Shamal Khalil, 29, is an ambitious young man. He was a librarian at the University of Duhuk in the College of Administration and Economics, when he heard about the USAID/Tatweer scholarship program offering a two-year master’s degree to 120 deserving Iraqis from various ministries.

Shamal believed he had nothing to lose and applied. “I think I was selected because I was being honest and I was confident, also my TOEFL grade,” Shamal said with a wink. “It was a new experience to communicate with and learn from different people and learn how people outside of Iraq think.”

From Nov. 2007- Oct. 2009, he studied and received his Masters in Pubic Administration at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology in Cairo. “When I studied in Egypt I realized the difference of seeing the world through a bigger frame. Almost all of the professors had degrees from the U.S. Real-life case studies helped me learn practical aspects to go with the theoretical. The comprehensive exams were extremely challenging,” he said.

Now Shamal has returned to Kurdistan and is inspired to use his studies to better Iraqi ministries. “Before I was narrow-minded. Now I understand the world from more viewpoints- political, management, leadership and economic. In Iraq we don’t need managers, we need leaders.”

He will dedicate one year to working in the Ministry of Planning in the Kurdistan Region based on the terms of his scholarship with USAID/Tatweer, and is excited about the opportunities to use his knowledge.

“Honestly, we have many problems with administrative and political corruption. To change things in Iraq we need cooperation. We have a saying- with one hand you can’t make applause. We need many hands to make change.”

Shamal is also interested in incorporating e-government to streamline bureaucratic processes. “I’d like to start in my department, and then move to teaching at the University to get new concepts into the students’ heads and bring a greater change through the classroom.”

“But my first goal is to work through my department to develop processes to restructure the hierarchy,” Shamal said. “We have to create better delegation of authority to improve processes and make the department levels more efficient. To change it I have to know the authority lines, but the master’s leadership training has enabled me to understand how to restructure and communicate more effectively.”

“When you say, I will do it, you will do it, not I will try,” he said. Shamal’s long term goals are no less ambitious. “I want to be an ambassador,” he said. “Most of the world has a bad impression of Iraq. I’ll try to use strategies to show who the real Iraqis are.”

“My best leadership trait is my honesty. I have an enthusiasm for democracy and to influence others. Leadership and quality management are most valuable,” Shamal said. I want to help my people. I’ve seen them suffering all my life.”

“When you’re working for the public sector you need to be the servant of the people,” he said. “The government needs the people more than the people need the government. The public sector servants should be the tie between the government and the rest of the nation.”