VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLB #0032 0091006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091006Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3942

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC KPAO SCUL LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: REQUEST FOR REINSTATEMENT OF NESA UGRAD 
SEMESTER PROGRAM FOR LEBANON 
 
¶1. Post urges the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
to reverse its decision to cancel the one-semester option for 
the FY09 Near East and South Asia Undergraduate (NESA UGRAD) 
Exchange Program for students from Lebanon. Embassy Beirut 
understands that six NESA UGRAD students abandoned the 
program in fall 2008 and went into hiding in the United 
States. None of these students, however, came from Lebanon. 
Students from Lebanon should be judged on their own track 
record: on-time return rates for all Public Diplomacy 
programs. By punishing Lebanese students unnecessarily, 
Embassy Beirut's credibility among students and educational 
institutions is damaged and a unique opportunity to deserving 
undergraduates in Lebanon is denied. 
 
¶2. Embassy Beirut already concluded the recruitment season. 
Whether during television interviews, university 
presentations or via text messaging, NESA UGRAD was promoted 
as a semester- or year-long program, with the semester option 
far more popular among undergraduates in Lebanon. Of our 
three year-long students currently in the United States, all 
are 2008 high school graduates who have yet to enter 
university in Lebanon. 
 
¶3. Reducing the number of our participants from fourteen in 
FY08 to a mere three in FY09 renders NESA UGRAD virtually 
inconsequential. Lebanese students are trusted to go on 
six-week programs like the Fusion Arts Exchange or the 
year-long NESA UGRAD or Youth, Exchange and Study (YES) so a 
semester-long program is similar. Embassy Beirut does not 
want talented, motivated and rule-abiding students from 
Lebanon to lose out on the amazing opportunities that NESA 
UGRAD offers because of the poor behavior of participants 
from other countries. 
GRANT