{"id":194,"date":"2009-12-07T10:54:16","date_gmt":"2009-12-07T17:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/?p=194"},"modified":"2009-12-07T11:02:58","modified_gmt":"2009-12-07T18:02:58","slug":"university-of-baghdad-college-of-agriculture-abu-ghraib","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/2009\/12\/07\/university-of-baghdad-college-of-agriculture-abu-ghraib\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Baghdad College of Agriculture-Abu Ghraib"},"content":{"rendered":"

December 6, 2009<\/p>\n

Allahu Akbar.\u00a0 The Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer woke me up at 5:30 this morning.\u00a0 I had woken up a couple of times in the middle of the night \u2013 lot of chopper activity and dogs barking.\u00a0 (I discovered later from Frank Fear that he had heard some explosives followed by chopper activity).\u00a0 Each time I turned over and went back to sleep \u2013 I finally woke up for good at 6:30.\u00a0 It was still dark outside \u2013 not too cold. I walked over from my room to the villa\u2019s kitchen \u2013 got me some coffee, which had been cooking the whole night, and returned to my room, since no one else was up.<\/p>\n

Finally, I went down for breakfast\u2013 typical breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, juice, etc.\u00a0 Dodi Thapa, the young man from Nepal who I had spoken with in Hindi the previous day had made fresh coffee.\u00a0 Nice and strong.\u00a0 Finally, one by one, my cohorts showed up.\u00a0 We discussed the upsets and near upsets in college football \u2013 incidentally it was amazing how many apologized for OSU losing to U of O.<\/p>\n

We got cleaned up, and our PSD showed up. Taylor, Paul, Chad, Terry and the others.<\/p>\n

\n \"Taylor\n
Taylor Briefing<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

Taylor pulled out a map to show us our route and briefed us on the procedures to follow.\u00a0 We were to leave the IZ, so we needed protection, including our IBAs, helmets, etc., and we were headed to the University of Baghdad College of Agriculture in the Abu Ghraib district \u2013 yes, the college butts up to the infamous prison in the district.<\/p>\n

\n \"Camp\n
Camp Victory Tower<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

We were to drive by Camp Victory, the multi-national force\u2019s headquarters, a huge complex, and then on to the college campus.\u00a0 The drive comprised, as we did yesterday, a convoy of SUVs, with a lead vehicle followed by several SUVs carrying our group, trailed by an SUV with a medic, radio antenna, etc.\u00a0 We were all dressed up in coats, neckties, dress slacks, and our IBAs and helmets.\u00a0 It was an interesting sight to behold.\u00a0 Needless to say, Taylor and his colleagues were there to protect us \u2013 the ride through some desolate countryside was uneventful \u2013 Chad, as usual was vigilant, constantly scanning the area around our SUV \u2013 except for the occasional checkpoints,<\/p>\n

\n \"IED\n
IED Detector<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

along with American military vehicles with their IED detectors in the front.<\/p>\n

\n \"College\n
College of Agriculture<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

We made it to campus, and discovered that our host, Dean Hamza, had been called out on an emergency, and apparently had forgotten to inform any one else about our arrival. Dr. Araji was pretty upset, to say the least. However, the assistant dean and several other individuals met with us, recovered, and gave us an overview of their college, and all of the constraints they face.\u00a0 These constraints are an aging infrastructure \u2013 the college was built in the 1950s with the help of the University of Arizona, and faculty who had been trained overseas that either retired or left or have died.\u00a0 There has been no investment since the 1980s.\u00a0 The equipment and laboratories and buildings are really old.\u00a0 Our hosts, Dr. Jawwad, Dr. Sami, and Dr. Hamid, lamented the needs in terms of books, journals, laboratory equipment, better training, etc.<\/p>\n

\n \"Alfalfa\"\n
Alfalfa<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

The whole nation faces significant agriculutral issues related to low productivity, salinity \u2013 the water table is very high and the crops are irrigated as they have been for 5,000 years using open canals and ditches \u2013 lack of infrastructure, etc.\u00a0 Much of the irrigation water is lost to evaporation, and leaves the soil highly saline, making it difficult to grow crops.<\/p>\n

Each of us gave an overview of our college\u2019s strengths and I also gave an overview of the land grant mission of our colleges.\u00a0 Their persistent plea was for us to help them with the very significant issues they face. \u00a0 I do not think that Iraq can seek to develop much if they do not address their food and agricultural needs, and really they need to build capacity and infrastructure.\u00a0 The 10,000 scholarships are an effort in the right direction, but it will require a bottom up review and reinvestment in the food and agricultural enterprise.<\/p>\n

\n \"Sheep\"\n
Sheep<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

We got a tour of the facilities \u2013 their research fields where graduate students undertake research and their livestock farms, along with some labs.\u00a0 The state of the facilities is decrepit; I wonder how Iraq will be able to make progress.\u00a0 It\u2019s a shame that there are almost two generations of lost opportunities since the 1970s, and particularly during Saddam\u2019s era.\u00a0 The Iraqi government\u2019s work is cut out, but with their potential oil revenues, they should be able to make the investments to rebuild these colleges.\u00a0 At least one hopes so.<\/p>\n

\n \"Outdoor\n
Outdoor Class<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

We got to meet some of the students \u2013 eager, young people interested in developing the skills.\u00a0 The students, in general, looked like they were very much interested \u2013 we even saw an outdoor class in progress.\u00a0 Some of these students are eligible for the scholarships, and I hope are given an opportunity.\u00a0 Although this is an Islamic country, it was interesting to see young women, wearing head scarves, walking with and talking to young men, as one might see in the States.<\/p>\n

During our visit to campus, Taylor and his PSD group took great care to make sure we were protected.\u00a0 It was interesting how they parked their SUVs to surround us as we walked around, and the individuals would spread out in a perimeter, check the surroundings, keeping an eye out and scanning for any untoward surprises.\u00a0 It was amazing to see them work hard to make sure we were protected.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, in their company I felt completely protected.<\/p>\n

The return to the IZ was uneventful.\u00a0 After lunch, we went to meet with Dr. Zuhair Humadi, a Southern Illinois University graduate and former professor in the US, whose brainchild it is to create the 10,000 scholarships for students to study in the US, UK, and other countries.<\/p>\n

\n \"Zuhair\n
Zuhair Humadi<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

Dr. Humadi\u2019s operation is located in the IZ, so we drove with Lee and Hope in the black Suburbans for the afternoon session.\u00a0 Zuhair, a 60-plus, energetic and visionary individual, met with us along with his assistants, Dr. Hakeem, a 70-year old recently retired professor and who had received his degrees in zoology from the University of Kansas and University of Oklahoma, and Maha, a young woman with a degree in English and who had spent a year in the US on a Fulbright.\u00a0 Zuhair gave us an overview of the scholarship program, and then all of us told him about our colleges and universities \u2013 again I had an opportunity to not only speak about our college and OSU, but I also gave an overview of the history of the land grant concept, and how important it has been for the development of America into the most powerful nation on earth.\u00a0 We all talked about our willingness to host Iraqi students, and we each provided information on admissions, English language requirements, specific majors, opportunities for graduate research and opportunities to host faculty on short term visits and sabbaticals.\u00a0 The afternoon included the mandatory sweet tea, following which some of their large staff members came to speak to us about our universities, rules, regulations, etc. The afternoon offered an opportunity for Dr. Humadi and his colleagues to learn more about land grants and agricultural colleges; conversely it offered us an opportunity to learn more about the scholarship program.<\/p>\n

\n \"Ambassador\n
Ambassador Hill<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

During the evening, we were hosted at a reception by Ambassador Christopher Hill at his home at the US Embassy complex. The complex is new and huge \u2013 it hosts nearly 1,600 Americans, with likely that many or more individuals of other nationalities \u2013 behind high, concertina topped walls, and in places with another layer of T-walls.\u00a0 The security guards at the perimeter are Peruvians.\u00a0 The food is prepared and served by South Asians.\u00a0 And then there are a number of others that run the day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n

\n \"General\n
General Hunzeker<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

We got to speak to Amb. Hill, Gen. Hunzeker, second in command to Gen. Odierno (Gen. Hunzeker moved the Big Red One from Germany to Ft. Riley, outside Manhattan, KS, our former home, and from which we benefited, i.e., we were able to sell our house easily before our move to Purdue), Amb. Patricia Haslach, Deputy Chief of Mission and a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Ron Verdonk with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, and several other USDA FAS personnel.\u00a0 Over wine \u2013 from California \u2013 and appetizers (samosas and grilled chicken along with chips, vegetables and dip, etc.), we got to interact with the Amb. Hill and the others.\u00a0 We discovered Amb. Hill and Gen. Hunzeker to be very thoughtful and knowledgeable people, and were very much interested in agricultural development in Iraq and the potential for our universities\u2019 involvement.<\/p>\n

Following the reception we walked over to eat dinner, courtesy of the USDA FAS colleagues, at the Embassy cafeteria, along with a number of EPRTs (Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams) who have expertise in poultry production, crop science, water issues, salinity, honey production, etc.\u00a0 I even got to meet Michael Gangware, an OSU soil scientist.\u00a0 The conversation, particularly with the EPRTs who are dispersed around the country, was about their challenges, both technical and military, in working with the local communities.<\/p>\n

\n \"Destruction\"\n
Destruction<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

These are tough people who are really where the \u201crubber meets the road\u201d as far as America being able to make a difference in helping the Iraqis with capacity building.<\/p>\n

Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Ciao,<\/p>\n

Sonny<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

December 6, 2009 Allahu Akbar.\u00a0 The Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer woke me up at 5:30 this morning.\u00a0 I had woken up a couple of times in the middle of the night \u2013 lot of chopper activity and dogs barking.\u00a0 (I discovered later from Frank Fear that he had heard some explosives followed by… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions\/208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/sonny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}