Hasib Danish Alikozai currently serves as the Chief of VOA Afghanistan, overseeing VOA Dari and Pashto language services. He leads broadcasts to Afghanistan on radio, digital, locally affiliated TV stations, and 24/7 satellite in both Dari and Pashto languages. Alikozai took over the branch in July of 2021 and directed the branch’s response to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August of that year, playing a key role in expanding programming at a critical time. He oversaw the launch of a 24/7 direct-to-home TV channel for Afghanistan, as well as several new TV shows with VOA’s affiliates in the country, at a time when local media came under pressure from the Taliban. Alikozai also helped launch several daily radio shows, namely “Afghan Narratives,” “Today in Afghanistan,” and “Hardtalk,” increasing VOA’s radio programming to 12 hours a day. The new radio shows are providing Afghans with a much-needed platform to raise their voices. Previously, Alikozai was the managing editor of VOA’s Extremism Watch Desk (2017-2021), overseeing the coverage of news related to terrorism and extremism around the world. Before joining VOA in 2009, Alikozai worked for various international organizations in Kabul, Afghanistan. He holds a BA in international affairs from Georgetown University, as well as an MA in global security studies from Johns Hopkins University and a second MA in international development and foreign service from American University’s School of International Service. He is also an excellence in government fellow.