Democratizing Knowledge Through Textbook Translation

The foundation of every technologically advanced nation lies in its ability to educate, empower, and equip its younger generation with technical and scientific knowledge. At the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE), we believe that when students can study advanced science and mathematics in their own languages, educational barriers disappear, and learning becomes deeper, faster, and more creative. Translating world-class engineering textbooks into native languages, such as Pashto and Dari, democratizes access to this crucial knowledge, enabling students across Afghanistan to understand, design, and innovate with confidence.

Our Mission and Strategic Vision

Our textbook translation initiative is not merely about linguistic translation; it is a direct investment in the human infrastructure required to build and sustain physical infrastructure. Through this initiative, we are mobilizing the younger generation to become the technical leaders of tomorrow—professionals capable of rebuilding our homeland with skill, vision, and integrity.

To ensure widespread accessibility, all of our published textbooks are provided completely free of charge to Afghan universities, public libraries, and professional institutions, as well as being made available online. This long-term vision aims to build a comprehensive library of engineering knowledge in Afghanistan’s national languages, making world-class technical education accessible to every student, regardless of their geography or background.

Milestone Translation Projects

Our dedicated members have worked tirelessly to translate and publish some of the most authoritative and widely adopted engineering textbooks worldwide. Notable achievements in our translation catalog include:

• Structural Analysis: Co-authored and translated into Pashto by SAE members Prof. Hafizullah Wardak and Dr. Zarjon Baha, this monumental work was published in three volumes in 2020. To ensure the text was accessible and engaging, our authors utilized a simple, daily spoken Pashto dialect, incorporated color pictures and figures, and ensured the pages were not overcrowded with unnecessary verbiage. It is now widely used as a standard teaching and reference text across Afghan universities.
• Mechanics of Materials: After securing official translation rights from Pearson Education—a rigorous process that took two years—this highly respected textbook by R.C. Hibbeler was successfully translated into Pashto and published in two volumes in 2023.
• Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics (15th Edition): Completed efficiently in under two years, this comprehensive Pashto edition by R.C. Hibbeler comprises over 1,160 pages. The text covers critical topics such as Kinematics, Kinetics, Energy Methods, Rigid-Body Motion, and Vibrations. It maintains rigorous technical accuracy—including diagrams, equations, and examples—while enhancing linguistic clarity and comprehension for Afghan students.
• Engineering Mechanics: Statics: This translation is currently in progress and is scheduled for completion in 2026. Once finished, Afghan students will have access to the complete Engineering Mechanics sequence in Pashto, representing a historic first in our nation’s academic landscape.
• Surveying Textbooks: We also proudly acknowledge the foundational work of earlier members, such as the Dari surveying textbooks co-authored by Ustad Abdul Azim Bahrami and Dr. A. Wahed Hassani, which have been extensively used as technical guides and standard textbooks in various universities in Afghanistan.

Investing in Minds, Building the Nation

Textbooks like Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics and Structural Analysis serve as instruments of national transformation, bridging science and society to turn knowledge into nation-building. By granting Afghan students access to high-quality technical materials in their native languages, we help them learn to think independently, question critically, and innovate creatively.

A nation that cultivates its own engineers builds its own roads, designs its own infrastructure, manages its own energy, and safeguards its own environment. Through education and engineering, we believe Afghanistan will rise again—stronger, wiser, and entirely self-reliant.