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Students at the American University are not shy about expressing their frustration with corruption and poor governance in Afghanistan. Many are very pessimistic that the current crop of politicians and judges in office will ever reform themselves, despite all the Western training and other rule of law efforts. However, they are not so pessimistic about the future of Afghanistan. When asked about Afghanistan’s prospects for the future and what it will take to right the country, the answer is nearly universal: just do what you can to hold the country together until we graduate – we will be the ones to turn things around here.

The first wave of cavalry has arrived.

The Spring 2011 semester wrapped up a couple weeks ago and we celebrated the first graduation in AUAF history. In front of an extraordinary crowd, including US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, former US Ambassador (and current AUAF Board member) Zalmay Khalilzad, former Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, and Kabul Mayor Muhammad Yunus Nawandish, thirty two new graduates received their diplomas. Michelle Obama sent a congratulatory letter and Laura Bush, who was involved in the founding of AUAF, sent a video message.

Two of the graduates were students in my class this year. They were both excellent students and I was proud to see them march.  I wish Furmolly and Hadi the very best and I know they both have a great deal to contribute to Afghanistan.

Although no one graduated with a Legal Studies Certificate this year, next year’s graduation should see quite a few. Two other students from my class became the first to complete all the requirements for the Certificate and I expect they will be joined by many more throughout the 2011-2012 academic year.

The graduation received a fair bit of media coverage and AUAF has even posted a highlights video:

http://chronicle.com/article/A-Graduation-Day-in-Kabul/127720/

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2011/0526/Can-Afghanistan-hang-on-to-its-newly-minted-college-grads

http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/USAID/Article/2251/American_University_of_Afghanistan_Holds_First_Commencement

http://vimeo.com/24501809