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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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.