Afghan Future Fund (AFF) is celebrating the graduation of 98 scholars from the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP) Class of 2025, the program’s largest cohort since it launched in 2022.
These students, evacuated from Afghanistan after the 2021 Taliban takeover, have turned displacement into opportunity, earning degrees in business, economics, law, political science, computer science, and other fields at 32 U.S. colleges and universities with an average GPA of 3.5.
QSAP is supported by AFF, the Institute of International Education (IIE), Education Above All Foundation, the Yalda Hakim Foundation and the Qatar Fund for Development. The program offers displaced Afghan university students, scholarships and the opportunity to complete their education in a safe environment.
Stories of resilience and impact
Many of these graduates embody extraordinary perseverance and purpose. Five QSAP scholars—Mohammad Yosuf Ayni, Tabasum Hamdard, Diyana Sharifi, Sayed Eqbal Srosh and Shahdukht Tapesh—were honored as graduation speakers on their campuses this spring, recognized for their leadership and contributions to campus life.
“I felt incredibly fortunate to be selected as a QSAP scholar, but that joy was bittersweet, knowing that Afghan girls are now deprived of similar opportunities,” said Shahdukht Tapesh, who earned a master’s degree in human rights from Binghamton University. “Even though I’m far from home, I carry the hope of one day returning to help rebuild something better.”
Tapesh dedicated her degree to Afghan girls barred from education and launched GraduatingForAfghanGirls.com, an initiative to expand scholarships, create digital learning opportunities and advocate for women’s education in Afghanistan.
Another QSAP alumnus, Mirajudeen Mustafaee, also from Binghamton University, shares this mission. After fleeing Kabul and briefly continuing his studies in Iraq, he was evacuated to the U.S. to earn a master’s degree in human rights in the United States as a QSAP scholar. He is now collaborating with Tapesh on a podcast featuring successful Afghan refugees, amplifying stories of resilience and urging sustained international attention to human rights.
For Sayed Manshoor Sadat, who completed a software engineering degree at St. Cloud State University, the cause is deeply personal.
“I’m so happy for my graduation today—it’s a big milestone for me and my family,” he said. “But how can I fully celebrate when my sister is not allowed to go to school, like thousands of other girls back home?”
Sadat plans to utilize his skills to create digital platforms that provide education to Afghan girls, despite the existing bans.
A collective achievement
To honor the Class of 2025, IIE hosted a virtual commencement ceremony in June featuring remarks by:
Education as enduring hope
Created to preserve and invest in Afghanistan’s future leaders, QSAP proves that education can endure even amid political collapse with investment, collaboration and determination.
Despite being forced from their homes and universities, these students have built new paths, strengthened diaspora communities, and are already giving back, whether through human-rights advocacy, technology-driven education access, or inspiring the next generation of Afghan leaders.
“The success of these scholars is a testament to what is possible when education, opportunity and global solidarity come together,” said Wilson Shirley, AFF board member. “Their achievements are not only personal victories, they are investments in Afghanistan’s future.”
AFF remains committed to supporting Afghan students and professionals, ensuring that talent and hope are not lost to conflict.
The Class of 2025 shows that education is not only a right—it is the foundation for renewal, dignity and lasting change.
About QSAP
The Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP) is the flagship program of the Afghan Future Fund. In partnership with multiple higher education institutions, including the Yalda Hakim Foundation, the Qatar Fund for Development, Education Above All, and the Institute of International Education (IIE), QSAP offers fully funded scholarships to displaced students from the American University of Afghanistan, making it the largest initiative of its kind.
Since its launch in 2022, this program has placed about 500 Afghan students—with gender parity—at over 60 colleges and universities across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Albania, and Qatar. QSAP does more than open doors to higher education.