Supporting Afghan Scholars at Risk


AP photo

UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, in partnership with San Jose State's Human Rights Institute and the UC Berkeley Afghan Student Association, created the Afghanistan “Scholars at Risk Fund” on behalf of our campuses to respond to the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan and the urgent need to help journalists, lawyers, and other academics—especially women—flee the country. 

So far, we have raised $251,000, matched with a $100,000 grant from the the UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Research Opportunity Fund and $50,000 from San Jose State University.  All of these funds will support 6 at-risk Afghan scholars and 22 family members to come to UC Berkeley and San Jose State.  Funds support legal and visa fees, travel, and modest stipends. 

Please donate today. Additional funds will enable us to provide more support to these scholars and their families and for others seeking an academic home. Note that your gift is for "Afghan Scholars at Risk." 

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Judge Basira Qazizada finds support in Berkeley 

Judge Basira Qazizada, HRC's second visiting scholar from Afghanistan, is adjusting to life in Berkeley. Read Andrew Cohen's story here.

Basira Qazizada

Afghan journalist Khwaga Ghani arrives in Berkeley 

Khwaga Ghani, the first visiting scholar from Afghanistan to be supported by UC Berkeley, is now here. Ed Lempinen wrote about Khwaga for Berkeley News. Read the story here.

Khwaga Ghani portrait