2024 ALPA Annual Conference
American University
Washington D.C.,

Highlights from the 2024 ALPA Annual Conference

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The 2024 ALPA Annual Conference, held on October 11-12 at American University, was a tremendous success, marking the largest academic gathering on Afghanistan outside the country. With 84 participants, including 78 in-person or virtual presenters, the event hosted diverse panels on law, society, and politics. A key highlight was the revival of Afghanistan studies in local languages, with 14 participants presenting in Farsi and Pashto 🇦🇫.

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This conference was proudly sponsored and cohosted by MESA Global Academy, University of Pittsburgh's Center for Government and Markets, United States Institute of Peace, AU Immigration Lab, American Institute of Afghanistan Studies, and American University College of Arts and Sciences 🏛️.

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Amid the current socio-political landscape under the Taliban, the conference was vital for fostering dialogue and collaboration. It bridged local and global perspectives, offering a platform for Afghan and international scholars to discuss critical issues like human rights, governance, and social justice 🤝. By creating space for Afghan scholars to engage with the international academic community, the conference strengthened academic resilience and generated new ideas and solutions for Afghanistan’s future 📚.

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The decline in local literature due to the Taliban's restrictions made ALPA's efforts to revive academic discourse in Farsi and Pashto particularly significant. Through this event, different generations of scholars—both in exile and within Afghanistan—collaborated, ensuring the continuation of the academic tradition despite these challenging circumstances.

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The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Bashir Mobasher, Dr. Walter G. Park, and Dr. Ernesto Castaneda, and featured keynote speeches by Dr. Thomas Barfield and Shaharzad Akbar. Dr. Barfield emphasized the importance of rigorous Afghanistan studies, stating, "Afghanistan is the graveyard of amateur analysts", while Shaharzad Akbar highlighted the need to generate literature on human rights. The Plenary Session on the second day featured a lively discussion with experts like Dr. Clark Lombardi, Jason Criss Howk, and Amin Tarzi 🔍.

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ALPA also recognized the work of ALPA Online Academy instructors, who continue to provide educational opportunities to women in Afghanistan through online classes 📖. The conference concluded with awards recognizing distinguished articles and books in Persian, Pashto, and English 🏆, with further book awards to be announced soon.

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The event's success was due to the hard work of the Conference Organizing Committee, including Dr. Bashir Mobasher, Dr. Shamshad Pasarlay, Dr. Omar Sadr, Tawab Danish, Zahra Tawana, Dr. Zabiullah Obaidy, Amina Karimi, Dr. Mustafa Saqib, Bibi Sadia Habib, Hijratullah Safi, Zainab Azizi, along with incredible support by Mimi Kirk, Nasiruddin Nezaami, Ramzia Sarwari, and Luna Kwak🤝. Fariward Abed, Breshna Hellali, and Zuhal Sahibzadah also played crucial role in making the conference happen.🧑‍🤝‍🧑.

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The conference celebrated contributions from other collaborators and volunteers including Diana Garay Flores, Sofia Guerra Oropeza, Lorenzo de Calice, Mary Capone, Erica Criollo from AU Immigration Lab, Sabrina Karimzada from NYU, and Katarina Kraynak and Abigail Morin from American University’s Department of Sociology. Certificates were also awarded to Essa Khan and Shoaib Mehryar for their contributions 🏅.

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Ultimately, the 2024 ALPA Annual Conference successfully brought together multiple generations of Afghan and international scholars, fostering collaboration and inclusion while advancing Afghanistan studies. This event not only created valuable scholarly exchanges but also empowered young scholars to carry forward the legacy of intellectual engagement 🚀.