Ghassan Jawad Kadhim

Ghassan was one of John Smith Trust’s first Iraqi Fellows "in 2011 and now works for JST as a Regional Coordinator for the Middle East. He now assists JST in the recruitment of Fellows in-country and pre-departure preparation.

"Since 2006 Ghassan has been employed in the Governance Division of the International Republican Institute (IRI) as a Senior Programme Officer. He is responsible for the management of the Provincial Council Programme since it began operating in April 2009. At local level, IRI conducts a training and consultation programme for each of Iraq’s provisional councils, tailored for the specific needs of each council. Following his Fellowship in 2011 Ghassan has been assisted by the central and local governments in Iraq to create official Tribes Councils, establishing a direct line of communication between individuals, tribes, political parties and the Iraqi Government.

"Ghassan’s previous employers have included the Public Integrity Commission, Office of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, and the Ministry of Petroleum. He studied Accounting at the University of Baghdad and received a diploma from the Arab Institute of Accountants. He has been a member of the Society for Human Rights since 1998.