Hope and Refuge: Bard College Assists Afghan Student Refugees in Relocation after Fall of Kabul
American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
In the wake of Kabul’s fall to the Taliban, Bard College assisted Afghan student refugees in their efforts to find safety and to continue their education, writes Levi Bridges for The World. Evacuation from Afghanistan was complicated and required the collaboration of a team spread across Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and New York. "It was a team operation of incredibly dedicated people who basically didn't sleep for six weeks,” said Jonathan Becker, executive vice president of Bard College and acting president of American University of Centra Asia (AUCA). For many Afghan students, “the entire rhythm of life ended after Kabul fell—as if someone abruptly hit the stop button on a musical recording,” writes Bridges. But in their newfound life at AUCA, students celebrating at the school’s annual Afghan culture day, hope was still alive. “People must know that there is hope and a lot of happy faces in Afghanistan—it’s not all about killing and crying and the Taliban,” said Anwar, an AUCA student relocated from Afghanistan. Many students expressed a desire to return to Afghanistan in the future to make their country a better place.
Post Date: 12-16-2021
Post Date: 12-16-2021