Afghanistan Emergency" campaign by the Inalco Institute and Foundation

The seizure of power by the Taliban in August 2021 has plunged the Afghan population into a situation of immediate danger. Intellectuals are particularly threatened and subject to reprisals simply for being bearers of knowledge and transmitters of Afghan culture. In this context, many academics find themselves unable to teach, and many students unable to continue their studies; this particularly concerns women, for whom further restrictions have been announced.

A mobilization of the higher education and research community

In the face of obscurantism, universities and higher education establishments have the opportunity to act by welcoming Afghan academics and students. By making room for them and giving them the means to pursue their research and studies, we will enable them to continue to promote the Afghan language, culture and civilization. There are a number of mechanisms in place to facilitate this welcome. This is notably the case for the programme PAUSE, a national emergency reception program for scientists and artists in exile, created 4 years ago and coordinated by the Collège de France. Inalco wishes to build on its participation in PAUSE as well as two proven university diplomas (DU) to enable the reception and long-term support of Afghan exiles.

Meeting with MESRI around the Afghan crisis

Wednesday, September 15, 2021, the MESRI granted additional funding of €500,000 to PAUSE, which is a perennial addition to its annual allocation of €2 million. Inalco wishes to continue to play a leading role in this welcome and support scheme, and was able to demonstrate this at the official meeting: Jean-François Huchet - President of Inalco -, Phillipe Advani, - General Secretary of the Inalco Langues'O Foundation -, Amir Moghani and Belgheis Jafari, Persian language teacher-researchers - were present at the Collège de France, in the presence of Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI).

L'Inalco et sa Fondation s'engagent

L'Inalco et sa Fondation s'engagent et se mobilisent afin de pouvoir accueillir et accompagner 3 universitaires et 5 étudiants afghans identifiés en amont de cette campagne. The aim, in addition to the emergency reception, is to enable them to continue their activities within 3 university schemes: PAUSE program, DU H2M, DU Passerelle.

These 3 academics will benefit from the PAUSE program. They will thus continue their activities: one within a Chaire Art et Patrimoine Afghans, created by Inalco on this occasion; the other as a teacher-researcher within the Relations Internationales et du département Asie du Sud Himalaya department; the third as a professor ofPashto literature and language.

The 5 students will join one of Inalco's two university diplomas, depending on their level of French. The Diplôme Universitaire Hospitalité Médiations et Migrations (DU H2M) will eventually enable them to help other refugees themselves by training in mediation skills. The Diplôme Universitaire (DU) Passerelle, for its part, welcomes exiled students returning to university and trains them in French.

Faced with the urgency of the situation, we are asking for your support. The funding requirement for this "Urgence Afghanistan" operation by Inalco amounts to €30,000. If you'd like to find out more, contact fondation@inalco.fr.