Bard College Hosts White House Roundtable on Afghan Resettlement
On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the White House convened a roundtable discussion at Bard College on the resettlement of Afghan refugee students. The event was led by Jack Markell, White House coordinator for Operation Allies Welcome, the U.S. government effort to support and resettle vulnerable Afghans. New York Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference following the roundtable, during which she, Markell, Bard College President Leon Botstein, and Bard student and Afghan refugee Jalil Sadat spoke. Sadat described his escape from Kabul in August and transition to life at Bard. President Botstein outlined Bard’s efforts to evacuate and resettle Afghan students and scholars. To date, Bard has helped evacuate 177 students from Kabul, most of whom are now enrolled at Bard's dual-degree partner, the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Bard College has committed to admitting at least 100 Afghan refugees at its campuses in New York, Massachusetts, and Berlin. Several students from Afghanistan have enrolled at Bard this semester, and the College expects another 30 to begin in January 2022.