MUNCIE, Ind. — President Trump's announcement of a new strategy in Afghanistan came as welcome news to former Ball State University political scientist Ken Holland, now president of the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF).
A private university mostly funded by the U.S. government, AUAF was shut down for seven months after a suicide bomber and two gunmen stormed the campus one year ago this week. Seven students, a lecturer, two security guards and three members of the Afghan security forces were killed.
Two professors — one American and one Australian — from AUAF were kidnapped in Kabul in a separate incident last August.
If the university were to close, it would be regarded as a clear victory for the Taliban insurgent group, Holland told The Star Press.
"The tone of President Trump's speech makes clear that he does not intend to lose the war in Afghanistan," Holland wrote in an email. "In fact, the emphasis of his address to the American people was that the United States will defeat them. Keeping the university open and even helping it to grow and educate even more future leaders will be one sign of the victory promised by the president."
The strategy for a continued U.S. presence in the country is very good for the security environment in Kabul, home to AUAF, which former First Lady Laura Bush helped launch more than a decade ago, according to Holland.
"People here still remember the day that the Taliban seized control of the city in September 1996 and the subsequent mass executions and oppression of the population," Holland wrote.
In April, Holland was named president of AUAF after spending the previous eight years employed by Ball State as a political science professor, dean of the Rinker Center for International Programs and director of BSU's Center for International Development.
In a recent telephone interview, Holland said AUAF was important because "our mission is to educate future leaders of Afghanistan … Many young people working in the Afghan government are graduates of this university. Our graduates are becoming leaders not only in the government but also in the private sector."
Holland's perception is that Afghans love America. "Many older people remember the Taliban and definitely don't want to go back," he said. "Half of our students are female. That is very, very unusual for Afghanistan. Under the Taliban, women were not allowed to go to school or to even work outside the home."
More than 100 Ball State faculty worked on projects at one time or another in those countries, though BSU policy prohibited students from going to countries with travel warnings.
The latest state department travel warning for Afghanistan says it remains unsafe due to the "ongoing risk of kidnapping, hostage taking, military combat operations, landmines, banditry, armed rivalry between political and tribal groups, militant attacks, direct and indirect fire, suicide bombings, and insurgent attacks, including attacks using vehicle-borne or other improvised explosive devices."
Holland attended a conference the other day titled, "Terrorism vs. Tourism." "Afghanistan has a lot of natural beauty and cultural-historical sites that people would love to see," he said. "The only problem we have is with the terrorists … "
Ball State joined a select group of American universities working in Afghanistan, including Purdue and Indiana universities, University of Massachusetts, University of California-Davis, Texas A&M, Stanford and University of Chicago.
"The American University of Afghanistan is one of the Taliban's major targets in Kabul, and if they returned to power the university would be forced to close and the Afghan students and staff associated with the university would be at risk," Holland wrote.
AUAF is perceived by the Afghan government and people as an American institution, with an American president and many American professors, supported by the U.S. government (85 percent of its budget). Congressional backers include Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain.
Though he has no diplomatic status, Holland is sometimes treated as an American diplomat when he attends events in Kabul. "AUAF, therefore, can be viewed as a component of U.S. foreign policy aimed at furthering mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Afghanistan," Holland wrote.
"AUAF is a symbol of America's commitment to Afghanistan, and as long as the university operates, the Afghan people will feel assured of America's presence and assistance," he added.
Ball State's Center for International Development benefited from the Obama administration's "civilian surge" that earmarked a huge amount of money to help develop Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. But that funding has dried up, and Ball State eliminated the center.
"The money had just gotten tighter," said Ball State Interim Provost Marilyn Buck, who added that it tightened before Trump took office. "The resources were just not there. Congress was questioning the amount of money being spent on some of these countries rather than here at home."
In the 2015-16 academic year, Holland obtained $1.4 million in funding from the state department, or more than five percent of the $25.7 million in total external funding received by Ball State.
Though Holland and the center are gone, he basically trained Ball State faculty to carry on the work he started.
"These folks can move forward on their own," Buck said of BSU faculty. "They now have had that international experience, so they are positioned to continue on. Due to Ken's good work, we are able to move forward."
• Mary Theresa Seig, a BSU expert in second language studies and teacher training who had worked with Holland in Baghdad.
• Lindsey Blom, associate professor of sport and exercise psychology, and Larry Gerstein, professor of counseling psychology, who have used soccer to teach conflict resolution to kids and coaches in parts of the world including Jordan.
"Ken's good work put Ball State on the map in a lot of these countries," Buck said. That could help Ball State faculty secure future funding from the state department and other sources for international education.