Renewed U.S.-Libyan Relations Benefit Students

[tolibya]

Washington -- When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice released a statement May 15 saying, “The United States is restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya,” the gateway for Libyan students to attend U.S. universities was reopened for the first time in more than 20 years.

For Yousif Sherif, a research associate in biochemistry and molecular biology at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the announcement was especially welcome.

Originally from Libya, Sherif was one of nearly 100 Libyan students who studied at OSU in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He witnessed the number of Libyan students studying in the United States dwindle from thousands to nearly none as strained U.S.-Libya relations led to the establishment of broad sanctions.

Now, two decades later, Sherif once again is welcoming Libyan students to the United States and OSU. He has played a key role in bringing seven Libyan students to the United States for the upcoming academic year and continues traveling to Libya to recruit more.

MAKING CONTACT

“How it started was a few years back I was with the Libyan ambassador to the United Nations and I said, ‘Why don’t you send [students] to us in Oklahoma?’ and he said, ‘Fine. You do your work. I’ll send them to you,’” Sherif told the Washington File. “What he meant by ‘doing my work’ was for us to lobby for relations to improve between Libya and the U.S. So we started working on that,”

Earl Mitchell, interim head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at OSU explained, “We started the Libyan connection when sanctions were still on.” Although it was uncertain when the sanctions would end, Mitchell remained optimistic. “We didn’t know how long it would be, but we knew it would happen,” he said.

The United States eased some of the sanctions on Libya in April 2004. Shortly thereafter, Sherif and Mitchell took a delegation to Libya where Mitchell said they “spent four days visiting the universities, and all the top people in the government, talking about education and educational training for Libyan students.”

“As we traveled throughout Tripoli, we kept meeting people who … were so welcoming to see us there, and it was a very good feeling because we met some people who got their degrees in the U.S.,” said Mitchell.

However, “nothing transpired until the Libyan government got rid of weapons of mass destruction and … Condoleezza Rice announced Libya would be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and there would be complete relations between the two countries,” said Sherif. (See related article.)

“OSU has a long history with Libya,” explained Nani Pybus, senior coordinator of international programs in the Office of International Education and Outreach at OSU. “The lifting of the embargoes was crucial in enabling old ties to be renewed, formally and officially.”

FULFILLING NEEDS, DEVLOPING CAPACITIES

When some students expressed interest in medical studies, Sherif contacted the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center to arrange for students to apply to their health sciences program.

“For the most part these [students] are the equivalent of medical doctors back home in Libya who now want more technical expertise in the pharmaceutical sciences, cell biology, physiology, and programs like these,” said James Wiche, vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Oklahoma.

“The impact is to try to … train a core of young people who will go back into Libya ... people who will then assume key roles in the government and other aspects of the country,” he said. The hope is that the knowledge and expertise students bring back to Libya will allow them to have a positive impact on public health practice and policy.

The relationship between Oklahoma and Libya is not intended to be short-term, either. “We certainly feel comfortable having them come here, and to do this for a long-term commitment,” he said. “It is a way for Oklahoma and our nation to have a long-range, long-term impact on scholars who feel that the U.S. is a good place and can have more friendly relationships.”

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE DIPLOMACY

“I want my fellow countrymen to get the best education. It gives me pleasure to do something for these [students],” Sherif told the Stillwater NewsPress. Not only has Sherif been instrumental in attracting Libyan students to study in the United States, but he also is sponsoring all seven while they are here.

“Our best diplomacy is education,” said Mitchell, who added that Libyan students are “some of the brightest students we’ve had.”

Currently, all seven students are improving their English language skills at the English Language Institute on the OSU campus. Having already been accepted to academic programs in fields related to business and health sciences, they will begin coursework in late August.