DASNR
International
Experience of the Week
Destination Country: Afghanistan
Afġānistān , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located in the heart of Asia. It is variously designated within Central Asia or the Middle East. It has religious, ethno-linguistic, and geographic links with most of its neighbors. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and the People's Republic of China in the far northeast. The name Afghanistan means the " Land of Afghans."
Afghanistan is a culturally mixed nation, a crossroads between the East and the West, and has been ancient focal point of trade and migration. It has an important geostrategical location, connecting South Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia. During its long history, the land has seen various invaders and conquerors, while on the other hand, local entities invaded the surrounding vast regions to form empires to themselves. Ahmad Shah Durrani created a large empire in the middle of the eighteenth century, with its capital at Kandahar. Subsequently, most of its territories were ceded to former neighboring countries. In the 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer state in "The Great Game" played between the British Indian Empire and Russian Empire. On August 19, 1919, following the third Anglo-Afghan war, the country regained full independence from the United Kingdom over its foreign affairs.
Since the late 1970s, Afghanistan has suffered continuous and brutal civil war, which included foreign interventions in the form of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan in which the ruling Taliban government was toppled. In December 2001, the United Nations Security Council authorized the creation of an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This force, composed of NATO troops, has been involved in assisting the government of President Hamid Karzai in establishing authority across the nation. In 2005, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement committing both nations to a long-term relationship. In the meantime, about 40 billion US dollars have also been provided by the international community for the reconstruction of the country.
Afghanistan agricultural products are: opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, and lambskins. Source: Wikipedia and CIA World Facts
Tim Kock
October 2007
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From the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership... This week’s international student of the week is Tim Kock. He is a PhD student in Agricultural Education. Tim is from Bassett, Nebraska, he has travelled to several countries. He speaks English, intermediate Spanish and Georgian, and beginning Dari, the language from Afghanistan.
Although thePhD program is keeping Tim very busy he still has some spare time to talk to friends and watch movies. Tim was the youngest of a family of 5 boys until his parents decided to have girls. He has two youngest sisters. Tim chose OSU when he met Dr. Ray in Kyrgyzstan; they spent sometime there talking about the agricultural programs in OSU. Dr. Ray encouraged Tim to apply. Tim’s future plans are to finish his PhD and find a job either in the United Nations or USAID, work overseas for about 10 more years and return to the States to teach International Development, in a 4 year institution. Advisor: Dr. Craig Edwards Tim’s advice to students. “If you have the opportunity to go overseas to experience other places, take it. You will learn about yourself and you certainly will learn about others” Interview by Sandra Rodriguez, International Ag Programs Assistant
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