SOCIETY — June 17, 2026
19-Year-Old from Bamyan Enrolls at University in Malaysia Following International Acceptances
Fatemeh Sakhizadeh completed grades nine to twelve at a school in Quetta, Pakistan, and passed the TOEFL exam after returning to Afghanistan. She is now pursuing a degree combining computer science and business management.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Hasht-e Subh — 2 min read
Fatemeh Sakhizadeh, a 19-year-old from Bamyan province, has begun studies at Al-Bukhari University in Malaysia after receiving admission offers from four foreign universities.
She is enrolled in a bachelor's program combining computer science and business management. The other offers came from New Haven University in the United States, the University of Calgary in Canada, and Al-Farabi University in Kazakhstan.
Sakhizadeh migrated with her family to Quetta, Pakistan, after the Taliban takeover in 2021. She completed grades nine through twelve at Shamama School and received her 12th-grade certificate in 2023. She returned to Afghanistan late that year, studied English intensively, and passed the TOEFL exam. Travel restrictions prevented her from attending New Haven University.
She has described the difficulties created by the closure of girls' education centers and offered advice to other Afghan girls seeking higher education opportunities abroad.
Read the original reporting at Hasht-e Subh →
Reliability assessment
Single source provides direct, on-record interview with named individual (Fatemeh Sakhizadeh) offering concrete personal timeline, specific university names, locations, and dates.
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Hasht-e Subh: "tireless efforts and a difficult struggle", "bypass educational restrictions", "fear of arrest, humiliation, and insults", "restrictions had multiplied" - these phrases emotionally frame the Taliban's policies as oppressive barriers while portraying the subject's actions as heroic resistance.
Independent web corroboration
An independent web search turned up no separate corroborating reports. Treat the account as single-sourced until more outlets pick it up.
Across the newsrooms
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Hasht-e Subh
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Society — Fatemeh Sakhizadeh, Girls' education, University admissions, Bamyan, Taliban restrictions
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