The American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS) is a private, non-profit organization run by scholars with the aim of promoting and encouraging the systematic study of the culture, society, land, languages, health, peoples and history of Afghanistan. It will be especially concerned with increasing the numbers of scholars in the United States who have expertise in, and understanding of Afghanistan, and to assist in the rebuilding of academic institutions and the advanced study of Afghanistan by Afghan scholars.
Fundamentals of Governance in Afghanistan Conference Report Available
In late June 2009, the Hollings Center for International Dialogue and the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS) convened leading experts from Afghanistan, Europe, Turkey, and the United States in Istanbul for a three-day conference, entitled “Fundamentals of Governance in Afghanistan,” to explore governance, widely seen as central to Afghanistan’s progress. The conference focused on three crucial areas: central government capacity; the rule of law; and subnational governance. This short report offers the key recommendations emerging from the discussions.
Member Resource Section Now Open
AIAS is pleased to announce the creation of a section to provide further resources for its institutional members and individual members. The section currently contains space where members may post publications or information about research projects, as well as information on member benefits at the Kabul Center. This section will be expanded in the coming months.
2008 Student Paper Prize Winners
This fall the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies held its second Student Paper Competition. Undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines were invited to submit scholarly works that focus on Afghan culture, society, land, languages, health, peoples and history. Submitted papers were judged based on the quality of scholarship, application of extant literature, and overall contribution to Afghanistan studies. The prizewinner received $750 award and the opportunity to have the paper posted on the AIAS Web site.
Best Paper (2008) - “The Political Economy of Customary Village Organizations in Rural Afghanistan.” Jennifer Brick, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Honorable Mention (2008) - "Qaum: Conceptualizing Potters in the Afghan Political Arena." Noah Coburn, Boston University.
Honorable Mention (2008) - "Negotiations in Performance: A Study of the Storytelling Performance of Two Adolescent Afghan Storytellers." Benjamin C. Gatling, The Ohio State University.
Beyond the Election: Building Government Legitimacy in Afghanistan
Shahmahmood Miakhel, USIP (Afghanistan),
J. Alexander Thier, USIP (Washington), Director of Afghanistan and Pakistan,
Moderated by John Dempsey, USIP Afghanistan
Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:00 PM
Reconciliation in Afghanistan
A lecture by Michael Semple
Featuring panelists Nader Nadery, Thomas Ruttig, and John Dempsey
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 5:00 PM
Kabul: A City at Work
A lecture by David Gill and Dominic Medley
Thursday, July 23, 2009 5:30 PM
