

Currently released so far... 12553 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
APECO
ASEC
AMGT
AFIN
APER
ACABQ
AORC
AEMR
AF
AE
AR
AGMT
AU
AY
ABLD
AS
AG
AJ
APCS
AX
AM
AMEX
ATRN
ADM
AMED
AFGHANISTAN
AZ
AL
ASUP
AND
ARM
ASEAN
AFFAIRS
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
AODE
APEC
ACBAQ
AFSI
AFSN
AO
ABUD
AC
ADPM
ADCO
ASIG
ARF
AUC
ASEX
AGAO
AA
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
AIT
AADP
ASCH
AORL
AROC
ACOA
ANET
AID
AMCHAMS
AINF
AMG
AFU
AN
ALOW
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ACS
ADANA
AECL
ACAO
AORG
AGR
BEXP
BR
BM
BG
BL
BA
BTIO
BO
BP
BC
BILAT
BK
BU
BD
BRUSSELS
BB
BF
BBSR
BIDEN
BX
BE
BH
BT
BY
BMGT
BWC
BTIU
BN
CA
CASC
CFED
CO
CH
CS
CU
CE
CI
CM
CMGT
CJAN
COM
CG
CIS
CVIS
CR
CKGR
CHR
CVR
COUNTER
CIA
CLINTON
CY
CPAS
CD
CBW
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CDG
CW
CODEL
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CARICOM
CB
CONDOLEEZZA
CWC
CACS
CSW
CIDA
CIC
CITT
CONS
CL
CACM
CDB
CDC
CAN
CF
CJUS
CTM
CBSA
CARSON
CT
CLMT
CBC
CEUDA
CV
COPUOS
CTR
CROS
CAPC
CAC
CNARC
CICTE
CBE
ECON
ETRD
EIND
ENRG
EC
ELAB
EAGR
EAID
EFIS
EFIN
EINV
EUN
EG
EPET
EAIR
EU
ELTN
EWWT
ECIN
ERD
EI
ETTC
EUR
EN
EZ
ETC
ENVI
EMIN
ET
ENVR
ER
ECPS
EINT
EAP
ES
ENIV
ECONOMY
EXTERNAL
EINN
EFTA
ECONOMIC
EPA
EXBS
ECA
ELN
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ENGR
ECUN
ENGY
ECONOMICS
ELECTIONS
EIAR
EINDETRD
EREL
EUC
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
ENERG
EFIM
EAIDS
EK
ETRDECONWTOCS
EINVETC
ECONCS
EUNCH
ESA
ECINECONCS
EUREM
ESENV
EFINECONCS
ETRC
ENNP
EAIG
EXIM
EEPET
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EUMEM
ETRA
ERNG
ETRO
ETRN
EINVEFIN
ICTY
IN
IS
IR
IC
IZ
IA
INTERPOL
IAEA
IT
IMO
IO
IV
ID
IRAQI
IEA
INRB
IL
IWC
ITU
ICAO
ISRAELI
ICRC
IIP
IMF
IBRD
ISLAMISTS
ITALY
ITALIAN
ILO
IPR
IQ
IRS
IAHRC
IZPREL
IRAJ
IDP
ILC
ITF
ICJ
IF
ITPHUM
INMARSAT
ISRAEL
IACI
IBET
ITRA
INR
IRC
IDA
ICTR
IGAD
INRA
INRO
IEFIN
INTELSAT
INTERNAL
INDO
ITPGOV
KWMN
KSCA
KDEM
KTFN
KIPR
KCRM
KPAL
KE
KPAO
KPKO
KS
KN
KISL
KFRD
KJUS
KIRF
KFLO
KG
KTIP
KTER
KRCM
KTIA
KGHG
KIRC
KU
KPRP
KMCA
KMPI
KSEO
KNNP
KZ
KNEI
KCOR
KOMC
KCFC
KSTC
KMDR
KFLU
KSAF
KSEP
KSAC
KR
KGIC
KSUM
KWBG
KCIP
KDRG
KOLY
KAWC
KCHG
KHDP
KRVC
KBIO
KAWK
KGCC
KHLS
KBCT
KPLS
KREL
KCFE
KMFO
KV
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVPR
KTDB
KSPR
KIDE
KVRP
KTEX
KBTR
KTRD
KICC
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KDEMAF
KMRS
KRAD
KOCI
KSTH
KUNR
KNSD
KGIT
KFSC
KHIV
KPAI
KICA
KACT
KHUM
KREC
KSEC
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCMR
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KNAR
KNUC
KPWR
KENV
KWWMN
KWMNCS
KPRV
KOM
KBTS
KCRS
KNPP
KWNM
KRFD
KVIR
KTBT
KAID
KRIM
KDDG
KRGY
KHSA
KWMM
KMOC
KSCI
KPAK
KX
KPAONZ
KCGC
KID
KPOA
KIFR
KFIN
KWAC
KOMS
KCRCM
KNUP
KMIG
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KTLA
KCSY
KJUST
MOPS
MARR
MASS
MNUC
MX
MCAP
MO
MR
MI
MD
MK
MA
MP
MY
MTCRE
MOPPS
MASC
MIL
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MU
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MZ
MEETINGS
MG
MW
MAS
MT
MCC
MIK
ML
MARAD
MV
MERCOSUR
MTRE
MPOS
MEPP
MILITARY
MDC
MQADHAFI
MUCN
MRCRE
MAPS
MEDIA
MASSMNUC
MC
NZ
NZUS
NL
NU
NATO
NP
NO
NIPP
NE
NH
NR
NA
NPT
NI
NSF
NG
NSG
NAFTA
NC
NDP
NEW
NRR
NATIONAL
NT
NS
NASA
NAR
NV
NORAD
NSSP
NK
NPA
NGO
NSC
NATOPREL
NW
NPG
NSFO
OPDC
OTRA
OIIP
OREP
OVIP
OSCE
OEXC
OIE
OPRC
OAS
OPIC
OTR
OMIG
OSAC
OFFICIALS
OECD
OSCI
OBSP
OFDA
OPCW
ODIP
OFDP
OES
OPAD
OCII
OHUM
OVP
ON
OIC
OCS
PHUM
PREL
PGOV
PINR
PTER
PARM
PREF
PM
PE
PINS
PK
PHSA
PBTS
PRGOV
PA
PORG
PP
PS
PGOF
PL
PO
PARMS
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PAK
POL
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PREFA
PALESTINIAN
PBIO
PINF
PNG
PMIL
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PAO
POLITICS
PHUMBA
PSEPC
PTBS
PCUL
PROP
PNAT
PNR
POLINT
PGOVE
PROG
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PROV
PHUMPREL
PGOC
PY
PCI
PLN
PDOV
PREO
PGIV
PHUH
PAS
PU
POGOV
PF
PINL
POV
PAHO
PRL
PG
PRAM
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POLICY
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PGGV
PHUS
PSA
PHUMPGOV
PEL
PSI
PAIGH
POSTS
PBT
PTERE
RS
RU
RW
RM
RO
RP
REGION
RSP
RF
RICE
RCMP
RFE
RIGHTS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
ROBERT
RUPREL
RELATIONS
ROOD
REACTION
RSO
REPORT
SENV
SNAR
SCUL
SR
SC
SOCI
SMIG
SI
SP
SU
SO
SW
SY
SA
SZ
SAN
SF
SN
STEINBERG
SG
ST
SIPDIS
SNARIZ
SNARN
SSA
SK
SPCVIS
SOFA
SAARC
SL
SEVN
SARS
SIPRS
SHUM
SANC
SWE
SHI
SYR
SNARCS
SPCE
SYRIA
SEN
SH
SCRS
SENVKGHG
TRGY
TSPL
TPHY
TSPA
TBIO
TI
TW
THPY
TX
TU
TS
TZ
TC
TH
TT
TIP
TO
TERRORISM
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TL
TV
TNGD
TD
TF
TP
TFIN
TAGS
TK
TR
UNSC
UK
UNGA
UN
US
UNHRC
UG
UP
UNMIK
UNHCR
UE
USTR
UNVIE
UAE
UZ
UY
UNO
UNESCO
USEU
USOAS
UV
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNEP
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDP
UNPUOS
UNC
UNAUS
USUN
UNCHC
UNCHR
UNCND
UNICEF
UNCSD
UNDC
USNC
USPS
USAID
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 10TRIPOLI114, GOL FUNDING INCREASING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS IN U.S. UNIVERSITIES TRIPOLI 00000114 001.2 OF 003 1.(SBU)
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #10TRIPOLI114.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
10TRIPOLI114 | 2010-02-10 15:29 | 2011-01-31 21:30 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Tripoli |
VZCZCXRO0652
RR RUEHBC RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHTRO #0114/01 0411529
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101529Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5781
INFO RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DIR ICE INTEL WASHDC
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 1547
RHMFISS/AFRICOM
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 6339
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TRIPOLI 000114
SIPDIS
SLUG FOR NEA/MAG, ECA/A/E/NEA, CA/VO, EMBASSY CAIRO ICE & CBP E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV CVIS LY OEXC
SUBJECT: GOL FUNDING INCREASING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS IN U.S. UNIVERSITIES TRIPOLI 00000114 001.2 OF 003 1.(SBU)
SUMMARY: The Government of Libya (GOL) is continuing to expand its scholarship program funding Libyan students in the United States, focusing primarily on supporting Libyan graduate students. Building on existing relationships with U.S. academia dating from the 1960s and 1970s, in less than four years the GOL has increased the number of Libyans studying on scholarships in America from zero to approximately 1,600 students. From the outset, Libyan students faced a series of unique challenges caused by the nearly thirty-year absence of a bilateral American-Libyan relationship. A lack of knowledge of the U.S. academic system combined with a low-level of basic English instruction led to a large number of Libyan students returning home disappointed and without a degree. We view this as an opportunity to assist the GOL with a mutually desired program that is fairly independent from the usual GOL political interference. The Public Affairs and Consular Sections have been able to meet with hundreds of potential Libyan students over the last year and provide them with free information on educational opportunities and student visas. The GOL has also made significant improvements in its scholarship program since 2005 including widening its pool of scholarship nominees, creating an electronic database, and hiring a Canadian company to manage placement and student services. Overall, despite complex bureaucracy and internal change, the program continues to succeed in training a new generation of Libyan professionals who will have enduring ties with the United States. End summary.
The GOL Scholarship Program: An Overview
2.(U) Since before the 1969 Libyan revolution, the GOL sponsored Libyan students studying abroad, including in the United States. Current Libyan Ambassador to Washington Ali Al-Aujeli recently told journalists that over 6,000 of his countrymen had studied in American institutions in the past. Since the resumption of bilateral relations, over 2,000 U.S. student visas have been issued to Libyans, with the majority being government scholarships. The Libyan Minister of Education-equivalent reportedly ordered his department to focus on sending Libyan students to the United States due to the international reputation and academic superiority of American academic institutions. Scholarship students must agree to return to Libya after graduation and work in their field of study for several years. Many past Libyan graduates of U.S. institutions have gone on to senior positions within their fields of expertise, including government service (Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, for example, is a graduate of Michigan State University).
3.(SBU) In most cases, students receive funding for a year of English study prior to beginning academic programs in the United States. (Note: Due to a ban on studying foreign languages during the sanctions years, Libyan students generally have limited English language capabilities. End note). Upon completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the students apply to U.S. universities in hopes of gaining acceptance and maintaining their scholarships. Initially, Libyan students faced a series of challenges including low acceptance rates. The GOL estimates that from 2005 to 2008, more than 600 Libyan scholarship students returned to Libya without having completed their degrees. The Libyan Department of Scholarships now estimates that 1,000 Libyan scholarship students have been accepted into academic programs in addition to another 600 currently enrolled in English language programs. Our GOL interlocutors indicate that among the lessons learned from the challenging beginning are to expand the choices of universities they recognize and to focus on hard sciences unless the student has stellar English scores.
4.(SBU) The GOL scholarships pay full tuition, books, and insurance as well as providing a stipend for living expenses based on family size. When Libyan students first returned to the United States, both students and institutions complained of poor service, late payments, and ill-run bureaucracy in dealing with the GOL. The GOL demonstrated some commitment to tightening control of scholarship administration when it appointed Dr. Omran al-Geriani as head of the Department of Scholarships in May 2009. The Cultural Attachi at the Libyan People's Bureau in Washington was made responsible for financing and coordinating scholarship activities in the United States. Starting in February 2010, and following a competitive bidding process, the task of coordinating GOL scholarships throughout North America will be assumed by the Canadian Bureau of International Exchange (CBIE). The organization has managed the Canadian portion of the GOL's program since January 2010. A forthcoming delegation of members from the GOL's finance, education, and cultural wings will seek to iron out final TRIPOLI 00000114 002.2 OF 003 details including coordination among their department representatives at the Libyan Embassy in Washington.
Scholarship Selection Process
5.(SBU) According to Al-Geriani, each major ministry of the government can nominate students for scholarships. All nominations are then routed through the People's Committee for Education (the largest nominating branch in its own right). Applicants usually find their names listed online within a year of application. They must then select where they will study, with the United Kingdom, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, Indonesia, and the United States being popular choices. The UK program has reportedly reached its 4,000-student cap however, and no new GOL scholarships are being offered at present. Unlike in previous decades, the GOL issues scholarships almost exclusively for graduate and post-graduate study, due to the GOL's desire to build its own undergraduate programs. However, a small percentage of the top high school graduates in the country (approximately 85 in 2009) receive scholarships for undergraduate study in the country of their choice. High school graduates who have chosen the United States have been consistently in the engineering and sciences fields.
6.(SBU) The Qadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation (QDF), a quasi-governmental institution headed by Muammar al-Qadhafi's son, Saif al-Islam, provides another path to study abroad for those without formal government scholarships. After applying and being selected to received a scholarship, applicants find their names listed online at regular intervals based on the country of choice for study. Unlike the GOL scholarship process, QDF scholarships come with the school pre-designated. The head of the foundation's student affairs program, Dr. Taieb El-Bahloul, himself a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, told Emboffs his greatest concern is the lower qualification level of his program's awardees. Unlike the other nominating bodies, the foundation's students typically have been in the work force for a number of years already and often face challenges in readapting to academia and foreign language acquisition. Libyan students personally funding their studies in the United States can also compete to pick up a government scholarship. Interested students must have already completed half of the coursework for their Masters or PhD program study at an approved university. The GOL has extended this benefit to a number of Libyan-American students in the United States already.
7.(SBU) Personal connections lubricate many interactions in Libya, and the awarding of scholarships is no exception. In visa interviews, a few students with government scholarships admitted to having a relative working in the scholarship division or other government body. In one case, an applicant presented paperwork from Georgetown University stating he had a GOL scholarship for six months of English study only, despite being a recent high school graduate. He admitted that his brother-in-law, working at the Libyan embassy in Washington, secured him the scholarship. The applicant's sister had also received a scholarship and is studying in Washington, D.C. as well. Other well-placed Libyans have confirmed to Emboffs that such connections can be a deciding factor in the awarding of GOL scholarships. Despite this, the GOL appears to have placed an emphasis on geographic and gender diversity in its selection process, the results of which we clearly see at the visa window when interviewing the students.
Embassy Outreach Efforts
8.(SBU) The Public Affairs and Consular Sections have worked to leverage and enhance the GOL's interest in sponsoring graduate and doctoral study in the United States. In November 2009, we participated in the EducationLibya Fair, the country's largest annual academic trade show. The Embassy booth distributed IIP and EducationUSA-branded material and the Embassy's educational advisor met with students and parents to offer individual counseling and advisory services. The Embassy also organized an "America's Stage" space above the main Expo Floor where Emboffs provided briefings on various topics of interest to Libyan students, including an overview of admissions examinations, the student visa application process, and discussions on the wide variety of academic institutions and programs available to international students. In November 2010, we will organize the first-ever U.S. Educational Fair in collaboration with Linden Educational Services of Alexandria, VA. Al-Fateh University, Libya's premier national university, has indicated preliminary interest in co-sponsoring this fair and using the opportunity to develop academic ties with American institutions. In 2009, TRIPOLI 00000114 003.2 OF 003 despite repeated efforts by the Embassy, the GOL did not issue entry visas to the State Department's Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) and Regional English Language Officer (RELO), hampering our ability to offer pre-departure briefings and assist the Ministry of Education in better preparing students for their experiences in the United States. Public Affairs and Consular staff have held meetings within universities and private academic centers across the country to advocate for U.S. study and provide resources and guidance. Second-Order Effects
9.(SBU) The waves of Libyan students in the 1960s through early 1980s resulted in a flood of dual-national citizens, through marriages and births in the United States. Since our reopening of American Citizen Services in 2005, Libyans continue to pour in to the Embassy with tattered birth certificates and supporting documents to apply for first-time U.S. passports. Most speak little English and have not visited the United States since birth. We anticipate that the current increase in Libyan students in the U.S. will have a similar result.
¶10. (SBU) Additionally, a number of private businesses have arisen to meet the growing demand for student visa facilitation, particularly following the opening of U.S. non-immigrant visa issuance in Tripoli in March 2009. The largest of these businesses, Bousfeita Student Services (BSS), boasts several offices in Benghazi and Tripoli. British-Libyan owner Mohamed Ali Bousfeita told Conoff that his organization facilitated the travel of over 800 students to the United States in 2008 alone, the vast majority being GOL-sponsored. He toured 26 states to view schools and institutions to provide options for his clients and claims that study in the United States has quickly overtaken the UK, Australia, and New Zealand in popularity with Libyans since U.S.-Libyan diplomatic relations resumed. In addition, BSS has been designated the sole Kaplan agent for all of North Africa. His company and others charge high fees for filing SEVIS information and fees, completing the online DS-160 U.S. visa application, and scheduling the visa interview appointment. Students from the border city of Tobruq, for example, report paying over $300 for these services. Tobruq's Zogogo Student Services Company provides its clients with a detailed map and step-by-step procedures for the visa application process, including which windows in our Consular section provide which service, and the types of questions asked during the interview.
¶11. (SBU) Comment: In order to support Libya's growing study abroad programs, the Embassy continues to see academic advising and consular outreach as top-tier priorities within the mission. In 2010, we will continue to work with the Ministry of Education and Libyan universities to encourage Libyan students to select the United States as their place of study. The establishment of an American Center, American Corners, more-accessible Consular and Public Affairs sections, as well as the 2010 American University Fair will all help to promote the wide variety of educational opportunities that are in America and provide free, accurate information about U.S. visas. CRETZ