Education in Afghanistan: Systemic Challenges

10 AM – 11:15 AM

Location: Al Mirqab Ballroom, Four Seasons Hotel Doha

Amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the nation’s education system remains in a state of distress. For numerous Afghan children, the prospect of completing primary school appears increasingly remote, particularly in rural areas and for girls. The Taliban’s assumption of power in August 2021 has only exacerbated the situation, as they persist in prohibiting secondary education for girls across most provinces. Shockingly, an estimated 3.7 million children in Afghanistan are currently deprived of access to education. As governments and international stakeholders and organizations deliberate on whether and how to engage with the Taliban in order to safeguard and support the country’s population of over 37 million, it is crucial to gain insight into the sentiments of the Afghan people themselves regarding the Taliban’s decrees, especially in relation to the education system. This discussion aims to transcend the discourse surrounding the impact on women’s education and delve into the broader context of the present social, political, and economic crisis affecting education in the country.

Dean Safwan Masri (Chair)

Safwan M. Masri is Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar and Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Prior to joining Georgetown in October 2022, Professor Masri was Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University, and a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. Prior to that, Dean Masri was a professor at Columbia Business School, where he also served as Vice Dean. He previously taught engineering at Stanford University and was a visiting professor at INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires) in France. Dean Masri is the author of Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly (2017). He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an honorary fellow of the Foreign Policy Association. Dean Masri led the establishment of King’s Academy and Queen Rania Teacher Academy in Jordan. He is a trustee of International College in Beirut, and serves as a director of AMIDEAST and of Endeavor Jordan. Dean Masri received his Ph.D. in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University.

Fatima Gailani

Fatima Gailani stands out as one of the most respected women both in the Afghan society and the RCRC Movement for her professional ability and contributions. Early in her career, she served as a spokesperson for the Afghan Freedom Fighters during the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. She also led a humanitarian assistance team who were assisting the war-wounded people and their families. She served as an advisor in Islamic rules and family issues at the Muslim College of London. She participated in the International Conference on Afghanistan, Bonn (2001). In the new government, she became a member of the highest political decision-making body called Loya Jirga according to the country’s Constitution and from there she was appointed as a Commissioner for drafting and getting the New Constitution ratified. Among her contributions in the commission for drafting and getting the new Constitution ratified, were those to ensure that the new Constitution was in line with the modern laws as well as Islamic Sharia Law. In December 2004, she became the president of the Afghan Red Crescent. She chaired the International Conference, the highest Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Statutory meeting, of 2015, participated in many Movement Statutory meetings, IFRC regional and international conferences, and served as the first Chairperson of a very important Committee called Compliance and Mediation Committee for three years.

Hameed Hakimi

Hameed Hakimi is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. A project leader with rich experiences across a spectrum of organizations, sectors and contexts, he has a track record as a results-driven and highly agile professional. Among others, he has over a decade of experience in program development, research design, policy advice and analysis, institutional partnerships, and project management. The geographic focus of his research and analytical expertise has centered on South Asia (Afghanistan and Pakistan in particular), South Asia and Central Asia regions’ connectivity and integration, and migratory trends in Western Europe. Thematically, he has established expertise and a track record in development and sustainability, securitization policies, migration and displacements, climate change, resource and conflict nexus, ideological militancy, and extremism.

Ambassador Melanne Verveer

Ambassador Melanne Verveer the Director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. Ambassador Verveer previously served as the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, a position to which she was nominated by President Obama in 2009. She coordinated foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic, and social advancement of women, traveling to nearly sixty countries. President Obama also appointed her to serve as the U.S. Representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Prior to serving in the White House, she was executive director of People for the American Way, where she was involved in the passage of civil rights legislation. Previously she was also the Coordinator for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for the U.S. Catholic Conference. She served on the staff of US Senator George McGovern and Representative Marcy Kaptur. She is a founding partner of Seneca Point Global, a worldwide women strategy firm, and a co-founder of Seneca Women. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and the World Bank Advisory Council on Gender and Development. She served as the 2013 Humanitas visiting professor at Cambridge University where she is an honorary fellow.

Sulaiman Bin Shah

Sulaiman Bin Shah is the founder and CEO of Catalysts.Af – a business consulting firm based in Kabul, Afghanistan. For almost a decade, Sulaiman led multiple teams within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to promote investment opportunities in the country as well as enhance Afghanistan’s exports to an increasingly diversified set of regional and international markets. Before August 15, 2021, he served as the Deputy Minister (Industry and Commerce) as well as chief negotiator for the Trade4Peace program and team lead for Afghanistan’s post-accession at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Currently, Sulaiman is leading an advocacy program for the Afghan private sector, managed by Harakat-AICFO in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). On a volunteer basis, he also serves as a board member of the Snowlight Education Foundation.