AUAF Highlighted at Georgetown Meeting

US First Lady Laura Bush reinforced her support for education in Afghanistan at a roundtable held in Washington DC.

Speaking of the need to maintain US support for education as an important aspect of Afghanistan’s development, Mrs. Bush remarked, "As the nation receives donations from the international community, Afghanistan needs capable citizens who can make sure this assistance reaches Afghans living in the country's most remote areas."

"Building this capacity requires time and an investment in the people of Afghanistan."

AUAF ranks high amongst the education initiatives the US is currently supporting in Afghanistan. Established in 2006, it is the country’s first private, not-for-profit university. It is modeled on the success of other American Universities around the world.

The comments came at a high-level roundtable convened by Georgetown University and the US-Afghan Women’s Council. In addition to Mrs. Bush, participants in the roundtable included AUAF President Dr Thomas M. Stauffer, US Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, and the Ambassador of Afghanistan to the US, Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad.

AUAF President Dr. Thomas M. Stauffer spoke about the obstacles facing higher education in Afghanistan, including the security barriers that make recruitment of students and faculty a particular challenge.

Despite ongoing concerns about security, AUAF continues to grow rapidly. The roundtable coincides with the beginning of the Spring 2008 semester, which saw AUAF welcome the largest intake in its short history with approximately 50 new undergraduate students and over 60 foundation studies students.

Support for Afghan women, particularly in education, has been a priority of Mrs. Bush since 2003. In 2005, she visited Afghanistan to speak with Afghan women and announce support initiatives, including a funding package for AUAF. The US-Afghan Women’s Council, which is composed of Americans and Afghans, meets semi-annually to address the status of Afghan women in the economic, education, health, political and judicial sectors.

To read more about the US-Afghan Women’s Council Roundtable at Georgetown University, click here.

To read Mrs Bush’s remarks, click here.