Afghanistan Research Initiative, Phase 2

With the fall of the Afghan government in August 2021, visions for a future of promise and freedom for all Afghans came under severe threat, including the dismantling of research infrastructure, restrictions on freedom of expression, and threats to the personal safety of students, researchers and practitioners. Many Afghans with the skills and education needed to govern in the future were forced to flee. Researchers and scholars with experience and talent found themselves in exile, yet still committed to returning home with time.

IDRC set up the Afghanistan Research Initiative (ARI) with the University of Central Asia soon after these events. ARI has supported higher education students in the diaspora and provided research fellowships to Afghan PhD students and grants to Afghan scholars for research projects relevant to the future of Afghanistan. ARI has also hosted a valuable online network of more than 1,000 Afghan scholars worldwide, where they could exchange resources and give peer support through various research and policy leadership opportunities.

There is an urgent need for research that both supports the voices of Afghans who wish to return to Afghanistan and also documents how the diaspora can contribute to the country’s future governance in times of crisis. This project builds on early successes and examines how to support the critical thinking of scholars and researchers who are committed to a democratic future for Afghanistan. Through research grants and fellowships for Afghan students, researchers and human rights advocates, Afghan perspectives are being strengthened, including the vital work of women scholars. Afghan-led research fosters an exchange between Afghan scholars and international actors to ensure that Afghan voices remain central to international analysis and studies about Afghanistan. This research will, in turn, inform the wider work of IDRC as to how it supports new Southern-led visions for civic space and democratic opportunities in countries in crisis.