Institute Alumnus Killed in Kabul Attack

Khpulwak came to Monterey in 2010 as a Fulbright student, completing ESL and English Preparation for Graduate Studies courses at the Middlebury Institute during the spring and summer before going on to earn his master’s degree in comparative politics and security studies from Old Dominion University. He was also a visiting scholar at Stanford Law School in 2013. He previously earned his bachelor’s degree in law and political science from Nangarhar University in Afghanistan, graduating first in his class.

At the American University in Kabul, Khpulwak taught courses on property rights and family law, and cotaught courses in alternative conflict resolution and international law. He also worked as a counselor and volunteer lecturer for organizations in Afghanistan including NRC Afghanistan and Nangarhar Law School.

“I am extremely saddened by this news,” said Patricia Szasz MATESOL ’06, assistant dean for language and professional programs. “Naqib was one of the first Afghan Fulbrighters who came to MIIS, with the intention of taking his professional skills back to Afghanistan in order to make a positive impact on his country’s future. It was a tremendous privilege to be a part of his educational journey, and we, as his teachers, learned much about the triumphs and challenges of Afghanistan from having known him.”

Alumna Nathalie Juniorette MPA ’12, who took English classes with Khpulwak in the summer of 2010 to prepare for her own graduate studies, called him “among the kindest people, sincerest believers, and brightest minds here on earth. It’s a great, great loss.”