Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Oral history interview with Hayder Alquraini, 2012.Biographical NoteElectrical Engineer.
Scope and ContentsBorn: 1971, Basra, Iraq. Education: University of Technology, Iraq, 1992; Career: electrical engineer, Iraq Ministry of Industry; fellow, Iraq Science Fellowship Program [ISFP]. Reminiscences: travel and study in the United States as ISFP fellow; personal experiences of Iran-Iraq War and invasion of Kuwait; personal experience involving racism against Muslims in Boston and at University of Kansas. Discussions: harsh Iraqi climate and problems with electrical grid; learning about solar and green building construction in U.S. as ISFP fellow; importance of raising awareness for renewable energy and green construction within Iraqi government, universities and public; Iraqi engineers' isolation from modern technologies; online learning as key tool in training Iraqi engineers in green building construction; causes of Iran-Iraq War; Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; effects of First Gulf War and United Nations embargos on Iraqi way of life; difficulty defining “enemies” in modern-day Iraq; freedom of religion in Iraq before and after Saddam Hussein; struggles with democracy in Iraqi public following the Iraq War; effects of Iraq War on Iraqi education; regime change in Middle Eastern governments; post-Iraq War challenges and future; Al Qaeda as misrepresentation of Muslims; engineers as leaders in Iraq's future; raising children in post-war Iraq.
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