Afghan Biographies

Malikyar, Helena Mrs.


Name Malikyar, Helena Mrs.
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1963
Function/Grade Ex Ambassador
History and Biodata

2. Previous Function:
Senior Researcher Center of International Cooperation / NYU (2001-2003)
Independent Consultant (2003)
Consultant Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (2006-2007)
Owner Sishiant Translation House (2007)
Bearing Point , USAID (2007)
Agha Khan Trust for Culture Steering Committee member (2016)
Chair and Commissioner Indpendent Joint Anticorruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (20160900)
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) (2017)
Ambassador to Italy (20190529) recalled to Kabul (20200212)

3. Biodata:
Mrs  Helen Malikyar was born 1963 and lived in Tucson, Arizona, USA. She studied at New York University, where she was awarded M.A. in Middle East languages and Literatures (1991-1995) She continued her studies at New York University with focus on history of political anadministrative refrorms in Afghanistan (1995-2000). She is an independent researcher and writer based in Kabul and was also working for Radio Free Europe as apolitical analyst and historian.  (2008-2011) Malikyar is a supporter of President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.

 Five diplomats comprise almost all the staff of the Afghan embassy in Italy were recalled to Kabul. The group includes some diplomats who were appointed to the mission just a few weeks ago. Sources said the decision was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) after tensions arose among the Afghan diplomats and the Afghan ambassador to Italy. The recalled diplomats are Counsellor Zubair Joyenda, First Secretary Ahmad Shah Alizoy, First Secretary Wajiha Qazizada, Second Secretary Rahman Nazar Belim and Third Secretary Abdul Mateen Adil of the Afghan Embassy in Italy. They have been recalled to Kabul due to certain problems created recently in the embassy. (20200128)

Helena Malikyar, the Afghan ambassador to Italy, and her deputy were dismissed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and the move was approved by President Ghani, said a MoFA source. (20200212)

Malikyar ist married to Jahed Azimi since 2004 and has a son, Mirkand.

She speaks Dari, Pashto, Arabic, English and French.

More Background:

Mrs. Helena Malikyar has worked on Afghan state building and political development as an  academic, practitioner and participant for over two decades. While her scholarly research was focused on the history of state building and modernization in Afghanistan, her work since 2001 has ranged from center-periphery relations to sub-national public sector capacity building and a number of development projects for international organizations such as the UNDP, UNAMA and USAID. In addition to her earlier works published in scholarly journals, in recent years,  Malikyar has been writing analytical articles on topics related to Afghanistan’s current affairs for Al-Jazeera, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and a number of other news media websites.  She is an ABD, holding a master’s degree in Middle East and Islamic Studies from New York University. She has a bachelor’s degree in the same field from the University of Arizona.

 

Last Modified 2020-09-04
Established 2019-03-26