real-world employment, and facilitating dialogue between industry and academia.
- Preparing Iraqi undergraduates for the realities of a globalized economy through intensive English-language training at US partner universities.
- Providing emerging Iraqi academic leaders with foundational training in university administration, including intensive management and leadership development, job shadowing at a US university, and support for participant-led reform initiatives.
Quick Facts
- ULP has 41 partner universities in the United State and Iraq.
- Over 14,000 students in Iraq participated in workplace competency training in 2015.
- Over 400 Iraqi university faculty and administrators received training in instructional strategies and curriculum development.
Contact
E-mail: lmason@irex.org or irex-ulp@irex.org