WASHINGTON, DC – The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) elected three new members to the Board of Trustees. The following members were elected: Habibullah Gulzar, Dr. Robert A. Pastor, and Chris Taylor.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new members to the board,” said AUAF Chairman, Dr. Akram Fazel. “Their dedication to Afghanistan and building its capacity – including education for women – is essential for our goal to educate the future leaders of Afghanistan. With their decades of international experience, Mr. Gulzar, Dr. Pastor, and Mr. Taylor will be wonderful additions to the Board.”
Gulzar is chairman of Habib Gulzar International LLC, an international trading company established in 1940 in Afghanistan. He returned to Afghanistan from Dubai in 2001 to revive the import-export business built by his father. He has since overseen some of the largest private sector investments in Afghanistan, including construction of the country’s only Coca-Cola bottling plant, which he owns and operates. Gulzar is also a dedicated philanthropist who has funded the construction of several schools in Afghanistan, a number of which are specifically for women.
Pastor is professor of international relations at American University (AU) and founding director of AU’s Center for North American Studies and Center for Democracy and Election Management. He is senior advisor to The Carter Center on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East and was interim co-director responsible for conflict-resolution for The Elders, a group of 12 political and religious leaders including Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu.
Taylor is the chief executive officer at Mission Essential Personnel, LLC, a global professional services firm, employing more than 4,300 Afghans and specializing in training and technical services in defense and national security programs, language and cultural awareness services, development and stabilization programs, intelligence support and specialized staffing. He is also the chairman of the board of managers of Justice Services International, a joint venture formed to support global peacekeeping and rule of law solutions.
Friends of the American University of Afghanistan (Friends of AUAF) is the development and communications center for the dedicated supporters of higher education in Afghanistan. Friends of AUAF is a corporation formed under the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act and is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. It is dedicated to supporting higher education in Afghanistan through entities such as AUAF, Afghanistan’s only independent, private, not for profit, non-sectarian, coeducational institution of higher learning.
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