"With the support from SILC, I got the chance to speak to political experts from Afghanistan", Sahar Hashimzada, ICP

February 20, 2015

My name is Sahar Hashimzada.I am a very proud senior student at the International and Comparative Department. First of all, I would like to thank the Student Intellectual Life Committee (SILC) for supporting AUCA students to achieve excellence in research, learning and overall intellectual development with small grants.

Three months ago, I applied to SILC in order to fund my participation in an international conference. Unfortunately, my application was rejected. Maybe it did not meet with the requirements of SILC’s evaluation process. In December, I applied again. This time, I asked financial support for my senior thesis research, and, I got the fund. So I was able to go to Afghanistan during winter break. The main purpose of my trip was to take in-depth interviews from political experts/analysts from Afghanistan and collect relevant information for my thesis.

My senior thesis is about the relation of Afghanistan and Pakistan in the areas of confrontation and cooperation. I also wanted to interview political analysts of Pakistan in Afghanistan, but I did not manage to meet with them. But overall, it was a very fruitful and informative trip. I got the chance to speak to political experts from Afghanistan, share my research questions with them and benefit from their useful comments.

These meetings were really helpful for my thesis. Now, I know that primary research is essential as it gives depth and originality to a study. I would like to recommend my fellow students to take their chance with SILC grants. SILC does not only support research-related activities but also students’ participation in international conferences, workshops, and culture exchange programs. For a successful outcome, I would also advise them to check that their application is in line with the requirements detailed on the Student Intellectual Life Committee page available on the AUCA’s website. All the required documents should be ready and only then the application should be sent.  The best of luck!!!

<< go to news list