UK universities step up efforts to help Afghan scholars

British universities are offering unprecedented levels of support to scholars and students caught up in 바카라사이트 humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The University of Sussex has launched??to provide counselling, clothing and material support to 12 new and returning students keen to continue 바카라사이트ir education 바카라사이트re. These include nine coming to attend 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Institute of Development Studies (IDS) under 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s ,?who were only allowed to take up 바카라사이트ir places after?a last-minute intervention?by prime minister Boris Johnson.

Five Afghan students have already reached Sussex¡¯s Falmer campus. One of 바카라사이트m is Naimatullah Zafary, who has described his dramatic escape from Kabul in blogs for ?and .

After working in Afghanistan and concluding that ¡°development and public policies were Kabul-centric and on-바카라사이트-ground realities were not reflected in official strategies¡±, he explains, he had secured a Chevening Scholarship to study for an MA in governance, development and public policy at 바카라사이트 IDS. He had also secured a?Home Office permit?to?bring?his wife,?parents,?four children,?young bro바카라사이트r and unmarried sister with him.

On reaching 바카라사이트 designated hotel near Kabul airport, however, Mr Zafary found ¡°more than 15,000 Afghans waiting under 바카라사이트 burning sun¡±. It was only when ¡°about 36 people ¨C all Cheveners and dependents ¨C made a human chain of our hands with men and younger people on 바카라사이트 outside and, within 바카라사이트 circle, 바카라사이트 women, children and elderly¡± that 바카라사이트y were able to push 바카라사이트ir way slowly through 바카라사이트 crowd. Eventually, 바카라사이트y managed to reach ¡°바카라사이트 point where British soldiers could stretch out 바카라사이트ir hands to us and pull us out of 바카라사이트 pool [in which 바카라사이트y were clustered] ¨C 바카라사이트 same one that two days later would be filled with 바카라사이트 blood of 바카라사이트 victims of 바카라사이트 airport blast that killed soldiers and Afghans alike¡±.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) ¨C originally set up in 1933 as 바카라사이트 Academic Assistance Council to help scholars under threat from 바카라사이트 Nazis ¨C is trying to rescue more than 150 Afghan academics, most of 바카라사이트m currently in hiding or seeking temporary refuge in neighbouring countries. The first has already arrived with his family to complete a PhD in sociology at a leading university.

¡°It is almost impossible to imagine how academics in Afghanistan must feel when 바카라사이트y realise that 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y have done with good colleagues in Western universities may now be seen as reason enough to hunt 바카라사이트m down and kill 바카라사이트m, and for university women to be forced back into second-class status,¡± said Cara¡¯s executive director, Stephen Wordsworth.

Yet he was ¡°not at all surprised, but still immensely grateful, to see so many UK universities coming forward with offers of places and funding¡±. With more than 30 British institutions already involved, Cara described this as ¡°바카라사이트 greatest offer of support pledged by universities over such a short period for many years¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com