- AUCA and Azizi Group sign MoU to provide $500,000 in aid for Afghan students facing funding cuts.
- Support ensures degree completion for affected students majority of whom are women and from marginalized groups.
- Kyrgyz government lauded for its continued support and welcoming stance toward Afghan students.
The American University of Central Asia (AUCA) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Azizi Group, one of the UAE's top real estate and investment groups, to grant $500,000 in funding assistance to the AUCA Afghan students whose studies have been interrupted by the suspension of international funding. The partnership, entered into by Jonathan Becker, executive vice president of Bard College and a trustee of the AUCA Board of Trustees, and Mirwais Azizi, chairman of Azizi Developments, represents a strong commitment to promoting fair access to higher education for the Afghan students, a majority of whom are women and from marginalized groups.
The mission of this alliance is to assist qualified Afghan students who are already enrolled at AUCA, especially those whose studies have been disrupted by foreign funding cutoff. The grants will allow them to finish their degrees in-person or online and will help cover a full spectrum of educational and living costs. AUCA will also continue to pursue further funding to replace the canceled sponsorship, but the sponsorship from the Azizi Group, along with other donations of a charitable nature, has allowed AUCA to offer its Afghan students who were in the middle of their degree courses a guarantee that they will be able to complete their degree at the university.
“This generous contribution arrives at a time when many Afghan students are left vulnerable due to lost international funding. Thanks to Mr. Azizi’s extraordinary support, these students now have renewed hope and stability”, said Becker.
We would like to also express gratitude to the government of the Kyrgyz Republic for their ongoing commitment to the education of Afghan students: they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in welcoming Afghan students and in appreciating the long-term benefit of building ties with the next generation of leaders.
