Gul Ahmad Yama, son of Ghulam Haider Amini, was born in 1956 in Mazar-e-Sharif capital of Balkh province. He studied up to 12th class in Nader Shahi and Bakhtar schools in Mazar-e-Sharif and studied 12th class in Habibia High School of Kabul. He was admitted in literature and social sciences faculty of Kabul University in 1975 and graduated  in 1978.

He served as professional member of the translation board of Higher Education Ministry, and in 1980 as lecturer at Kabul Education University.

He went to France in 1990 and during his less than one year stay in France he taught in Sorbonne University of France as visiting lecturer.

In late 1991 he returned to the country and established Imam Ghazali cultural and social foundation. He said that through this foundation besides publishing books to 1993 they provided training programs for mujahideen and youth in social, political and cultural issues.

After 1993 for two years he conducted academic research on Afghanistan and in 1995 he taught in faculty of literature of Kabul University and afterwards until the fall of Taliban he had no official position.

After 2002 he served for three years in Kabul Education University and in 2005 he served as a lecturer in the Leadership College in Kabul (American university for armed forces).

He said afterwards he was busy in private academic activities and until he nominated himself for presidential post he worked on different economic drafts for Afghanistan.