CHILDHOOD & EDUCATION

Dr. Mohammed Nadir Atash was born in Kabul, Afghanistan to the late three-star General Mohammad Issa Nooristani and Bibi Aisha Nooristani in 1947, the fourth of eight siblings. As a student at Ghazi High School, he was a determined student who excelled in academics, sports and music. At 16, he was one of the few Afghan students selected for a competitive one-year student exchange program in the U.S., sponsored by A.F.S in 1963. Given his continued top ranking in his class after returning to Kabul, he was awarded a full USAID/Kabul University scholarship upon graduation and attended the American University of Beirut, the “Harvard of the Middle East”, where he received his B.S. in Chemistry. Amongst his classmates at AUB were former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, former Minister of Finance Dr. Ashraf Ghani, Minister of Urban Development Yousuf Pashtun, Voice of America journalist Rauf Mehrpour, women’s rights activist Nasrine Gross, Washington Hospital Center surgeon Dr. Qader Ahad, civil engineer Wali Haider, L’Oreal scientist Dr. Akram Fazel, and other notable Afghans.

EARLY CAREER

Upon graduation, Dr. Atash returned to Kabul where, for seven years, he served as the Ministry of Education Science Center’s Head of Chemistry and Research Departments. He worked hard to initiate science education reform programs all over schools in Afghanistan and also served as an adjunct professor for the Faculty of Education and Engineering. He then received an M.S. in Science Education from Claremont Graduate School, California in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Educational Research, Statistics and Measurement at Florida State University in 1981, both on full scholarship. He successfully completed his thesis while supporting his wife and four daughters on a meager student salary, and remained focus even after he learned that his beloved father was executed in Kabul’s notorious Pul Charki prison by Communists.

CAREER IN THE U.S.

In 1982, Dr. Atash accepted a position at the State Department of Education in Columbia, South Carolina. Eventually, he would become a Calculus professor and avid soccer player and coach. In 1986, Dr. Atash moved to Northern Virginia and accepted a position as a statistician at Westat, a major research firm in Rockville, MD, where he was soon dubbed a “brilliant mathematician” by colleagues, and published extensively in technical journals in this area as one of the most well-known educational statisticians in the United States.

In the 1990’s, Dr. Atash launched a chain of automotive lube shops and PARSA, his own consulting firm. In his free time, Dr. Atash sings, plays the harmonium, rhubab, and mandolin. He has coached soccer teams and has even played competitively with much younger players during the annual Afghan Fourth of July tournaments in Northern Virginia. Most importantly, he is a husband, father, grandfather, and role model to many.

BRIDGING AFGHANISTAN & THE U.S.

Dr. Atash has been a well-known activist and pillar amongst the Afghan diaspora by supporting numerous organizations working in the areas of sports, culture, and education. In 1998, he was instrumental in obtaining permits, raising funds, and implementing the construction of the Mustafa Center, the area’s first masjid and community center for Afghans. In 2005, he received an award for his service to the community.

Dr. Atash founded Nooristan Foundation in 1999, a non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding rural areas of Afghanistan. He helped to support schools in rural areas of Afghanistan and managed a $100,000 grant from the America’s Fund for Afghan Children, which was established by President Bush. He donated hundreds of dollars worth of school supplies to area schools and Kabul University.

POST 9/11 EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN

Dr. Atash was also invited to participate in the Rome Group of the Loya Jirga process that explored a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan prior to the ouster of the Taliban.

After the September 11th attacks, he felt compelled to return to Afghanistan to assist with reconstruction efforts and serve as a bridge of understanding between his country of birth and adopted country. During this time, Dr. Atash established the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) by starting its office in Kabul and serving as its Founding Chairman of the Board. He spent thousands of dollars out of his personal savings in order to support the AACC office as it was not supported by other private or public sources at the time. He was also instrumental in creating the proposal to establish the Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce, which is now a strong collective voice for the private sector in Afghanistan.

It was during this process that he was involved in evaluating the policies and reforms needed to assist with Afghanistan’s economic development. He believed that without education and economic development, Afghanistan would remain in a cycle of poverty and conflict.

In Kabul, Dr. Atash also completed a market research survey of small and medium businesses for the World Bank and served as a consultant for The Cornell Group to develop training curriculum for entrepreneurs in the newly constructed Industrial Park project in Kabul. In an effort to improve Afghanistan’s private sector, Dr. Atash formed and an investment and market development company in 2004.

ARIANA AIRLINES PRESIDENT

In 2005, after serving as Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, former Minister of Transportation, Minister Enayat Qasimi, a U.S. resident who had been trained as an attorney and had also returned to Afghanistan, requested Dr. Atash’s assistance. Minister Qasimi was in need of help as there were few international advisors or resources provided to him by donors at the time. Dr. Atash accepted his offer and served for three months voluntarily as Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Transport.

Then, Minister Qasimi repeatedly requested for Dr. Atash to serve as President of Ariana in order to help with the hajj operation. He initially declined his offer, but Minister Qasimi persuaded him that working together, they could make the operation successful.

As the new President, Dr. Atash immediately began with research and analysis of the problems and found that the major issue was corruption in its comprehensive meaning throughout the airlines. There was narcotics embezzlement, lack of cooperation, and an environment of putting personal interests ahead of Ariana’s. Despite facing many obstacles within the airlines, Dr. Atash made many positive changes in a short period of time, including attracting one of Afghanistan's largest private investments in history. He initiated an export promotion program for Afghan fruits and other agricultural products to international markets, new air cargo services, and improved ticketing, billing and service programs, and instituted the airline’s first computerized accounting system. However, corruption within this state owned enterprise and lack of coherent leadership by the Ministries which comprised the airline’s Board of Directors, prevented further progress. Dr. Atash returned to the U.S. in 2006.

CURRENT WORK & PROJECTS

From 2007-08, Dr. Atash hosted his own satellite talk show "Nazar", which aired on Ariana Afghanistan TV. The half hour weekly show focused on providing useful insights into Afghan politics and culture. He is also a founding member of the Afghanistan Advocacy Group, a network of professionals in the U.S. that provides advice to policy makers on development and security issues in Afghanistan.

Today, Dr. Atash is referred to as an expert on Afghanistan. He is an educator, entrepreneur, and activist who has more than forty years of experience in education, business management, policy formulation, and development. Dr. Atash has appeared in U.S. and international media (Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, The Washington Times, National Press Club, AFP and more), speaking on democracy, private sector development, and education. He has also participated at major international conferences on these topics and is currently on a national speaking and press tour.

Dr. Atash is the author of “TURBULENCE –The Tumultuous Journey of One Man's Quest for Change in Afghanistan.” Published in August 2009, Turbulence is based on Dr. Atash’s real life experiences working on education and economic development programs over four decades and provides insights on the realities of fighting corruption within Afghanistan’s government after the fall of the Taliban.