The U.S.–Iraq Higher Education Partnerships Program (HEPP) equips Iraqi faculty and administrators with skills and knowledge needed to strengthen teaching, research, career development, and administration.

HEPP partnerships between Iraqi and U.S. universities strengthen curricula, enhance research and teaching methods, and build cooperation. The program targets higher education needs in Iraq such as industry engagement, STEM collaborative research projects, distance learning, digital information systems, modernizing publication resources, and youth-based approaches to countering violent extremism.

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

• Promote partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi higher education institutions and faculty members to encourage cooperation and engagement.
• Provide seed funding to a diverse range of academic partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi higher education institutions and faculty members.
• Foster mutual understanding and strengthen U.S.–Iraq relations through academic initiatives that enhance human and technical capacity inside Iraq, bolster long-term stability in the country, and develop the next generation of Iraqi leaders.
• Strengthen the capacity of Iraqi universities to equip students for local and global success.

• Offer technical assistance to universities through consulting and training in curriculum development, instructional strategies, technology, and teaching methods.
• Support long-term collaboration between U.S. and Iraqi academics.
• Assist Iraqi faculty and administrators in developing technical knowledge and skills for grant writing to secure international research and funding.

• HEPP small grants' project topics include creating a modern student registration and online learning system, aligning an architecture curriculum with industry best practices and standards, and promoting capacity building and research collaboration on public health problems that result from conflict.
• There are currently 13 HEPP partnerships between Iraqi and U.S. universities. The partnerships are working to address a range of higher education needs in Iraq and to develop long-term, cross-cultural, academic partnerships.

E-mail: Hep-iraq@irex.org