WASHINGTON — This Wednesday, Afghanistan’s former Minister of Finance Khalid Payenda will tell his story — for the first time publicly — of how he stepped down from his role as the Ghani administration was collapsing, in an event hosted by Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.
Mr. Payenda will discuss the final days of the Ghani administration, evaluate the possible disintegration of the Afghan economy under Taliban rule, and give an insider’s view of the corruption that had hollowed out the government.
The event will be live-streamed on Facebook Live, where participants will be able to ask questions of Mr. Payenda. Link here: xxx. In-person attendance is limited to Georgetown ID holders.
Details:
When: Wednesday, September 1st, at 5:00pm ET
Location: Copley Hall
Livestream: TBD
Speaker Biography:
Khalid Payenda served as the Acting Minister of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from January to August 2021. In a career spanning over a decade at the Ministry of Finance, Payenda served in a series of roles, including as the Deputy Minister of Finance overseeing fiscal policy, budget, and treasury management; Director General for the Macro-Fiscal Performance Directorate General; and Senior Policy Adviser. Before joining the Finance Ministry, Payenda worked with the World Bank on a multi-donor trust fund for Afghanistan’s reconstruction and on macro-economic and fiscal issues. He has also worked with a number of international development agencies and think tanks on economic development and public financial management issues. Payenda co-founded the first private university in Afghanistan and taught economics and leadership courses for over a decade. He is a Fulbright scholar and graduated from the University of Illinois with a Master’s degree in economics. He also holds an MBA.
For more information, please contact Marie Harf at Marie.Harf@georgetown.edu.
The Walsh School of Foreign Service, founded in 1919, is a premier school of international affairs. SFS provides a rigorous education grounded in both theory and practice while instilling the Jesuit value of service.