Amirzai Sangin
Encyclopedia
Amirzai Sangin is a politician
in Afghanistan
, currently serving as the Minister of Communications. An ethnic Pashtun
, he was born in the Urgun District of Paktika Province
in Afghanistan.
. Sangin attended primary school in Urgun and secondary school in Gardez, Paktia Province
. He graduated from Afghanistan's Telecommunications Training Center (TTC), and obtained an engineering degree in Electronics and Communications from Southern London University of the United Kingdom
.
Sangin became a refugee in Sweden
in 1980. As a founding member of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, he has made significant contributions to Afghanistan's education, agriculture, and medical sectors over the last two and a half decades.
In 1982, Sangin joined Swedish Telecom. He worked for King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia
as a communications project team member from 1982-1985 and then, for the next five years, was involved in the design, development, and implementation of mobile networks in Sweden. A founding member of Swedish Telecom International (now called Telia International), Sangin was a leader in obtaining international bids, winning 8 GSM licenses in Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Hungary, Italy, Namibia, and India from 1990-2000. He has held several senior-level management positions in the establishment of highly successful companies.
Returning to Afghanistan
soon after 9/11, Sangin initially carried out training for AWCC and MOC engineers. He headed the Ministry of Communications' evaluation committee for a GSM license in 2002, and in February 2003, became Senior Advisor to the Minister of Communications.
Sangin was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afghan Telecom
in July 2004. As CEO, he worked to build the Afghan Telecom organization by developing new processes and procedures and improving issues of interconnection. He left this position to become Minister of Communications in 2006.
Politics of Afghanistan
The politics of Afghanistan consists of the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The nation is currently led by the Karzai administration under President Hamid Karzai who is backed by two vice...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, currently serving as the Minister of Communications. An ethnic Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, he was born in the Urgun District of Paktika Province
Paktika Province
Paktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-east of the country. Most of the population is Pashtun. Its capital is Sharan.-Political and military situation:...
in Afghanistan.
Early life and education
Sangin, son of Amir Gul Shah Khail, was born on 6 June 1949 in the Urgun District of Paktika ProvincePaktika Province
Paktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-east of the country. Most of the population is Pashtun. Its capital is Sharan.-Political and military situation:...
. Sangin attended primary school in Urgun and secondary school in Gardez, Paktia Province
Paktia Province
Paktia , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. Its capital is Gardez. The population is predominantly Pashtun.- History:...
. He graduated from Afghanistan's Telecommunications Training Center (TTC), and obtained an engineering degree in Electronics and Communications from Southern London University of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Careers
He was an instructor at TTC from 1975-1978, and served as its Director from 1978-1980.Sangin became a refugee in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1980. As a founding member of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, he has made significant contributions to Afghanistan's education, agriculture, and medical sectors over the last two and a half decades.
In 1982, Sangin joined Swedish Telecom. He worked for King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
as a communications project team member from 1982-1985 and then, for the next five years, was involved in the design, development, and implementation of mobile networks in Sweden. A founding member of Swedish Telecom International (now called Telia International), Sangin was a leader in obtaining international bids, winning 8 GSM licenses in Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Hungary, Italy, Namibia, and India from 1990-2000. He has held several senior-level management positions in the establishment of highly successful companies.
Returning to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
soon after 9/11, Sangin initially carried out training for AWCC and MOC engineers. He headed the Ministry of Communications' evaluation committee for a GSM license in 2002, and in February 2003, became Senior Advisor to the Minister of Communications.
Sangin was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afghan Telecom
Afghan Telecom
Afghan Telecom is a telecom company offering fixed line, wireless voice and data services under a 25 year license in Afghanistan. The company was previously government owned and operated until 2005 when the Afghan Ministry of Communications spun it off into a private entity. In 2008, investors are...
in July 2004. As CEO, he worked to build the Afghan Telecom organization by developing new processes and procedures and improving issues of interconnection. He left this position to become Minister of Communications in 2006.