58 Displaced Afghan Students Graduate from Bard College in 2024

May 25th marked the graduation of 58 displaced Afghan students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Many of the students came via Bard’s partners the American University of Central Asia  (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan’s government in 2021, Bard teamed with AUCA and AUAF to help nearly 200 students, mostly women, navigate their way from Kabul to Bishkek so they could continue their education.
 
The commencement demonstrates the commitment of students and faculty at partnering institutions to preserve learning and teaching in the most challenging of situations and the remarkable resilience of institutions that have been targeted by authoritarian governments. The students shared their personal stories in a recent digital publication. 
 
Two Qatari foundations, the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), have played a crucial role in ensuring the success of Afghan refugee students at Bard College. Twenty-five of the graduating students are among a group of 250 recipients of the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QASP). Launched in 2022, the project is a partnership between EAA and QFFD and the U.S.-based Institute of International Education (IIE), the Afghan Future Fund, Schmidt Futures, the Yalda Hakim Foundation, and the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisers Fund.

Talal Al Hothal, director of the Al Fakhoora Programme at EAA, said that the Qatari-led program “leverages strategic international partnerships to amplify the impact of our scholarships, and these collaborations have made it possible for us to offer Afghan students many opportunities for advancement, innovation, and success.”

Jonah Kokodyniak, IIE’s Executive Vice President, said the graduation marked “a huge accomplishment” for the Afghan refugees. “Not only have they overcome significant adversity to earn their degrees, but they have made numerous contributions to their university communities and are poised to take on future leadership positions,” Kokodyniak explained.

The scholarship program covers more than 40 colleges and universities in more than 17 states, including Rutgers University, Bard College, and the University of Texas at Austin among others. The QASP enables students to enroll in arts, business, sciences, humanities, and social sciences programs.

Aqela Nussrat, who graduated from Bard with a BA in economics, says “My journey was not just about receiving a degree but also about overcoming barriers, defying norms, and standing up for my right to education. This achievement is not solely mine; it represents the countless sacrifices and support of those who believed in me and the power of education.”
 
Nussrat now works for Friends of the American University of Afghanistan, supporting AUAF in its mission to educate and empower young Afghans, particularly women. “I am honored to join their mission and believe my work will positively change the lives of many deprived of their rights,” she says.

Post Date: 06-12-2024