Alumni life stories: Shaharzad Akbar

In the second installment of our occasional series, Shaharzad Akbar reflects on the values she learnt during her time in Wolfson and how they influence her life today. Shaharzad was the first female Afghan student to attend Oxford and is currently Country Director of Open Society Afghanistan.

"Every autumn, I fondly remember my time in Wolfson, and for a few days I desperately miss being in college. But autumn is not the only reminder. Every day in my work and in my activism, I am reminded of the values that we learned and practiced in our Wolfson community.

Let me tell you about the three highlights of my week: This week (October 20- 24), we had the second Annual Social Media Summit in Kabul. I was invited to deliver one of the opening remarks. My current job, as the Country Director of Open Society Afghanistan, enables me to work with Afghan civil society. In this capacity and earlier, as an activist, I have noticed the increasing use of social media for connecting, campaigning, and raising awareness.

As I went behind the podium to speak, I was both nervous and excited. The hall was packed with young faces, women and men; my favorite audience and the present and future of this country. In my speech I highlighted the role of social media as a tool to connect Afghans from different parts of the country with each other and with the world. As a country of many diverse languages and cultures, the citizens have a lot to learn from each other and from the world around them. Appreciating diversity and trying to learn from everyone's experiences was also what I experienced firsthand in the vibrant community of Wolfson.

Later in the week, I had my first Pashto (language) class with my fiancé and our teacher. My fiancé (who is a PhD and unfortunately for him completed a Masters in Cambridge), is a Hazara from Central Afghanistan and speaks Dari with the Hazaragi accent. My native languages are Uzbek and Dari. Our teacher, the most impressive tenth-grader I have met in Kabul, who speaks and writes brilliantly in Pashtu, is actually ethnically Baluch. The fact that we get together twice a week to speak Pashtu is a sign of a new, connected, and hopefully more tolerant Afghanistan. I treasure these classes. They are a reminder of the privilege and joy of being a student.

My last highlight of the week was attending an Afghan classical music concert on Thursday. Sitting there, letting go of all the stress of the week, all the anxiety about tomorrow, I thought about the rich and ancient culture of my country. And how we all need to find ways to revive and encourage cultural creativity, if we are to nurture an open and tolerant society that is connected with the world. I remembered the many cultural events I attended as a student in Wolfson and the depth and richness that they each brought to my life. I also thought of music and its ability to bring us closer, both in time and in space.

I graduated in 2011 and left Wolfson, but the values that I practiced there, the lessons I learned, and the richness and beauty that I experienced will always stay with me, and inspire me as I live, work, and learn." 

Letters from Alumni, whether you recently graduated or are a long-standing member of the community, to be featured in this space are warmly welcomed. If you have a life-story to share, please email the Communications Officer, Amy Richards, with your letter and a photo.