Opportunities in Kurdistan for the Uk's English Language Teaching Sector

OPPORTUNITIES IN KURDISTAN FOR THE UK’S ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING SECTOR

FEBRUARY 2012 CONTENTS

04 Overview

06 Human Capacity Development Programme

11 Universities in the Kurdistan Region

14 Private ELT providers and study abroad agencies

17 UK Government organisations

19 Conclusion and recommendations

21 Appendices

The English UK scoping mission to the Kurdistan Region and this resulting report were kindly sponsored by UK Trade & Investment.

1. OVERVIEW

This report is based on the findings of a scoping visit to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq carried out by English UK in early February 2012.

Members of the English UK delegation included Senior International Manager, Jodie Gray, and members of the Board of Directors, Richard Day (also Director of English in Chester) and Steve Phillips (also Director of Internexus - Regent’s College).

The visit was funded by UK Trade & Investment and organised by the Kurdistan Regional Government UK Representation. We are grateful for the support, guidance and assistance offered by both these organisations, without which the scoping mission would not have been possible. We would particularly like to acknowledge the individual contribution of Nawal Karim at the KRG UK Representation who went to great efforts to arrange the programme in a short space of time.

During the visit, the English UK delegation met with the Presidents and senior staff of four leading universities, the region's main study abroad agents, business leaders, British government organisations and officials responsible for the region’s Human Capacity Development Programme, which is spending $100m each year on higher training for university graduates and government staff. Since 2010, more than 4,000 students have been awarded scholarships, of which two-thirds have come to the UK. The scholarship programme includes an allocation for students to improve their English in the UK for one year before post-graduate study at university.

There is a long history of friendship between the UK and the Kurdistan Region, with the education systems being closely linked since the time of the British Mandate for Mesopotamia in the 1920s. Many of the government officials, professors, university and business leaders and study abroad agents that we met had previously studied or lived in the UK. Kurdish students feel an affinity and familiarity with the UK, and it is most often their first choice of study destination.

With a population of nearly 4 million, the three governorates of Dohuk, Erbil and Sulaimania cover about 40,000 square kilometres - four times the area of Lebanon and larger than that of the Netherlands.

The capital of the Region is Erbil, which is also known locally as Hawler. The next largest cities are Sulaimania and Dohuk.

Since the establishment of the no-fly zone in 1991 and even more so since the liberation of Iraq in 2003, the Kurdistan Region has undergone rapid development. Over 65% of the villages destroyed by Saddam Hussein’s regime have been rebuilt, two new airports have been opened and new highways, schools and hospitals are being constructed.

The rapid pace of development was clear by the huge prevalence of construction sites in Erbil. At the beginning of 2012 there was one 5* international chain hotel in the city – the Erbil Rotana. By spring, the Divan had opened next door, and building has already started on the Marriott and the Kempinski right on the same road.

The security situation in the Kurdistan Region is very different from the rest of Iraq - not a single coalition soldier has lost their life in the region since the start of the conflict. The official Regional guard, the Peshmerga forces, are highly trained and experienced in providing security.

The stability of the Kurdistan Region has allowed it to achieve a higher level of development than other regions in Iraq. In 2004, the per capita income was 25% higher than in the rest of Iraq. Kurdistan's economy is expanding even faster than Iraq's overall annual growth rate of 7.3%. It is developing agriculture – virtually destroyed by Saddam Hussein – as well as industry and tourism. The region is experiencing a frenzied construction boom and there is huge interest in its banking sector with growing speculation that it will be the next Dubai. With an estimated 45bn barrels of oil reserves, energy will be the source of much of its future wealth.

Further information on the Kurdistan Region can be found here - www.krg.org.

2. HUMAN CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME a) Outline The Human Capacity Development Programme (HCDP) of the Kurdish Regional Government is an ambitious programme that aims to develop human capacity in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in the field of higher education. An annual KRG budget of one hundred and twenty billion dinars (US$100 million) is allocated to the scheme until at least 2014.

The HCDP scheme started in 2010. The 3rd round is currently open with the awarding of scholarships expected in the next few months. The 4th round is expected to open in April- May 2012.

By the end of 2012, 4,500 scholarships will have been awarded. Around 2,000 scholars are already abroad, with over 65% of these in the UK.

This leaves around 2,000 – 3,000 students who are either still confirming their study plans or who are yet to attain the required 4.0 IELTS level or equivalent (see below for more details).

We heard from several sources, including from the Ministry of Higher Education, that Kurdish students need special care and attention, especially during the early months of their studies. For most, this will be the first time that they have left the Kurdistan Region. During the first rounds of scholarships, several students returned home citing homesickness as a cause. Improved pre-departure orientation information and supervision provided by the Kurdistan Regional Government UK Representation has meant that the ‘drop-out rate’ in later rounds has been much decreased.

Around two-thirds of the scholarships are awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education to university graduates. One-third of the scholarships are awarded by the Ministry of Planning to government employees.

The HCDP scheme is administered by 2 Boards. The Supreme Board, chaired by the KRG Prime Minister and attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Higher Education, Minister of Planning and other prominent academics and scientific experts, is the highest decision-making committee of the HCDP and makes decisions on issue of policy and strategy.

The Administrative Board is the executive committee and oversees the operation of the HCDP scheme. The board is chaired by the Minister of Higher Education and its membership includes advisors from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Higher Education and presidents or representatives of universities.

The Kurdistan Regional Government UK Representation (http://uk.krg.org) in London provides assistance and support to scholars once they arrive in the UK.

The overall aim of the HCDP scheme is to train a highly skilled younger generation who can meet the needs of the Region’s free market economy and lead the restructuring of the system of higher education and scientific research. This in turn will benefit future generations in Kurdistan.

All students sign a contract that obligates them to pay back the money spent on the scholarship package if the student does not complete the program or does not return to Kurdistan. 6

The HCDP Committee is driven by the desire that all scholars should successfully complete their postgraduate (Master’s degree or PhD) and return to Kurdistan. This academically- focussed approach is the guiding principal behind many of the policies of the scheme.

b) What does the scholarship cover? The scholarship covers full tuition fees for a Masters degree (1-2 years) or a PhD (3-5 years), living costs (USD 1,800/person or 2,700/family per month), annual travel, health insurance and 1 year of English language studies.

During the 1st round of scholarships, the funding was for only 6 months of English. However, too many students failed to reach the required entry level for their postgraduate degree course and so the funding was increased to cover 1 year of English language study.

In order to qualify for funding, candidates must study at a university that appears on the ‘approved list’ – there are around 110 UK universities on this list in order of rank (based on the Times and Guardian rankings) - www.mhe-krg.org.

There is no such list for English language course providers. The candidate must research and select their own English language course, or choose to study at one recommended by their HEI or at the HEI’s own teaching centre.

c) How are the scholarships awarded? Ministry of Higher Education candidates The scholarships are awarded using an online points-based system that ranks candidates in an open, fair and transparent manner (gohcdp.info). Points are awarded against various criteria including English language level, undergraduate degree result (65% and above), the candidate’s study plan, and whether they are holding an offer letter from a UK institution, age (35 years and under for Master’s degree and 40 years and under for PhD) and employment experience/record of service.

There are several rounds a year (the 3rd round is currently open and at least a 4th round in April/May 2012 is firmly in the pipeline), with each round taking a couple of months to finalise. In earlier rounds there have been around 3 candidates competing for each scholarship awarded.

Many of the candidates do not have offer letters from ELT centres or universities when they apply for the scholarship, although those that do are favoured.

When the 1st round was opened, it was announced that any candidates holding an offer from a top 10 university would be automatically awarded a scholarship. So far no candidates have achieved this.

The HCDP Committee checks the study plans of all candidates – they must present their plan and offer letters to the Committee for approval. As there is a lack of advice, information and counselling services available to the students, many come back and forth several times with revised study plans before they are approved by the Committee. Common reasons for rejection are if the length of the language course is not compatible with the candidate’s level of English, the university is not on the approved list, the chosen speciality of the postgraduate degree is not appropriate or the English language teaching centre is not deemed acceptable (too far from the university, inappropriate course type etc.).

It is only after the candidate has had their study plan approved and has presented evidence of their 4.0 level (or above) in IELTS or equivalent that their scholarship is confirmed and they receive a letter to this end.

Ministry of Planning candidates The system used by the Ministry of Planning is slightly different from that of the Ministry of Higher Education. The Ministry of Planning deals with scholarships for all employees of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The Ministry of Planning is currently in its 2nd round of scholarships, having already allocated around 1,000 awards. The Ministry conducts a survey of the human capacity requirements of all ministries, and focuses on areas of needs in strategic planning such as oil, gas and minerals mining. A certain number of scholarships are then allocated to each ministry who are responsible for making the final selection of candidates.

90% of all candidates require English language training and the Ministry of Planning favours institutions in the UK and USA.

During the selection process for KRG employees, the graduation score is deemed to be less important than the service record, technical/specialist skills and experience of the candidate. All candidates must have at least 1 year of service before being considered and many are ‘mature’ students.

As a consequence, many do not have the level of qualification necessary to enter a postgraduate degree course and need to complete a Pre-Masters.

We met with Mr Abdulrazaq Muhammed Mustafa, Director General for Human Development and Dr Jamal Ameen, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Planning. They echoed a sentiment we had heard several times before during our visit – that ELT providers should be encouraged to set-up in Kurdistan and scholars should follow a course of EL training ‘at home’ before embarking on a 4-5 month pre-sessional course in the UK.

Dr Ameen indicated that in such a situation as described above, government employees may be given study leave in order to pursue English language courses in Kurdistan prior to departure.

He also stated that the Ministry of Planning discouraged candidates from using the services of study abroad agents. It is felt that students applying for postgraduate degree programmes should be ‘independent thinkers’ and encouraged to undertake internet-based research and formulate their own study plans. d) HCDP and English language courses The HCDP Committee consider the student’s English language level very important when judging their chances of success at postgraduate level study in an English-speaking country. Up to a maximum of 15 points are awarded for English language level. If a student has attained a 6.5 level IELTS or equivalent, they will achieve the full 15 points and are very likely to be awarded a scholarship even if their undergraduate degree graduation score is low.

During the first rounds of scholarships, less emphasis was placed on English language level and several hundred scholars returned to Kurdistan after their English language courses having not achieved the required level for entry to postgraduate degrees at university. As the HCDP scheme will only fund a maximum of 1 year of English language study, these students were deemed to have ‘failed’ and have been unable to progress onto their university degree 8

courses unless they have access to alternative funding or can improve their English in Kurdistan.

The HCDP Committee now requires that all students must have attained a 4.0 level in IELTS or equivalent before their scholarship funding is made available to them and they are able to travel abroad. We heard from several sources during our visit that the required level may rise to 4.5 level in IELTS or equivalent for future scholarship rounds.

The HCDP accepts several tests to prove the language level of the candidates. The most popular of these are the ones that are most available to Kurdish students – Password, PTE and IELTS.

We were told of a capacity issue with the IELTS examination. There is only 1 test centre in the Kurdistan Region administered by the British Council at their teaching centre at Sulahaddin University in Erbil. This centre offers only 50 tests twice a month.

Many students (estimated by Mr Ashti Ala’aladeen from the Lano Centre to be 90-95%) are unable to reach the required 4.0 in IELTS, or they are unable to reach the level in all skill areas. They therefore prefer other tests, such as Password, which are seen to be more accessible with fewer skill areas examined.

An estimated 80-85% of HCDP scholars (according to Mr Ala’aladeen from the Lano Centre) travel to the UK on an Extended Student Visitor Visa or Student Visitor Visa for their English language course. They then return to Kurdistan for a ‘holiday’ in order to apply for their General Student Visa for their postgraduate degree course.

Dr Govand Sherwani, Director General of Scholarships and Cultural Relations at the Ministry of Higher Education indicated that the long-term plan of the KRG is to move towards a model whereby scholars study for an appropriate period of time in Kurdistan before travelling to the UK for a 3-4 month pre-sessional ‘top-up’ English language course in the UK. This is not possible at the moment due to a lack of ELT providers in Kurdistan. It is the KRG’s hope that more providers will be encouraged to open up centres in the Kurdistan Region, either independently or by partnering with local institutions, and thereby allow scholars to complete a course of English language study ‘at home’ before travelling abroad. This sentiment was echoed in several of our meetings.

The rationale behind this idea is both a cost-saving one and the contention that students are less likely to ‘fail’ if their level of English is higher before leaving Kurdistan.

Another commonly held theme of discussion was that the HCDP are increasingly encouraging scholars to study English language at the same Higher Education Institution where they plan to follow their postgraduate degree course.

Dr Sherwani at the Ministry of Higher Education explained that Kurdish students had experienced problems with some private UK English language providers in the past with some receiving ‘invalid CAS letters’ or achieving exam qualifications not recognised by the universities.

As mentioned above, the HCDP Committee is extremely keen to do everything possible to ensure that scholars succeed in their studies. They feel that if students undertake their English language and postgraduate courses at the same institution, or if they take their language course at a provider that is ‘officially’ recognised by the university, then this will minimise the risk of ‘failure’ by avoiding any unnecessary disruption for the student. They also feel that university English language centres are best equipped to provide the kind of 9

specialist academic language training that will ensure the success of the student at postgraduate level.

The Committee feels that the scholars should focus on English for Academic Purposes during their course and that English skills for life will develop outside the classroom.

Dr Sherwani cited cases of students, lacking knowledge or good advice, proposing study plans in which their English language course would take place on the South coast of England and their university degree in Scotland. The HCDP Committee would prefer scholars who choose to undertake their English language courses at different institutions to at least stay within the same geographic location (town, city) in order to avoid exacerbating any homesickness or culture shock (the student gets used to one location and then has to move to a completely alien one).

The English UK delegation highlighted the benefits for some students of having the opportunity of broadening their experience by living in different locations in the UK during their extended studies. This was partly accepted by the Committee, but a preference for scholars to stay within the same broad geographic area remained.

We heard from several sources, including anecdotal reports from students at Sulaimania University, that there has been a concentration of Kurdish students in the English language teaching centres and on the degree courses of certain universities. These are the institutions that have been most active in promoting themselves in the region. Of the ~110 universities in the UK on the HCDP’s approved list, only around 14 are currently hosting Kurdish students. Dr Jamal Ameen, a Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Planning, indicated that some UK universities have more than 200 Kurdish students enrolled.

The Committee are aware that such concentrations of Kurdish students are not ideal, but as yet there are no firm plans to introduce limits on the maximum number of students from Kurdistan in one class or institution. As student feedback concerning this issue trickles through, this may change.

There is a lack of information, advice and counselling services available for Kurdish students and so they are unaware of the broad range of options open to them. They tend to either follow the well-trodden path of other Kurdish students before them, or to take the recommendations of their university professors and lecturers. There is an evident correlation between the dozen or so institutions that have attracted the largest number of Kurdish students and the alma maters of many of the academics we met. Many of these academics studied and lived in the UK from the 1970s onwards and have only relatively recently returned home to Kurdistan.

The HCDP scheme offers an opportunity for UK English language teaching providers to attract Kurdish students on fully-funded courses. Having been established in 2010, the scheme is relatively new and the HCDP Committee have shown themselves to be flexible in responding to the feedback of students and amending the programme accordingly. The English language teaching market in Kurdistan is in its infancy, and providers will need to be prepared for shifts in priorities and demands as it matures.

Before our visit, the HCDP Committee and the Ministries of Higher Education and Planning were not aware of English UK and the breadth of the UK’s accredited ELT sector. If it can be demonstrated through positive feedback from students that they can succeed by undertaking English language courses at either HEI or private centres, then this will open up the market considerably.

3. UNIVERSITIES IN THE KURDISTAN REGION

In 1991 there was 1 university – Salahaddin University – with a capacity for 6,000 students in the Kurdistan Region. By 2011, there were 20+ universities (including public and private universities) teaching 100,000 students. In 2012 it is estimated that ~50,000 students will graduate from high school and ~36,000 will be accepted into higher education institutions.

The public universities are as follows: • University of Salahaddin, Erbil • University of Sulaimania, Sulaimania • University of Duhok, Duhok • University of Soran, Soran • University of Kurdistan Hawler, Erbil • Hawler Medical University, Erbil • University of Koya, Koya • University of Halabjah • University of Zakho • University of Raparin.

Private institutions include Cihan University, SABIS University, the Lebanese French University BMU and the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani.

The 3 biggest institutions are the universities of Salahaddin, Sulaimania, Duhok and Soran.

The University of Kurdistan Hawler and the American University of Iraq Sulaimani teach exclusively in English.

The Universities of Halabjah, Zakho and Raparin are newly founded in the last 2 years and are part of the KRG’s initiative to meet the increasing demand for higher education, especially outside the main metropolitan areas.

During our mission we visited Salahaddin, Sulaimania, Soran and Cihan Universities.

a) University of Salahaddin This is the first and largest university in the region. It was established in 1968 in the city of Sulaimania, and was moved to the city of Erbil in 1981. There are currently around 21,000 undergraduate students, 700 Master’s degree students and 240 PhD students.

Engineering, pure sciences and applied sciences are all taught in English. Humanities courses are taught in Kurdish and Arabic.

There are 3 colleges for English language teaching at the university – the College of Languages, the College of Education and the College of Basic Education.

Undergraduate students wishing to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme must first successfully complete a 160 hours advanced training course (achieving an equivalent level of around 5.0 in IELTS).

The British Council has recently opened an examination and teaching centre on the campus of Salahaddin University. IELTS preparation courses are expected to begin in mid-February 2012.

Salahaddin has cooperated with various UK universities through the British Council’s DelPHE-Iraq project. DelPHE-Iraq was launched in 2009 to support partnerships between higher education institutions in Iraq and other countries. It is part of the DelPHE programme (Development Partnerships in Higher Education), which is funded by DfID (Department for International Development) and managed by the British Council.

Salahaddin University has a partnership agreement with the University of Cincinnati in the USA, backed by funding from the US Embassy in Baghdad, for an English language project with a teacher training focus.

Dr Ahmed Dizayee, President of Salahaddin University, made several important points during our meeting: • The University would be interested in hearing from UK partners who could cooperate in delivering English language training for Kurdish scholars in Kurdistan. • The University would be interested in hearing from UK partners who could cooperate in delivering English language training to academic staff (especially from scientific departments). • Word-of-mouth and recommendations from teachers, family and friends are particularly important to Kurdish students when they are deciding on their course of study. b) University of Sulaimania This public university, located in the city of Sulaimania, was founded in 1968. The annual enrolment is an estimated 4,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. A new campus is currently being constructed with an expected finish date in 2012 and with a budget of US$450 million.

We met with Dr Ali Saeed, President of Sulaimania University and a number of his colleagues, and also gave a presentation to a group of final year students.

The following points came out of our discussions: • Kurdish students have completed 12 years of English language study before university. • When students complete their course at the University’s English language teaching centre, their level is less than 4.0 in IELTS. • There are currently 230 students from Sulaimania University studying in the UK as part of the HCDP scheme. • The students are concerned about the clustering of Kurdish students in one locality/institution. They rely heavily on the advice of their teachers when making their decisions about where to study. • The University is interested in hearing from partners who can offer joint English language courses in Sulaimania to help students reach the 4.0 level in IELTS or equivalent required for the HCDP scheme. • Dr Ali Saeed expressed a preference for scholars to undergo preparatory courses in Kurdistan before travelling to the UK for their EL training. c) Soran University Soran University was established in 2009 and has been expanding effectively since then. The University has been particularly progressive in setting up relationships with UK partners. The directorate and senior management team are extremely co-operative in this area.

We met with Dr Muslih Mustafa, President of Soran University, and a number of his colleagues.

The following points were raised during our discussions:

• There are currently too many students from Kurdistan in one place in one class in the UK. • British culture classes and orientation in the UK should form part of the EL courses for Kurdish scholars. • The University has just signed a partnership with the College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth for EFL provision. • The University was not previously aware of English UK and the private ELT sector in the UK. They were led to believe that scholars had to study EL courses at their HEI. • The University expressed concern that quality control would be more of an issue at private ELT providers. • The biggest barrier for HCDP scholars is their English language level. d) Cihan University Cihan is a private English-speaking university established in 2007. The first cohort graduated in 2011. There are 2 campuses – the original campus in Erbil (~4,700 students) and a newly built one in Sulaimania (~400+ students).

Cihan offers undergraduate courses only. Most classes are taught in English and all students must follow a 100+ hour intensive English language course at the University’s teaching centre.

We met with Dr Nawzad Bajger, Founder, Professor Amjad Aldalawi, President and Dr Mohammad Sadik, Senior Advisor.

The following points arose out of our discussion: • Cihan University had hoped to become an IELTS test centre, but the requirements were too taxing. There is a capacity problem with the IELTS examination in Kurdistan with often a 2-3 month wait for a place. There is a huge demand for the IELTS examination – there should be at least 2 IELTS test centres in each city. • The University is interested in hearing from partners who are willing to run joint IELTS preparation courses. • The University has recently sent 7 x English language teachers to undergo training in the teaching of IELTS preparation courses to a further education college in Edinburgh (an English UK member). • The University is also interested in hearing from partners who run 2+1 or 3+1 top-up programmes.

4. PRIVATE ELT PROVIDERS & STUDY ABROAD AGENCIES

Britannia Educational Services & Consultancy | http://britanniaiq.com/index.htm Britannia, owned by a British/Kurdish team, is a private English language teaching centre, study abroad agency/consultancy and examination centre for the PTE.

Britannia has a new British director of business development (Damian Purcell) and a British Kurdish director (Rasheda Zaher-Draey), who is a Cambridge IELTS examiner.

Britannia has five centres in Northern Iraq and will open centres in Baghdad later in 2012. It is the largest and most experienced agency in the region and offers a complete service for students from placement testing, language courses, UKBA compliant university entrance testing (using their own Pearson PTE lab) and application assistance to UK institutions.

Britannia is the only PTE examination centre in Kurdistan and works closely with universities, especially the University of Soran. Britannia is looking to broaden its portfolio and is interested in meeting new UK partners for EFL.

Lano Centre for Educational Services | http://lanointl.net/ Lano Centre for Educational Services (LCES), established in 2006, is private English language teaching centre, study abroad agency/consultancy and examination centre for Password.

Its main objective is to support Iraqi students applying for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom.

Lano Centre started as a representative for Nottingham University and then began broadening its portfolio and range of services from 2009 onwards. Dr Ashit Ala’aladeen from Lano Centre estimates that his team has counselled some 1,600 students since September 2010.

The centre has a branch in Sulaimania and a presence in Baghdad. As an ELT centre, in addition to general, academic and examination preparation courses, Lano also offers training in English for Specific Purposes (civil servants, hospitality, media companies and other tailor made packages).

We had a lengthy discussion with Dr Ala’aladeen, during which the following points were raised: • The UK is the number 1 destination among Kurdish students, followed by Australia, USA and Malaysia. • Scholars sign a bond guaranteeing their return to Kurdistan after their graduation - ~US$100,000 for PhD students and ~US60,000 for Master’s students. On return, they should serve in a government position for 4-5 years. • In addition to the KRG’s HCDP, there are 2 other scholarship schemes being run – one by the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education in Baghdad and the other being administered by the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (also in Baghdad). Compared to the KRG scheme, progress has been slowed by complex levels of bureaucracy and very few students have travelled abroad. However, the demand and funding for international education exists in the wider Iraqi nation and, as the security situation improves, this market will open. • There is no special licensing for agencies in the Kurdistan Region – they need only register as a company.

• Kurdish students often have unrealistic expectations of how quickly they will progress in their English language studies – they believe that they will be proficient in (‘full of’) English after 6 months. • The B1 English language level requirement for General Student Visas is damaging the UK’s reputation in Iraq. Before this rule was introduced, students did not request courses in the USA, Malaysia or Australia. Malaysia in particular is increasing in popularity at the expense of the UK – tuition fees and the cost of living are low (US$3,000 – US$5,000 for tuition and US$400/month for living on campus) and the visa system benign (Iraqis are non-visa national for stays of up to 1 month). However, the quality of education in Malaysia is lower, and the USA and Australia are seen as being too far away and too ‘unknown’. • Kurdistan has had a long-term relationship with the UK, and the Kurds feel an affinity with British culture and the British education system. • Rankings are important to Kurdish students – they all request top 10 universities. • Kurdistan/Iraq has the potential to become the most important market in the Middle East – there are wealthy families who wish to invest in the education of their children. • There is a growing market for international education outside the HCDP scheme. These are often students whose graduation score is lower than the 65% required for a scholarship. However, this market segment is being prevented from growing by the difficulties in obtaining a visa for self-funded students (they must travel to Amman in order to apply). • The market for business English (4-6 months) and short general English courses is also strengthening. Lano Centre counsels 4-5 students a week who are interested in shorter courses. However, again, this market segment is being negatively impacted by the arduous visa application process. • There are upwards of 30 private ELT centres in Erbil and Sulaimania, but many do not have the appropriate expertise. • There are ~10,000 students a year without a place at university – this represents an opportunity for foundation programmes. • Lano Centre is interested in hearing from UK partners who are able to run joint ESP courses – Lano can coordinate the ground logistics. • Lano is also interested in hearing more from UK institutions who can offer franchise opportunities or who wish to run joint foundation/pre-Master’s programmes with an overseas partner.

Moves International Kurdistan | http://movesinternational.com/ Moves International Kurdistan is an international education agency/consultancy headed up by Neil Russell and with a team of around 8 members of staff drawn from across the world. Neil was sent by the Australian Government to Kurdistan originally to recruit students for Australia. He now focuses on sending students to the UK, as this is where the demand lies. Moves International Kurdistan has some connections in the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Neil is keen to work with English UK members and to expand his portfolio of partners.

International Study Bridge (ISB) | http://www.istudybridge.com/ International Study Bridge is a new study abroad agency established less than 1 year ago. It has offices in Erbil, Sulaimania and Duhok in Kurdistan and a UK office in Huddersfield. We met with Mr Kamaran Doski, the Director, and Sardar Hasan, the Marketing Manager, who lived in the UK for many years.

ISB is currently working with around a dozen UK institutions. They have mostly been assisting HCDP-funded scholars, counselling ~100 students during the last round of scholarships. 15

ISB is keen to work with English UK members and to expand its portfolio of partners.

Interchange Institute | http://www.iitel.org/ Interchange Institute, established in 2008 is a private English language teaching centre, study abroad agency/consultancy and examination centre for Password based in Sulaimania. The founder and CEO of Interchange Institute, Mr Hiwa Othman, counsels around 10 students a week and sends around 50 a year to the UK for English language and HE courses.

Interchange Institute has 2 teaching centres in Sulaimania.

Issues that arose out of our discussions include the following: • There is a need for an IELTS test centre in Sulaimania (located around 3 hours drive from Erbil). • There is a need for teacher training courses (e.g. CELTA) – Hiwa is interested in hearing from UK partners who would be able to offer joint courses at Interchange Institute and/or in the UK. • The difficulty in obtaining a visa for self-funded students is preventing the market from growing.

Educom Overseas | http://www.educomoverseas.com Educom Overseas is a pan-Middle Eastern study abroad agency with a head office in Lebanon and branches/sub-agents in Erbil (Kurdistan), Uzbekistan and the UK.

We were unable to visit their office in Erbil, as the team was returning from ICEF Dubai.

Educom Overseas runs a number of student fairs every year, including 2 exhibitions in Kurdistan (Erbil and Sulaimania) in March and October.

5. UK GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS

British Consulate-General The British Consulate-General is based at the Khanzad Hotel in Erbil, Kurdistan. There is a small visa services (1 full time member of staff with others seconded for peak periods) and UK Trade & Investment team.

Only HCDP-funded scholars and those with special approval (e.g. travelling on government- sponsored trade missions etc.) may apply for their visas in Erbil. The application is then processed in Amman, Jordan. See Appendix II for more information.

All other visa applicants (including self-funded students and the families/dependents of HCDP-funded scholars) must travel to Amman, Jordan in order to make their application. This is an expensive and arduous task – the applicant must first receive a visa for Jordan (this can take 3-4 weeks) and should then stay in Amman for around 2-3 weeks while they await a decision. This has had a significant detrimental effect on the market for self-funded students.

The visa services operation started in Erbil in the last year or so. The HCDP Committee reported that this has had been one of the main drivers in channelling the majority of scholars towards study in the UK. Before this, all students, including those with scholarships, had to travel to Amman in order to apply for their visa.

The team deals with around 50 visa applications a week. To date, 1,273 student visas have been issued with no rejections.

It can take up to 20 working days for a visa to be processed once the biometric results have been submitted. There can be up to an 8-day wait for an appointment (there is a lack of capacity with only one mobile unit).

Mr Ala’aladeen from Lano Centre estimated that 80-85% of HCDP scholars travel to the UK on an Extended Student Visitor Visa or Student Visitor Visa for their English language course. They then return to Kurdistan for a ‘holiday’ in order to apply for their General Student Visa for their postgraduate degree course.

The British Consulate-General team is extremely helpful and we are very grateful for all their assistance.

They have agreed to allow any Kurdish study abroad agents who are participating in English UK-organised events to apply for their visas in Erbil, thereby removing the requirement for them to travel to Amman.

British Council The British Council opened a new centre at Salahaddin University in August 2011. The Council has been operating in Erbil since 2008, but was previously based in the British Consulate-General compound.

In November 2011, the British Council opened a teaching centre delivering a range of general English, exam preparation, business and skills courses to the public and corporate clients. It is a small but growing centre, currently offering 7 courses with a teaching team of 2 and growing to 15 courses by June 2012.

The centre runs 2 sessions of IELTS a month, with up to 90 candidates per session.

The British Council also offers professional examinations for other UK bodies, such as the Royal College of Surgeons and UK universities.

The Council has been involved in a number of other ELT/educational projects: • ELT training for the Ministry of Education school supervisors in KRG

• Supporting the establishment of a professional network for English teachers in Kurdistan - the KELTPN are taking a delegation to IATEFL • Promoting English through facilitating and sponsoring events to raise the profile of the British Council’s free online resources for learners of English. • Imminent launch of a radio and TV programme locally for English learners • A CELTA course in Erbil is planned for September 2012 • Delivering and managing a large EU-funded project to develop standards of teaching and learning in the state sector, and to develop the teaching of sport and the development of vocational training.

6. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

There is little doubt that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, still a pioneering and often overlooked market by many educators, represents a great opportunity for English UK and its members.

Even setting aside the HCDP scheme, there is a high demand for English language teaching and international education in the region, with the UK being the natural choice of destination and a growing number of families with means to fund studies overseas.

However, there are a number of obstacles to market entry for English UK members. The HCDP Committee’s current preference for English language courses to be delivered at higher education institutions and the difficulty in obtaining a visa for self-funded students are challenging factors, although not entirely prohibitive.

The ‘newness’ of the market, a lack of knowledge and access to information about the study options available and the relative immaturity of the network of study abroad agencies are also issues to be overcome.

English UK recommends pursuing the following next steps to ensure that our members and the UK EFL sector in general can benefit from the opportunities in the Kurdistan Region.

English UK mission to Kurdistan, May 2012 We are planning a return mission to Kurdistan in May 2012. The aim of this mission is to provide English UK members with the opportunity to meet with HCDP scholars, candidates and their influencers and representatives of universities, study abroad agencies, government bodies and other stakeholders in Kurdistan, and to gain a deeper insight into the Kurdish market for international education and ELT.

The mission will run from Sunday 13 May 2012 to Tuesday 15 or Wednesday 16 May 2012 (depending on the individual member’s chosen programme and itinerary) and will include a market briefing, networking lunch with Kurdish university representatives, student fair/exhibition, one-to-one meetings with study abroad agents and a cultural tour of Erbil.

The mission is being run in cooperation with the British Consulate-General in Erbil and the Kurdistan Regional Government UK Representation, who are liaising with the relevant KRG bodies (Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Planning, HCDP Committee, universities). This should ensure that we are able to attract a good number of scholars and candidates to the fair.

The event is timed to coincide with the opening of the 4th round of scholarships.

See Appendix 1 for further details.

Approved list of English language teaching centres As discussed earlier in the report, while there is a list of around 110 universities ‘approved’ for HCDP scholars published on the website of the Ministry of Higher Education, no such list exists for ELT providers. Scholars are expected to undertake their own research - we feel that this means that they are often left with incomplete information on the range of options available to them for their English language courses.

We recommend that a link to the English UK website’s student information pages be published on the HCDP site in order to go some way towards plugging the information gap regarding English language course options.

However, we are aware that the English UK website lists detailed course information on 450+ centres, many of which do not offer appropriate courses for Kurdish scholars.

Therefore, we also propose that English UK works together with the HCDP Committee to develop detailed criteria for English language course providers wishing to enrol Kurdish scholars. English UK members will be invited to submit their proposals and an independent consultant appointed to select the ‘approved’ centres based on the agreed criteria.

Memorandum of Understanding between English UK & the Kurdistan Regional Government HCDP Supreme Board It is recommended that a Memorandum of Understanding between English UK & the Kurdistan Regional Government HCDP Supreme Board be signed to establish a communication channel between the two parties with the aim of exploring the potential for the mutual enhancement of our relationship through cooperation and sharing of information in the area of English language teaching.

The signing of this MoU could take place during the opening ceremony of the fair on Monday 14 May 2012 in the presence of members of the HCDP Supreme Board and the Board of Directors of English UK.

7. APPENDICES

1. English UK mission to Kurdistan, May 2012 2. Kurdistan in brief – a country overview provided by the Kurdistan Regional Government 3. Guidance for KRG sponsored Student Visa applications – provided by the British Consulate-General Erbil

Appendix 1

English UK mission to Kurdistan, May 2012 The aim of this mission is to provide English UK members with the opportunity to meet with HCDP scholars, candidates and their influencers and representatives of universities, study abroad agencies, government bodies and other stakeholders in Kurdistan, and to gain a deeper insight into the Kurdish market for international education and ELT.

The event is timed to coincide with the opening of the 4th round of scholarships.

Provisional programme Dates: Sunday 13 May 2012 – Tuesday 15/Wednesday 16 May 2012 Venue: Erbil Rotana Hotel Expected number of participants: 15 English UK members

Date Timing Activity

Sunday 13 May Depart the UK on Turkish Airlines flight via Istanbul

Monday 14 May 02:35 Arrive in Erbil. Transfer to hotel & check in 11:00 – 12:00 Market briefing with British Consulate-General 12:00 – 14:00 Presentations and lunch with representatives from Kurdish universities 14:00 – 20:00 Student fair/exhibition open to the public 20:30 Group dinner with other English UK members

Tuesday 15 May ½ day one-to-one meetings with study abroad agents ½ day cultural tour of Erbil

As there is a limited number of active study abroad agencies (6) in Kurdistan, we will split the group of English UK members into two, with half having one-to-one meetings in the morning while the other half enjoy their cultural tour. The group will convene for lunch at the Erbil Rotana before switching for the afternoon session. 22

Wednesday 16 May 04:15 Depart from Erbil on Turkish Airlines flight via Istanbul

Participation fee: GBP 975 This will cover the following: • Group airport transfers • Market briefing • Networking lunch with university representatives • Student fair • Group dinner on Monday 14 May • Cultural tour of Erbil • Lunch on Tuesday 15 May • One-to-one meetings with study abroad agencies

Not included: • Airfare – the recommended route is with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul • Dinner on Tuesday 15 May • Accommodation: A standard single occupancy room at the Erbil Rotana is USD 210 + 10% including buffet breakfast (this is the special corporate rate secured by the British Consulate). You will need to book a minimum of 2 nights for the mission from Sunday 13 May – Tuesday 15 May.

As flights depart very early in the morning, you may also wish to book an additional night from Tuesday 15 May – Wednesday 16 May – this will improve your levels of comfort! It’s necessary to leave the Rotana at around 02:00 for the 04:15 flight.

How to register You should email Jodie Gray, Senior International Manager at English UK ([email protected]), expressing your interest in participating in this mission. Please include brief details of the reasons why you wish to take part in the mission and your centre’s suitability for hosting Kurdish scholars.

As places on the mission are extremely limited, we encourage you to register your interest as early as possible.

The Kurdistan Region in Brief

 With a population of over 4 million and rapidly increasing, the three governorates of Dohuk, Erbil and Suleimaniah cover approximately 40,000 square kilometres - larger than the Netherlands and four times the area of Lebanon.

 The Region is geographically diverse, from hot and dry plains to cooler mountainous areas with natural springs and snowfall in the winter.

 Since March 2003 not a single coalition soldier has died nor a single foreigner been kidnapped in the areas administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). With the cooperation of ordinary people, the Kurdistan Region’s security forces have kept the area safe and stable. Security responsibility was formally transferred from the Multinational Forces to the KRG in May 2007.

 The capital and seat of the Kurdistan Regional Government is Erbil, a city known locally as Hawler. The Citadel in Erbil is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited settlements.

 The Kurdistan Regional Government exercises executive power according to the Kurdistan Region’s laws as enacted by the democratically elected Kurdistan Parliament. The current government, led by Prime Minister Barham Salih, assumed office on 28 October 2009.

 Iraq’s Constitution recognises the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Kurdistan Parliament as the region’s institutions, and the Peshmerga guard as the legitimate regional forces.

 The current coalition government consists of several political parties that reflect the diversity of the Region’s people, who are Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriac, Turkmen, Yazidis and Kurds living together in harmony and tolerance.

 Since the Anfal genocide campaign by Saddam Hussein’s Regime in the 1980s, more than 65% of the razed villages have been rebuilt.

 The Kurdish language is distinct and is in the family of Iranian languages, such as Persian and Pashto. There are two main dialects, Sorani and Kurmanji.

 The Kurdistan Region has seven universities, including the English language University of Kurdistan- Hawler in Erbil which opened in September 2006, and the American University of Iraq in Suleimaniah, which started its first programme in autumn 2007.

 A new, liberal foreign investment law was ratified in June 2006, providing incentives for foreign investors such as the possibility of owning land, up to 10-year tax holidays and easy repatriation of profits.

 The Kurdistan Region has international airports in Erbil and Suleimaniah, with direct flights to and from Europe and the Middle East. Erbil International Airport has expanded considerably, adding a large new terminal in 2010. IATA scheduled carriers that fly to the Kurdistan Region include Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Royal Jordanian, Gulf Air and Middle East Airlines (MEA), and more IATA members are planning to start flights to Erbil. Several charter companies also fly to the Kurdistan Region from Europe and the Middle East.

GUIDANCE FOR KRG SPONSORED STUDENT VISA APPLICATIONS

(Please note that we only accept KRG sponsored students. Self funded students must apply at the British Embassy in Amman)

How To Apply

The on-line process for applications taken in Erbil is as follows.

1. To start the application process, go to http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk

2. The application form needs to be completed online.

3. If you have CAS you need to select study as the type of the visa and for purpose of the application you need to choose PBS tier 4 student and for type of application you need to select Tier4 (General) student.

4. If you are a student visitor and you have either visa letter or acceptance letter. As type of visa you need to choose visit, purpose of application as special visitor and for type of application you need to select (special) student visitor, to study English language.

5. The online system takes the applicant through the application process, step by step and ensures that all questions are answered before they can move on to the next page.

6. When asked the applicant should select their current location as Iraq

7. Applicant’s have the choice of paying in cash at the consulate on the day of their appointment or they can pay online using a credit card. If paying by cash the applicant should select Iraq under both country and visa appointment centre If paying online they should choose Iraq and then Jordan.

8. Finalising the visa application: When asked for ‘Your Visa Appointment Location’ – all applicants need to choose Amman, but they should not go through to book an appointment.

9. Once the applicant has signed the form (electronically) the application is effectively completed and submitted, they will then receive a GWF application number and a confirmation email from visa4uk website.

10. The applicant then needs to print off a copy of the complete application form and confirmation email with the GWF application number on it. As soon as we receive the letter from Department of Foreign Relations DFR containing the names of the students, we will contact them to arrange an appointment to take their biometrics.

11. The printed off application form, supporting documentation, support letters, fees, passport, one passport sized photographs and GWF application number then need to be submitted to the British Consulate General on the previously agreed appointment date.

Supporting Documents required

1. Financial support letter from MOHE (original copy plus photocopy)

2. Academic offer, language offer plus CAS or visa letter.

3. If you are applying as student visitor, you will not be issued a CAS; instead the university generally issues either an invitation letter or acceptance letter.

4. ATAS certificate ( your educational establishment will be able to tell you if this is required)

5. One passport sized photo.

6. Bachelor Certificate if going to study master and both masters and bachelor degrees if you are going to study PHD (original copy plus photocopy)

7. Evidence of English language ability as stated in the CAS or visa letter. This may not be valid if you have an unconditional offer (original copy plus photocopy)

8. Appendix 8 General Student self assessment form if you are applying as general student tier 4 for more information please visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/apply- outside-uk/

Please note that the above list is only a guide. Providing all of the above documents is not a guarantee of issue.

Important Notes

• Please make sure you have photocopies of all your original documents with you on your appointment day. We will send both the originals and the photocopies to Amman and the original documents will be returned with your passport.

• Please make sure to sign your visa application form.

• The visa fee isn’t fixed; please make sure you have the correct amount of money on your appointment day. We only accept US dollars.

• Please note that the online application expires 30 days after you have submitted it. Make sure you submit a valid application on your appointment day.

• We aim for the turnaround time with Amman to be 20 days but we recommend getting in touch at least six to 8 weeks in advance of travelling. Amman deal with applications from several countries and the 20 days target cannot always be met. Please apply with time to spare.

Further Information

• For detailed and updated information on visas and studying in UK please visit below websites http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/

• http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/ecg/flowchar t-student-over-18.pdf

Last Updated: 15 January 2012

Visa Appointment information sheet to be completed and submitted with the application on the appointment day.

Full name Surname Date of birth Passport number Appointment day Kind of visa Organization Fee paid GWF number Contact information: Mobile/ Email

Registered Office 219 St John Street London EC1V 4LY t +44 20 7608 7960 e [email protected] f +44 20 7608 7961 w www.englishuk.com