Aisha Khurram’s Voice for Change at the OSUN Summit on Mobility and Immobility

Bard College Berlin student Aisha Khurram ‘24 delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Open Society University Network’s Summit on Mobility and Immobility in early October. She drew upon her own experiences as an Afghan woman to discuss barriers faced when accessing education. The summit’s focus on student leadership was a key pillar for the discussions, and Aisha’s powerful speech centered student voices and gave them an international platform. 

The Open Society University Network, of which Bard College Berlin is a part, hosted the  It took place simultaneously in Kakuma, Kenya, and The Bronx, New York; students located in both places were able to join through Zoom, and this invitation was extended to students located in other campuses around the world as well. Approximately 200 people from 25 campuses attended the summit to raise awareness and discuss barriers to access to higher education and research opportunities for those affected by displacement. 

She begins by asking everyone present to envision a scenario: “Imagine suffocation for a moment—imagine not being able to learn, to breathe, to exist—this is what it feels to be a woman in Afghanistan today.” Since the Taliban’s takeover, women and girls in Afghanistan have been banned from accessing all forms of education, having declared “a full-fledged war against women, whose sole ideology is misogyny, and sole policy is gender apartheid.” 

Due to the situation in her country, it is vital to share stories like Aisha’s, those who have been directly affected by barriers to education. In the face of such barriers and of displacement, “youth leadership in opening access to education during crises is not just an aspiration; it is a necessity.” 

With this goal, Aisha has started an advocacy campaign, together with fellow youth delegate to the UN, Lika Torkshivili, in order to seek a response from the international community in addressing educational crises such as the one in Afghanistan. Through this program, they have already provided online scholarships to a number of female students across 6 different provinces in Afghanistan. 

Her efforts are essential but never easy. She reminds the audience that “what we are doing is a crime in the eyes of the regime, what we are doing is forbidden and dangerous.” However, she strongly believes that the costs of not taking such a risk are much higher than those incurred by doing so. 

The summit on mobility and immobility focused on four key areas: building global student leadership in advocating for changes for those affected by displacement; launching OSUN student voices for refugees; academic panels; and launching a cultural heritage project in Kakuma/Dadaab.

Accessing education is a fundamental human right for young people, and those affected by crises in their home countries “should not waste the best years of their lives waiting” for such an opportunity. If we wait for political crises to be resolved before granting women their education, Aisha stresses that “we lose this generation of educated women who are at the age of pursuing higher education.” These women are an emblem of hope for Afghanistan and for the world, and their education needs to be prioritized when faced by such challenges. 

It is thanks to voices like Aisha’s that such aims can be achieved. Her words emphasize the urgent need for global student leadership in advocating for access to education in times of crisis. With the determination and dedication of individuals like Aisha and the collaborative efforts of the international community, the vision of opening doors to education and research opportunities for those affected by displacement can become a reality.

Post Date: 11-24-2023