01/23/2026
Statement from the Center for Afghanistan and Regional Studies
On the Passing of Professor Abdul Salam Azimi (1936–2026)
The Center for Afghanistan and Regional Studies (CARS) mourns the passing of Professor Abdul Salam Azimi, a distinguished Afghan jurist, academic leader, and humanitarian, who died this week at the age of 90.
Professor Azimi maintained a long and meaningful relationship with the Center for Afghanistan and Regional Studies. Following the establishment of the University of Nebraska at Omaha–Kabul University sister-university relationship in 1975, he visited Omaha in 1978 while serving as Vice Chancellor of Kabul University. During this visit, Professor Azimi played a foundational role in strengthening what became the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s first sister-university partnership. This initiative reflected his early and enduring commitment to academic diplomacy, international collaboration, and the strengthening of Afghanistan’s higher education institutions through global partnerships.
In later years, Professor Azimi served as the head and senior advisor for multiple Afghanistan-focused projects affiliated with the Center for Afghanistan and Regional Studies. Through these efforts, he contributed his deep expertise in law, governance, and education, helping to advance research, dialogue, and practical initiatives aimed at Afghanistan’s institutional development.
Professor Azimi was widely respected for his service as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan (2006–2014) and for his involvement in post-2001 constitutional and judicial reform. His career bridged academia, public service, and legal institution-building, and he was consistently recognized as a principled advocate for the rule of law, judicial integrity, and constitutional governance.
Beyond formal institutions, Professor Azimi was deeply committed to supporting Afghan refugee communities, particularly through projects focused on schools and educational access for displaced Afghan children and youth. He viewed education not only as a humanitarian necessity but as a long-term investment in social stability, dignity, and national recovery.
The Center for Afghanistan and Regional Studies honors Professor Azimi’s enduring legacy as a builder of institutions, a bridge between Afghanistan, UNO, and the international academic community, and a lifelong servant of the Afghan people. His contributions will continue to resonate through the partnerships he helped establish, the projects he led, and the lives he touched.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of working with him.
