Ashraf Ghani - 13th President of Afghanistan, Birthday and Family
Ashraf Ghani's Personal Details
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is an Afghan scholar, politician and the current President of Afghanistan
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | February 12, 1949 |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Famous | Columbia University, Leaders, Political Leaders, Presidents, 13th President of Afghanistan |
| Spouses | Rula Ghani |
| Siblings | Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai |
| Known as | Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai |
| Childrens | Mariam Ghani, Tarek Ghani |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Founder / Co-Founder |
|
| Birth Place | Logar, Afghanistan |
| Religion | Islam |
| Height | 170 |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Shah Pesand |
| Mother | Kawkaba Lodin |
| Sun Sign | Aquarius |
| Born in | Logar, Afghanistan |
| Famous as | 13th President of Afghanistan |
Ashraf Ghani's photo
Who is Ashraf Ghani?
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is an Afghan scholar, politician and the current President of Afghanistan. He is an anthropologist by education and has taught the subject at the University of Columbia and Johns Hopkins University. Before running for the presidential seat, Ghani was an advisor to the UN secretary-general’s special envoy to Afghanistan and the provisional president Hamid Karzai. During his term, he was involved in the preparation of the Bonn Agreement and the introduction of a new Afghan currency. Ashraf Ghani was also part of the World Bank where he gained knowledge of the means of international development. He served as the Finance Minister of Afghanistan for two consecutive years and played an important part in the economic upturn of the country after the fall of the Taliban government. The 2009 presidential election saw him in the fourth position; consequently, in the 2014 election, he won 55.27% of the votes and was elected as the President of Afghanistan. Ghani is the co-founder of the Institute for State Effectiveness and a member of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of Poor. In 2013, the ‘Foreign Policy’ and ‘Prospect’ magazines ranked him second in their list of the world’s top 100 intellectuals.
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Childhood & Early Life
Dr. Ashraf Ghani was born in a wealthy Pashtun family in Afghanistan on February 12, 1949. He spent his childhood in the province of Logar.
Ghani completed his primary and secondary education at the Habibia High School in Kabul.
In 1973, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the American University in Beirut.
In 1974, he came back to Kabul to teach Afghan studies and Anthropology at Kabul University.
In 1977, he left Afghanistan after winning a government scholarship to study for a Master’s degree in Anthropology at New York’s Columbia University.
Ghani earned his Ph.D degree on state-building and social transformation from the same and started teaching at the University of California, Berkeley in 1983.
He was also part of the faculty of Aarhus University in Denmark (1977) and taught at Johns Hopkins University from 1983 to1991. During this period, he worked as a commentator on the BBC Dari and Pashto services, broadcast in Afghanistan.
Career
In 1991, Dr. Ghani joined the World Bank as lead anthropologist. He served the bank for 11 years and played an important role in formulating the Bank’s social policy and designing reform programs.
While working for the World Bank, he attended the Harvard-INSEAD and Stanford business school leadership training program.
After the downfall of the Taliban in late 2001, Ghani was asked to serve as Special Adviser to Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN Secretary General’s special envoy to Afghanistan.
On February 1, 2002, Ghani joined as Chief Advisor to Interim President Hamid Karzai, on a pro bono basis.
On June 2, 2002, Ghani joined office as the Finance Minister of Afghanistan. During his term, he designed the program of block grants to villages called the National Solidarity Program.
On December 22, 2004, he joined as chancellor of Kabul University. For the next four years, Ghani advocated his concept of shared governance among the faculty.
In 2005 Ghani gave keynote speeches for meetings like the American Bar Association’s International Rule of Law Symposium, the annual meeting of the Norwegian Government’s development staff, CSIS’ meeting on UN reform, and the UN-OECD-World Bank’s meeting on Fragile States.
On May 7, 2009, he registered as a candidate for the 2009 Afghan presidential election. His campaign focused on the eradication of poverty, employment opportunities for citizens and a dynamic economy.
He could secure only 3% of the votes and was placed in the fourth position.
On January 28, 2010, Ghani pledged his support for a reconstruction of Afghanistan in the International Conference on Afghanistan in London.
Ghani selected General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek politician and Sarwar Danish, the Justic Minister in Karzai’s cabinet as vice presidential candidates for the 2014 elections.
On June 14, 2014, a run-off election was held between Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the two front runners.
The election ended in a stalemate because of allegations of electoral fraud, following which an audit of three months took place.
On September 22, 2014, after the audit results, Ghani, winning 55.4% of the popular votes, was declared as the president by the Independent Election Commission.
On September 29, 2014, Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Achievements
During his term as the country’s Finance Minister, Ghani played a key role in issuing a new currency, institutionalizing the treasury count, centralizing revenue and reforming the tariff system. His reform policies focused on poverty eradication and the establishment of citizenship rights.
After leaving the Kabul University, he co-founded the Institute for State Effectiveness with Clare Lockhart.
In appreciation of his services, Ashraf Ghani was awarded the Sayed Jamal-ud-Din Afghan medal, the highest civilian award in Afghanistan.
He was recognized as the Best Finance Minister of Asia in 2003 by ‘Emerging Markets’.
Personal Life & Legacy
Ashraf Ghani met his wife Rula Saade, a Lebanese Christian at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and got married in the 1970s.
The couple was granted a U.S. citizenship but later Ghani renounced it, after he joined the Afghanistan ministry.
They have a daughter, Mariam, a visual artist in Brooklyn and a son, Tariq. Both are U.S. citizens.
Trivia
In his 2014 Presidential inauguration, Ashraf Ghani publicly acknowledged his wife’s support and addressed her with an Afghan name, ‘Bibi Gul’. This is considered quite an extraordinary move for an Afghan politician.
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Ashraf Ghani biography timelines
- // 12th Feb 1949Dr. Ashraf Ghani was born in a wealthy Pashtun family in Afghanistan on February 12, 1949. He spent his childhood in the province of Logar.
- // 1973In 1973, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the American University in Beirut.
- // 1974In 1974, he came back to Kabul to teach Afghan studies and Anthropology at Kabul University.
- // 1977In 1977, he left Afghanistan after winning a government scholarship to study for a Master’s degree in Anthropology at New York’s Columbia University.
- // 1983Ghani earned his Ph.D degree on state-building and social transformation from the same and started teaching at the University of California, Berkeley in 1983.
- // 1991In 1991, Dr. Ghani joined the World Bank as lead anthropologist. He served the bank for 11 years and played an important role in formulating the Bank’s social policy and designing reform programs.
- // 2001After the downfall of the Taliban in late 2001, Ghani was asked to serve as Special Adviser to Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN Secretary General’s special envoy to Afghanistan.
- // 1st Feb 2002On February 1, 2002, Ghani joined as Chief Advisor to Interim President Hamid Karzai, on a pro bono basis.
- // 2nd Jun 2002On June 2, 2002, Ghani joined office as the Finance Minister of Afghanistan. During his term, he designed the program of block grants to villages called the National Solidarity Program.
- // 2003He was recognized as the Best Finance Minister of Asia in 2003 by ‘Emerging Markets’.
- // 22nd Dec 2004On December 22, 2004, he joined as chancellor of Kabul University. For the next four years, Ghani advocated his concept of shared governance among the faculty.
- // 2005In 2005 Ghani gave keynote speeches for meetings like the American Bar Association’s International Rule of Law Symposium, the annual meeting of the Norwegian Government’s development staff, CSIS’ meeting on UN reform, and the UN-OECD-World Bank’s meeting on Fragile States.
- // 7th May 2009On May 7, 2009, he registered as a candidate for the 2009 Afghan presidential election. His campaign focused on the eradication of poverty, employment opportunities for citizens and a dynamic economy.
- // 28th Jan 2010On January 28, 2010, Ghani pledged his support for a reconstruction of Afghanistan in the International Conference on Afghanistan in London.
- // 2014Ghani selected General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek politician and Sarwar Danish, the Justic Minister in Karzai’s cabinet as vice presidential candidates for the 2014 elections.
- // 2014In his 2014 Presidential inauguration, Ashraf Ghani publicly acknowledged his wife’s support and addressed her with an Afghan name, ‘Bibi Gul’. This is considered quite an extraordinary move for an Afghan politician.
- // 14th Jun 2014On June 14, 2014, a run-off election was held between Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the two front runners.
- // 22nd Sep 2014On September 22, 2014, after the audit results, Ghani, winning 55.4% of the popular votes, was declared as the president by the Independent Election Commission.
- // 29th Sep 2014On September 29, 2014, Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
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Ashraf Ghani's FAQ
What is Ashraf Ghani birthday?
Ashraf Ghani was born at 1949-02-12
Where is Ashraf Ghani's birth place?
Ashraf Ghani was born in Logar, Afghanistan
What is Ashraf Ghani nationalities?
Ashraf Ghani's nationalities is Afghan
Who is Ashraf Ghani spouses?
Ashraf Ghani's spouses is Rula Ghani
Who is Ashraf Ghani siblings?
Ashraf Ghani's siblings is Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai
Who is Ashraf Ghani childrens?
Ashraf Ghani's childrens is Mariam Ghani, Tarek Ghani
What was Ashraf Ghani universities?
Ashraf Ghani studied at Columbia University, Columbia University, Kabul University, American University of Beirut
What was Ashraf Ghani notable alumnis?
Ashraf Ghani's notable alumnis is Columbia University
Which company or organization was founded by Ashraf Ghani?
Ashraf Ghani was the founder/co-founder of Institute for State Effectiveness
What is Ashraf Ghani's religion?
Ashraf Ghani's religion is Islam
How tall is Ashraf Ghani?
Ashraf Ghani's height is 170
Who is Ashraf Ghani's father?
Ashraf Ghani's father is Shah Pesand
Who is Ashraf Ghani's mother?
Ashraf Ghani's mother is Kawkaba Lodin
What is Ashraf Ghani's sun sign?
Ashraf Ghani is Aquarius
How famous is Ashraf Ghani?
Ashraf Ghani is famouse as 13th President of Afghanistan