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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTell us a little bit about yourself. Your own personal study background, and what you are currently doing? <\/strong> After graduating, I returned to Kabul in 2020 and worked as a university lecturer before being awarded a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) scholarship in 2021 to pursue a master\u2019s degree in integrated water resources management at the German-Kazakh University in Kazakhstan. Coming from a country where access to education has often been challenged and where girls and women are currently denied their fundamental right to education, I never imagined that my path would lead me from Kabul to conducting research at one of the world’s leading universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When and where did you first become aware of SEET, and its Study Support Programme?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I first became aware of SEET and its Study Support Programme during an ETH4D monthly lunch event, where the SEET team introduced the programme and its impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I found the initiative very inspiring and closely aligned with my own experiences and values. Having personally experienced how educational opportunities can transform lives, I felt a strong connection to SEET’s mission, which motivated me to apply to become a mentor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What factors inspired you to apply to be a Mentor?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021, many educated Afghans were forced to flee the country and rebuild their lives in unfamiliar environments such as Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, I met people at different stages of their educational journeys. Some had interrupted their bachelor’s studies, while others had already completed bachelor’s, master’s, or even PhD degrees. Despite their qualifications and potential, many struggled to navigate a new system while coping with the psychological challenges of displacement, and some felt compelled to restart their educational journeys despite the qualifications they had already earned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt that many of these individuals simply lacked the guidance needed to continue pursuing their educational aspirations. I also noticed that many young people from Afghan migrant backgrounds, including the second generation, do not always see higher education as a realistic option because they lack role models and information about the opportunities available to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the SEET mentoring programme, I see this as a small but meaningful way to give back by supporting others in making informed decisions about their educational futures. I believe education enables people to contribute positively to their host country and to present a more complete picture of their home country than the one often seen in the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Could you tell us a little bit about your mentee, how your relationship has developed, and what support have you been providing since the kick-off events when you first met?<\/p>\n\n\n\n My mentee (Azatullah) was one of the talented students who received an ICCR scholarship to pursue his bachelor’s degree in India. By coincidence, we studied during the same period, although at different universities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After graduation, he worked as an officer at the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Following the collapse of the government, he was forced to flee the country and eventually settled in Zurich, Switzerland. Through SEET, we were reconnected academically at the kick-off event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From our very first meeting, I could see how enthusiastic and determined he was to continue his education in Switzerland. Since then, I have supported him throughout the application process by sharing information, reviewing documents, discussing study options, and encouraging him whenever challenges arise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Azatullah remained proactive and committed throughout the process, and his hard work paid off when he was admitted to the Bern University of Applied Sciences to pursue his master’s degree. He has now successfully completed his first semester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The day I got to know about his admission, I felt as happy and proud as if I had been admitted myself. Over the past two years, we have stayed in close contact, and our conversations have extended beyond applications and university matters. Seeing him taking this important step in his academic journey has been one of the most meaningful experiences of mentoring and has motivated me to continue supporting other students through the SEET programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have your Mentoring experiences met your expectations, or has it been better? What have you learned yourself from this experience? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To be honest, my mentoring experience has been even more enriching than I had anticipated. While mentoring naturally comes with uncertainties and challenges, it was reassuring to know that the SEET team was always there whenever my mentee or I needed guidance or support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This mentoring experience benefited me in two ways. First, it allowed me to build connections with other mentors and members of the SEET team, from whom I learned a lot. Second, I learned that helping others does not necessarily mean giving advice or finding solutions to their problems. Sometimes, what people need most is simply someone who listens to them and gives them the opportunity to be heard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To anyone considering applying to be a Mentor for the next SEET programme cycle, would you recommend it, and if so, could you please explain why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Undoubtedly, yes. If you are considering becoming a mentor, I would strongly encourage you to apply. We all live in a society where our lives are interconnected, and it is difficult to remain indifferent to the challenges faced by those around us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mentoring is a meaningful way to contribute, even in a small way, by sharing your time, experiences, and encouragement with someone navigating an important stage of their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also an opportunity to meet remarkable individuals whose resilience and determination can be truly inspiring. Although mentoring requires commitment, the sense of fulfilment that comes from knowing you may have played a small part in someone else’s journey makes it deeply worthwhile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I would like to take this opportunity to thank the SEET team for creating such a meaningful initiative, one that not only contributes to the host country by helping talented individuals realize their potential but also helps many people continue pursuing dreams that were interrupted or no longer possible in their home countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also like to express my appreciation to all the dedicated mentors and mentees whose commitment makes this programme what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, I sincerely hope that one day everyone, everywhere, will have access to education, especially Afghan girls and women, who are currently denied this fundamental right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would be interested in supporting SEET as a future mentor, donor, partner or volunteer, please email us at: <\/em><\/strong>seet@seet.ch<\/em><\/strong><\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like to know more about SEET, follow us on <\/strong><\/em>LinkedIn<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong><\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and <\/strong><\/em>Facebook<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SEET is the only organisation in Switzerland that supports refugees\u2019 access to higher education, independently of universities themselves. SEET’s Study Support Program pairs refugees with mentors who provide invaluable support in navigating the Swiss system. We spoke to Ahmadullah Hakimi to find out more about his personal motivation in becoming a SEET mentor. Tell us a little bit about yourself. … <\/p>\n
I grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, where my educational journey began. After passing the National University Entrance Examination (Kankor) with a score of 337 out of 360, I received a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree in civil engineering in India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, the ETH4D scholarship brought me to ETH Zurich, where I further advanced my academic and research journey. I am currently working as a Scientific Research Assistant in the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/seet.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0297_16_9-1024x576.jpg\")
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