Thousands of Afghan scholars, students, public intellectuals, and human rights activists are facing threats to their lives or careers following the Taliban’s August 2021 takeover of the country. According to some U.N. estimates, as many as 800,000 Afghans have been displaced due to continued instability.
Academics, women, ethnic minorities, and those with connections to the West are particularly vulnerable in Afghanistan. Professors who have previously spoken out against the Taliban or other extremist groups face significant threats to their lives. By continuing their work, they may risk imprisonment, violence, or execution. Many women academics have been harassed and have been forced out of academia. Ethnic minorities also face discrimination and the threat of violence. Most faculty members throughout the country have not been paid their salaries and no longer have the resources to continue their research or teaching.
Dr. Omar Sadr, IIE-SRF fellow at University of Pittsburgh“The wave of targeted killings not only disturbed our normal life but also the nature of our academic endeavors. I had to seek alternative ways for survival and alternative possibilities to continue my academic career.”
IIE-SRF has received requests for support from hundreds of Afghan scholars facing displacement or threats from the Taliban and other militant groups. In response to the ongoing crisis, the program has been working with higher education, NGO, philanthropic and governmental partners to provide Afghan scholars with pathways to resume their work in safe locations.
Since 2021, IIE-SRF has made 97 emergency awards to 62 scholars from Afghanistan and will continue to award additional fellowships to scholars in the months ahead. 34 IIE-SRF scholars from the country are now undertaking fellowship appointments at Ball State University, Bard College, Carleton University, Cornell University, Denver Botanic Gardens, Freiburg University, Georgetown University, Heidelberg University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Leipzig University, Maynooth University, Nagoya University, Rutgers University-Camden, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, South Dakota State University, Stanford University, Tampere University, University of Aberdeen, University of Alberta, University of California – Irvine, University of California – San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Leeds, University of Manchester, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Nottingham, University of Oxford, University of Pittsburgh, University of Toronto, University of Wyoming, and the Wilson Center.
We welcome individuals, institutions, and organizations to join us in this effort to secure and provide practical opportunities to Afghan scholars by:
- Referring qualified scholars who are facing threats to their lives or careers (review our eligibility criteria and application instructions in the above link)
- Making a donation to IIE-SRF to help enable us to respond to the crisis
- Taking the first step in hosting an IIE-SRF scholar by joining the IIE-SRF Alliance, our global network of partners who offer practical support – such as temporary academic positions – to threatened and displaced scholars
Dr. Sweeta Akbari, IIE-SRF fellow at Tampere University“The support of IIE-SRF is a life-changing opportunity, ensuring my safety and well-being while enhancing my knowledge and experience. A safe workplace is essential for better productivity, allowing a scholar like me to strengthen her expertise in her field and bring about a positive change in her community and globally.”
IIE-SRF has received requests for support from hundreds of Afghan scholars facing displacement or threats from the Taliban and other militant groups. In response to the ongoing crisis, the program has been working with higher education, NGO, philanthropic and governmental partners to provide Afghan scholars with pathways to resume their work in safe locations.
In addition to IIE-SRF’s efforts, IIE has launched the IIE Afghanistan Crisis Response to support students and scholars threatened by the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country. To learn more about IIE’s response and provide support, visit the IIE Announcements page.
Together with our global network of partners, we are working to protect the lives and careers of these brave and talented academics.
Meet Our Scholars
The Afghan scholars supported by IIE-SRF are engaging in research and teaching in a wide range of academic fields and making an impact in their host communities while also continuing to uplift their fellow Afghans.
Read about some of our Afghan fellows featured in past issues of our Beacon newsletter.
Marzia Hakimi
Marzia Hakimi is a scholar of mechanical engineering undertaking an IIE-SRF fellowship at University of Alberta in Canada. She teaches engineering courses and researches fluid dynamics at her host university while working to complete and defend her Ph.D online. In addition, she teaches science subjects online for girls in Afghanistan through Education Bridge for Afghanistan. Hakimi will be featured in the August 2023 edition of the Beacon.
Abdul Aziz Mohibbi
Featured in our April 2023 Beacon on environmentalist fellows, Dr. Abdul Aziz Mohibbi is undertaking his IIE-SRF fellowship at Maynooth University in Ireland and is co-hosted by Trinity College in Dublin. An expert in land cover change and ecosystem management, he is researching Ireland’s distinctive geographic feature of peatlands. Before the 2021 Taliban takeover, Dr. Mohibbi served as the chancellor of Bamyan University in Afghanistan.
Omar Sadr
Click here to read an IIE-SRF Beacon article about Dr. Omar Sadr, a noted political scientist and champion of human rights in Afghanistan. Dr. Sadr arrived at the University of Pittsburgh in October and is leading an initiative that aims to establish a hub for Afghanistan research and policy analysis and serve as a scholarly home for the country’s scholars.
Sweeta Akbari
Dr. Sweeta Akbari is a chemical engineering scholar undertaking an IIE-SRF fellowship at Tampere University in Finland. In addition to researching and publishing on biomaterial scaffolds, which can be applied to biomedicine and tissue engineering, she also heads an initiative called Afghan Women Scholars that helps women in Afghanistan find opportunities to continue their education and research outside of the country. Read more in our June 2023 Beacon.
