WE lost Alexandros Petersen! 1984 - 2014
On January 17
our professor of International and Comparative Politics, Alexandros Petersen
died in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan!
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Taken on April 9th, 2013 at AUCA after our interview
The tragedy
happened on Friday night in one of the most protected restaurants in Kabul.
Suicide bomber detonated his
explosives at the gate of the restaurant in the evening allowing two
other killers get inside, where they opened the gunfire attack on all the
visitors, including Alexandros Petersen.
The restaurant
was a very popular place among foreigners, diplomats and aid workers in the Afghan
center.
At first after hearing this news, I couldn’t believe that it was true, a professor I saw a few months earlier is dead now, but on Sunday night I got a message from Alex’s friend confirming that “IT IS TRUE”.
Alexandros
Petersen had joined the American University of Central Asia in January 2013, a
few months later I asked him to give me an interview for the “New Star”
newspaper as he and a few others were the newly coming professors (available here) He kindly
agreed and we had a very nice conversation. He shared some of his plans about
his future book, Chinaincentralasia. During our talk he always tried to
joke telling me some funny stories happened to him in Kyrgyzstan. We laughed so
hard!
Taken a year ago at AUCA. Photocredits: The US embassy in Kyrgyzstan
On my last question, on what are his future plans, Alex said, "I will
travel around the region doing some researches. I will go
back to US for a while and then I will be back"- but he couldn't.
The colleague and a good friend of Alex, Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann said,
“There are people in this world who
surprise you because they are so gifted, kind, and accomplished are still so
very genuine. Alex was one of those. He should have been at Harvard or
Oxford, but he was such a mensch, he wanted to be here in Central
Asia. Having known Alex, Professor Petersen, well the
comparison that leaps to mind was the catastrophic loss of RFK.
The potential good to the world that Alex's presence in it was an unwritten
book, but knowing his character and background, this far too young man
could have changed paradigms. I told him this on our last meeting, in November
2013. He scoffed, as a truly humble man would, but I remain resolute in
my belief. Alex Petersen would have had a world historical impact. I mean
what I say: the human race itself felt a profound loss in this attack. Alex was
the best of us, the faculty at AUCA, the international community, and the whole
thinking world. I'm devastated.”
Taken by Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann in Ala-Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan
Some of his students also wanted to
say about Alex,
Aznaur Dzhukaev, said,
“Professor Alexandros Petersen was a
great person, professor, and a friend. He worked in AUCA and I was one of those
lucky people who got a chance to know him personally. We will all miss him. We
will never forget all good things that he did for us. RIP. Professor
Aleksandros Petersen.”
Azat Baatyrov, said
“I met Alex Petersen last year, for 6 months he had
been teaching FYS course. Personally, I had some difficulties in writing as it
is one of the challenging courses for first year students in AUCA. Being honest
he was very kind and so responsive. Last year I wrote lots of reflection and
motivation letters, beyond FYS essays while I was applying to some academic
programs. Those times, he helped me a lot, by teaching and checking my final
version of papers. Generally saying, he taught me a lot apart from essays, as I
was visiting his office regularly and we could talk about different things. I
am very sorry about his death and wish his family patience.”
Taken by Dr. Kate Sampsell-Willmann in Ala-Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan
21 young and
great lives have been cut tragically by Taliban terrorists!
All of us at
AUCA send the sincere condolences to Alex’s family in the US and his friends!
He will be remembered by his friends, students and colleagues of AUCA as
the most intelligent, kind, a person with a great sense of humor and the
best dressed man!
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