Manchester University gives Afghan women free places

KABUL (Pajhwok): A prestigious British university has announced granting admissions to 15 refugee women from Afghanistan.

The University of Manchester announced providing free places to the Afghan women on its Masters in Educational Leadership in Practice programme.

In a statement, the university hoped the move would support them in their ambition to set up schools, colleges and nurseries for Afghani refugees living in exile.

An expert in the Manchester Institute of Education is providing remote teaching and training to the women through The University of Manchester Worldwide blended learning scheme.

The scheme is part of global cross-institution initiative coordinated by the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh after the pullout of US troops from Afghanistan in late 2021.

AUW Vice Chancellor Dr. Rubana Huq reached out to the Afghan women who the university had educated over the years and ensured that they had a safe passage out of Afghanistan.

“We live in a world full of inequalities, and education means I come to understand them, engage with them and finally overcome them – education means hope to me,” one of the students was quoted as saying.

She added: “I have come a long way, and a longer one lies ahead so that the next generation of Afghanistan does not go through what we went through.”

The University of Manchester, continuing to work with AUW, is exploring opportunities to extend the scheme and the number of Afghan women refugees being supported.

PAN Monitor/mud