Afghanistan: What Happened & How to Engage the Taliban-- Study Group Session 1: Economic Management in a Crisis Environment

The recent collapse of the Afghan Government was witnessed by a global audience as the U.S. and NATO forces evacuated their citizens and affiliated Afghan staff from the country.  The emergence of the Taliban likewise raises a number of important questions.  What were the forces that caused the rapid downfall of the Afghan government and the rise of the Taliban?  
In this study group, we will take a look at such broad questions.  We will also evaluate the economic situation in Afghanistan and consider different mechanisms to deal with the Taliban moving forward.  The key conceptual questions include:
*What happened in Afghanistan that led to the rapid downfall of the government?  This will include an analysis of the peace process, regional interests, and domestic challenges

*How should the international community engage with the Taliban regime moving forward?
M-RCBG Senior Fellow Ajmal Ahmady, former Central Bank Governor of Afghanistan, invites participants to a series of five sessions to review what went wrong in Afghanistan and analyze how to engage with the Taliban regime. 
This five-part series will be held weekly at 4pm, beginning on October 13th. Registration is required for each session. For the complete schedule, see: 
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/students/sg/ahmady.2021.fall

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Session 1: Economic Management in a Crisis
Environment
This study group session will focus on my
personal experiences as economic advisor, Minister of Industry and Commerce,
and Central Bank Governor.  We will
review the political and economic dynamics and challenges that Afghanistan faced,
from my vantage point.  Will be of
interest to those who would like to learn about the episode from someone with a
personal perspective or those interested in economic issues in a less-developed
country.