Hogr Tarkhani

Best memories from your Valpo days:

Being in Valpo was always fun because of having lots of international students on campus and in classes. When we were at Interlink Language Center we had lots of fun with our Ecuadorian friends and most of the evening we played soccer and other activities together. We had time to study, relax with friends, and spend time with our family. The two years that I spent in Valpo was one of the most exciting parts of my life and I cannot think of the better place to live than Valpo! My experience at Valparaiso University as an international student went quite well and overall been so positive.

In Valpo you can enjoy the benefits of a small city such as the low cost of living in contrast to the neighboring cities such as Chicago and everything is close to you and you can reach fast and easy to every part of the town. However, Valpo is just about one hour far away from Chicago which is the 3rd largest cities in the US.

Before beginning my academic course I studied at Interlink Language Center for about 8 months and when I entered to the academic courses at Valpo, I was well equipped and had nothing to worry about. Our professors were very familiar with the courses that they taught and they respected all the students.

Studying a master degree in International Commerce and Policy will open several doors to you in order to further enhance your academic backgrounds and study more in the fields that relate to your field of interests. During my graduate study at Valpo, I become the best Iraqi students in the US , and received several awards in the Iraqi Embassy in Washington DC.  After I graduated I returned to my home country, Kurdistan- Iraq and I become a Foreign Relations Officer at University of Garmian, and recently I am a Director of Career Development Center at the university which has direct contact with American organizations such as IREX and US Embassy in Baghdad.

Since 2018, I am a Ph.D. student in International Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University’s School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development. I also, received certificates on Terrorism and International Security from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. I was a Resources Editor for the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development from January 2019 to August 2020. Right now, I am also a Middle East Research Intern with the Foundations for Defense of Democracies, which is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.