24 Afghan Students Arrive in Saskatchewan, Canada, Expanding Reach of Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP)
January 23, 2025 — Between January 16th and 18th, 24 Afghan scholars landed in Saskatchewan, Canada to begin studies at the University of Regina as part of the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP). University representatives met them at the airport, welcoming each student with a toque (or warm winter hat), easing the transition to Canada’s winter and their new academic home.
“The University of Regina is honoured to partner with QSAP – a coalition with a remarkable commitment to supporting displaced and at-risk students – to provide a lifeline through education for Afghan students,” said Dr. Jeff Keshen, President of the University of Regina. “Our organizations’ work to protect access to education complements one another and reflects a shared global response to an urgent humanitarian need. As part of that global response, we are thrilled to welcome this cohort of distinguished Afghan scholars to our University.”
These students join the more than 70 QSAP scholars who started school this past fall at more than 25 partner universities across Albania, Canada, Germany, and the United States. Their majors include cybersecurity, law, accounting, business administration, international relations, and global health—all critically important to rebuild Afghanistan and contribute to global development.
We’re pleased to count the University of Regina among the universities hosting QSAP scholars, allowing these students to continue their education,” said Jonah Kokodyniak IIE’s Executive Vice President Program Development and Partner Services. “This expanding coalition across countries and universities is a testament to the resiliency of these students and the power of international cooperation to meet their evolving needs.”
University of Regina’s participation in the program was inspired by “Project Resilience,” an initiative the University launched in 2022 to aid students affected by war or political violence. Wanting to make the new students feel as welcome as possible, members of the University of Regina International office took the students shopping for other winter essentials. When the students left Doha, Qatar it was 68 degreesFahrenheit. They arrived in Saskatchewan to a chilling -14 degrees Fahrenheit.
The cohort at the University of Regina is expected to include two additional QSAP scholars as visa details are finalized.
About the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project
The Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP), in partnership with multiple higher educational institutions, gives Afghan refugee students the opportunity to continue their education at colleges and universities outside of Afghanistan. Since its inception, the program has placed 400 students at more than 60 colleges and universities in the United States, Albania, Canada, Germany, Qatar, and the United Kingdom.
The project is supported by the Education Above All Foundation, Qatar Fund for Development, the Institute of International Education (IIE), the Afghan Future Fund – a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and The Yalda Hakim Foundation. For more information contact IIE at: qsap@iie.org