Friends of American University of Afghanistan (FAUAF) is honored to introduce Dr. Ian Bickford as the next President of AUAF. An accomplished leader, educator, and fundraiser, Dr. Bickford previously served as the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, and as Provost and Vice President at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Massachusetts, USA. Leon Botstein, President of Bard College, recently spoke on Dr. Bickford’s excellence, stating that “Dr. Bickford, whose commitment to international education is outstanding, has been among the most gifted educational leaders with whom I have had the pleasure of working.”
In his first message to the AUAF community, Dr. Bickford emphasized that the “real gift of higher education–that inclusive discourse and informed debate allow us to understand and express ourselves, but even more importantly to test our ideas together and converge on a more durable consensus. In an uncertain age, one certainty is that we are going to need this ability if we are to make the world what we want it to be.”
Dr. Bickford’s appointment is effective as of March 1, 2021, when current President David Sedney stepped down. Arsalan Lutfi, the Chair of the AUAF Board of Trustees, has expressed his gratitude to President Sedney for his indispensable service to the university. “David Sedney has been there for AUAF when the university has most needed his leadership to ensure its stability and continued success. We are very pleased that he will remain closely associated with AUAF as an esteemed member of our board. We are also delighted that he will be succeeded by Ian Bickford whom we believe to be the leader the university needs to steer the university during the next crucial phase in its history.”
Bickford holds accredited degrees from City University of New York, Stanford University, University of California Berkely, and Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
FAUAF is confident in this new era of leadership and Dr. Bickford’s vision for Afghan society.