Our Frontier Talks session held on 12 April was dedicated to examining Afghanistan under Taliban control and exploring long-term strategic planning for the country’s future. The session brought together experts and students for a two-part workshop under the themes “Afghanistan under Taliban Control” and “Strategic Planning: Afghanistan – 2030.”

The first panel featured presentations by Dr. Islomkhon Gafarov, followed by contributions from IAIS Volunteers Club members Saidakbar Shamsiev on social development and human capital, Jaloliddin Ibragimov on internal security and political stability, and Mirjalol Murtozaev on Afghanistan’s regional and global diplomacy.

The second half of the Frontier Talks programme shifted to an interactive format, once again led by Dr. Gafarov. Participants were divided into small working groups and tasked with developing forward-looking strategic frameworks for Afghanistan’s potential evolution by the year 2030. Each group was assigned a specific thematic area. Groups were encouraged to critically assess current trends, identify key risks and opportunities, and propose pragmatic policy directions. Working in teams, students applied tools of strategic foresight — such as scenario-building and risk analysis — to craft a set of visionaries but grounded recommendations.

By combining scholarly insights with practical scenario-building, the Frontier Talks session provided participants with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Afghanistan’s ongoing transformation and to actively engage in strategic thinking about the region’s future. IAIS remains committed to advancing such platforms for critical discussion, forward planning, and expert dialogue.