Afghanistan Research Initiative

The University of Central Asia’s Afghanistan Research Initiative (ARI) aims to help sustain the research and capacity gains made over the last decade and continue producing knowledge critical to the country’s present and future. ARI, a programme of the University’s Graduate School of Development, is supported by a three-year grant from Canada’s International Development Research Centre. ARI is based at the University’s main office in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.

ARI programmes:

Support Afghan students in doctoral programmes, especially those facing funding challenges in completing their dissertation research in the social sciences, humanities, gender studies, and biological, earth, and environmental sciences.
Research grants to Afghan scholars in the diaspora or non-Afghan scholars holding university or research positions conducting research in the abovementioned fields and who can engage students as assistants.
University Preparatory Courses such as English for Academic Purposes and Statistical Research and Data Analysis to help Afghan students gain admission to graduate programmes.
Host online lectures, conferences, and other activities to disseminate research and connect disparate research groups. Watch recordings of ARI Public Lecture series
Support Afghan graduate students and researchers in publishing their research in peer-reviewed journals.

For further information, write to Afghan Research Initiative at ari@ucentralasia.org

Afghanistan Research Initiative 2027/28: Research, Fellowships and Doctoral grants

ARI welcomes proposals addressing one or more of the following thematic areas:

Economic development, including livelihoods, poverty, labor markets, private sector development, entrepreneurship, finance, and economic resilience.
Regional integration and sustainable trade, including regional cooperation, connectivity, trade, transportation, and economic corridors.
Climate change, natural resources and environmental sustainability, including agriculture, water, energy, mining, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.
Governance, public policy and institutions, including public administration, service delivery, accountability, peacebuilding and state-society relations.
Society, migration and inclusion, including education, health, gender, displacement, migration, demographic change, and social inclusion.
Culture, history and heritage, including identity, languages, cultural heritage, religion, literature and historical research that contributes to understanding social cohesion, governance, development, or public policy in Afghanistan.