UK’s Advantage in Recruiting Iraqi Students

June 24th, 2009 | Iraq, Student Recruitment

As highlighted in the excellent Chronicle of Higher Education article today, a new report published by the UK Higher Education International Unit dicusses the inherent competitive edge the UK has over the US when it comes to rebuilding the academic system and student recruitment in Iraq.

With the new Iraq Education Initiative Scholarship ready to launch, the US Educational Group has spoken to many of you about the importance of recruitment methods outside of the traditional and typical. We still not have received confirmation from the US Embassy in Baghdad if they will be accepting viewbooks and other marketing materials from US Colleges and Universities however, in our last conversation with the personnel at the Embassy on the student visa situation they did indicate they will not be opening an educational office.

Britian enjoys a long history of educational connectivity with Iraqis – thousands having completed higher education degrees in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s at some of the top UK institutions in previous decades. A sizable and tightly knit Iraqi diaspora in London and elsewhere in the UK will make the area more appealing for students beginning their applications.

It will be up to US colleges and universities to step up their online recruitment and micro-target Iraqi students interested in studying on the Iraq scholarship. As the report says: “the United States, in particular, has been “ratcheting up activities in Iraq throughout 2008 and 2009,”- basically giving the UK a run for its money and crown as the education destination for Iraqi students.

If you have no localized website yet in Arabic – specifically aiming at recruiting Iraqi students for this scholarship, it may be time to think about the benefits of putting one together, we’re here to help you!