SAE Newsletter – January 2016, Volume 6, Issue 1, Jadi 1394

P.O. Box 11097, Alexandria, Virginia 2231220
http://www.afghan-engineers.org/index.html

Dear Colleagues:

It is a pleasure to provide you the first issue of the 2016 SAE eNewsletter (newsletter). This is the sixth year of the quarterly update from the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE). The comments and suggestions from the newsletter readers indicate that they found the newsletter informative. They have urged us to continue this publication.

This issue of the SAE eNewsletter (newsletter) features information about the SAE Seminar and General Assembly meeting, which will be held on January 16, 2016. There is an article by Ustad Hafiz Wardak, entitled, A Blueprint to Economic Progress and Stability in Afghanistan.

The newsletter also includes an interview with Mr. Qasem Kadir Innovative & Management Leader.

We are looking forward to the receipt of your technical news, articles, comments, suggestions, questions, and opinions about SAE and this publication.

On behalf of the Editorial Board members of the SAE eNewsletter I am wishing you and your families a Happy New Year 2016. We are looking forward to the prosperity and peace in Afghanistan and the entire world.

Very Truly Yours,
G. Mujtaba, MS- CE, P.E., CPM;
Editor- In- Chief, SAE eNewsletter

“This issue of the SAE eNewsletter (newsletter) features an article by Ustad Hafiz Wardak, entitled ‘A Blue Print to Economic Progress and Stability in Afghanistan’.”

Inside This Issue

• Greetings from SAE President
• Message from the Chairperson, SAE Board of Directors
• Comments about SAE eNewsletter
• The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) Annual General Assembly and Seminar
• Seminar and Annual General Assembly Meeting Agenda
• A Blueprint to Economic Progress and Stability in Afghanistan
• Interview with Mr. M. Qasem Kadir, Innovative & Management Leader
• Membership News
• Membership Renewal 2015
• The SAE Organization

Greetings from the SAE President

Dear SAE Colleagues Salaam:

Happy New Year 2016, I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Since my last quarterly report, the Executive Committee has been meeting regularly to discuss issues of interest and prepare for the upcoming Annual General Assembly meeting, which will held on Saturday January 16, 2016. To take advantage of this membership gathering, the Executive Committee with the support of the Board of Directors has decided to host a seminar focused on the topic “Kabul City: traffic problems, challenges, and solutions”.

The proposed seminar will be divided into two sessions. The morning session will focus mostly on transportation and traffic issues and the afternoon session will deal with building construction, codes, and code implementation. The second part of the afternoon will be allocated for the SAE General Assembly. During this session the Society activity reports will be presented to the members.

As I noted in my previous report, SAE’s delegation was preparing for a trip to Afghanistan by the invitation of the H.E. Sayed Sadat Naderi, Minister of Urban Development. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the SAE delegation decided to postpone the trip to a later date and more suitable time. We hope this trip will take place in the spring of 2016.

Currently, the Executive Committee is preparing for our upcoming Annual Meeting and Seminar. The General Assembly Meeting and Seminar will be held from 10AM – 5PM at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday January 16, 2016.

I hope every member will be able to attend this important seminar and participate on other important SAE activities.

I look forward to seeing you at the General Assembly meeting or hear your voice by teleconference on January 16.

Sincerely,
President, the Society of Afghan Engineers

Message from the Chairperson, SAE Board of Directors

Dear SAE Members and Readers of the newsletter:

As the year 2015 comes to a close, we have every reason to look forward to a successful and prosperous 2016, particularly in advancing the goals and vision of our Society. It is my prayer that every person will experience peace, harmony, and health not only in Afghanistan, but throughout the world as well.

Reflecting on our achievement last year, I can confidently say that we have made efforts towards SAE goals. We held regular meetings, followed-up on the proposals made by the Executive Committee, and made decisions on various issues, including:

1. Review of annual budget:
2. The modification of the SAE By-Laws, which are now posted on the SAE website and made available to all Members; and
3. The proposed SAE Delegation trip to Kabul to meet with key ministers. Unfortunately, the trip has not materialized yet and it is my hope that we make this critical trip to happen in 2016.

In our last two meetings, we discussed the upcoming SAE Annual General Assembly Conference to be held here in Washington, DC area on January 16, 2016 and we are all looking forward to participating. It was decided that the Conference be held in a seminar type of setting and presentations will be made on critical topics related to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

In the coming year, I am hopeful to increase our Membership numbers and develop SAE to a higher level and advance SAE goals and vision.

Very truly yours,

Sohaila Sanie Shekib,
Chairperson, Board of Directors
The Society of Afghan Engineers

Comments and Suggestions

We have received a comment regarding the SAE eNewsletter from Dean James McDonough, one of our former professor and colleague at the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University. He was a member of the United States Engineering Team (USET) that had affiliation with Kabul University.

Dr. McDonough was teaching civil engineering courses and trained many Afghan engineers. Dr. McDonough was serving as a professor of Civil Engineering Department of the University of Cincinnati. The Editor-in-Chief was one of his students at the University of Cincinnati in 1971-1972. He has also served as Dean of an Engineering College.

Dr. McDonough is held in high regards by his students and colleagues in Afghanistan and Cincinnati. He has sponsored and helped a few Afghan refugee families during their immigrations and resettlement in USA.

Dr. McDonough was also teaching football in Kabul. His students were calling him Coach McDonough. It is an honor and pleasure to receive the following email from a respected scholar regarding the October 2015 issue of the newsletter.

Ghulam,

Thank you very much for sharing this very well written and informative newsletter. I enjoyed reading it.

Coach

Response to Dr. McDonough’s comment:

Dear Coach,

It is a pleasure and privilege to read your email and to know that you are in good health and spirit.

We are fine. The Society of Afghan Engineers publish quarterly newsletter. Dr. Hassani and Professor Khalid, the Editorial Board members of the SAE eNewsletter are also your former students. Both of them are graduates and former professors of the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University.

As you have read the October 2015 issue of the newsletter, we publish technical news, articles, and interviews with our leaders, professors, and respected scholars. In one of the past issue of the newsletter we had an interview with Dr. Gibson, Chief of Nebraska University Team in Afghanistan.

Please advise if you have time to write a technical article or would accept our request for interview in the future issues of the newsletter.

Best regards,

Ghulam Mujtaba

The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) Annual General Assembly and Seminar

The annual General Assembly and Seminar of the Society of Afghan Engineers will be held on January 16, 2016. The following is the SAE President’s message related to Seminar and Annual General Assembly:

Dear SAE Colleagues:

The Society of Engineers will hold a seminar on the Kabul City traffic problems and solutions. After the seminar the Society members will meet to report their 2015 activities. I am looking forward to your active participation either in person or via teleconference. The Seminar poster and agenda are included in this issue of the newsletter.

The Seminar is mainly focused on the engineering and environmental related issues of Afghanistan, especially Kabul City. The presenters and panelists are highly qualified professionals. Our end goal is to provide practical and manageable solutions to immediate and long-term technical problems of Afghanistan.

Although the seating is limited at the seminar, there are still seats available for the members of the Society. If you are available and would like to attend, please reply to this invitation by email: info@afghanengineers.org or phone at 703-407-2600 as soon as possible.

I look forward to see you during Seminar and General Assembly. For members that are participating by virtual meeting can call the phone number (712) 775-7000 Code No. 388028 #.

Sincerely,

Atiq Panjshiri, President
The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE)
6121 Lincolnia Road, Suite 100A
Alexandria, Virginia 22312
Tel: 703-407-2600
Fax:703-916-1799
www.afghanengineers.org

Seminar and Annual General Assembly Meeting Agenda

January 16, 2016
9AM – 5 PM

George Mason University
Johnson Center, Room A3
4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030
Teleconference Number: (712) -775-7000 Code No. 388028 #

Seminar Agenda

Master of Ceremonies: Atiq Panjshiri, SAE President

• 09:00 – 09:45 AM: Registration & Breakfast (continental)
• 09:45 – 10:00 AM: Members Online Connection
• 10:00 – 10:20 AM: Welcoming & Plenary Remarks
  • Acknowledgements and Introduction of SAE Board of Directors & the Executive Committee
  • Recitation of Holy Quran
  • Introduction, Atiq Panjshiri, SAE President
  • Acknowledgement, Sohaila S. Shekib, Chairperson of the Board of Directors
• 10:20 – 10:45 AM: Opening Keynote Speech
  • Dr. Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan Ambassador in Washington DC (invited)
• 10:45 – 11:45 AM: Urban Transportation System & Environmental Impact
  • Kabul City Traffic Problems, Challenges & Solutions (Eng. Atiq Panjshiri)
  • Presentations:
    • Kabul City City, Drainage problems (Eng. Amanullah Mommandi)
    • Roads Design, Intersection Improvement (Eng. Nazeer Babacarkhail)
• 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Q & A and Panel Discussions
• 12:30-1:30 PM: Lunch Break
• 01:30 – 2:00 PM: Afghanistan Drought Index (Dr. Saleh M. Keshawarz)
  • Q & A
• 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Afghanistan Engineering Codes (Eng. Yar M. Taraki)
  • Q&A
• 3:00 – 3:30 PM: Disaster Risk Management & Early Warning
  • Avalanche Mitigation (Eng. Amanullah Mommandi)
  • Q&A
• 3:30 – 3:45 PM: Wrap-Up and Concluding Remarks/SAE Recommendations to Afghan Government
• 3:45 – 4:00 PM: Break
• 4:00 – 5:00 PM: SAE General Assembly and 2015 Annual Activity Reports
  • Appreciation Certificates
  • Sohaila Shekib, Chairperson SAE
  • Atiq Panjshiri, President SAE
• 5:00 PM: Adjournment of the General Assembly meeting

A Blueprint to Economic Progress and Stability in Afghanistan

By: Hafizullah Wardak, PE

Role of Engineering, Science, and Technology (EST) is the key to creating continuous and persistent economic progress, stability, and prosperity in Afghanistan. Education and training are essential steps for the realization of EST, and a foundation for progressive economic infrastructure in the country. Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, and India are prime examples where education and EST advanced their societies to the current hub of high technology, engineering manpower, and prosperity. I was training a team of engineers from overseas. They were telling me that many major high tech companies from western countries have offices and employees in their countries. This indicates that there is abundance of high paying jobs in their countries.

The development of engineering, science, and technology infrastructures in Afghanistan needs a genuine strategic direction and transparent national policy. This policy and strategic direction embodied with EST can spearhead vibrant social and economic environments. These activities are considered core to the progress, high level employment, and industrial growth; and ultimately could propel Afghan society to the stability, higher earning, rising economic productivity, and self-reliance.

The following are a few items which require serious considerations:

1. Downpours of Dollars

During the past 15 years downpours of dollars (measured in hundreds of billions) flooded the landscape of Afghanistan. Due to the lack of a transparent and genuine EST policy, the dollar downpours were mainly wasted. With all the money that was poured, the majority of the infrastructures of the country are still in deterioration, collapse, and unstable condition.

The country is currently experiencing a high level of unemployment, especially among the youth and recently graduated group. This condition has caused migration of educated cadre and young citizens to western countries that has reached unrecorded level. These types of migrations can be stopped and even reversed by providing training, economic incentive, and making job opportunities available to the people across the country. Latest media information estimates the Afghan illegal immigrants during the 10 months of 2015 at around 165,000 people or about 20% of total immigrant wave to Europe. It breaks my heart to see the very young, children and elderly go through unbearable travel conditions, and my eyes go in tears seeing bodies of children and young Afghans floating in ocean, or their dead bodies return to their families back home. Why is the Afghan society experiencing this torture? The question is always why and why! Also, it is unfortunate and sad seeing educated professional Afghan medical doctors, who have made it to the West, working at gas stations and pumping gas, work as cashier, or wash cars. Some of them work as taxi drivers.

2. Engineering Science and Technology Board (ESTB)

A paradigm shift in the government policies and direction is necessary; it must consider and utilize engineering, science, and technology at a higher priority with increased roles and responsibilities.

Unemployment is adding fuel to this imposed war. An Engineering, Science, and Technology Board (ESTB) to develop and oversee the execution of the strategic direction and national policy on a priority bases must be established. This Board to be effective should report directly to the President. Its members should be nonpartisan, technology leaders, experts with experience as technical leaders. The focus of its members should be the improvement and the wellbeing of the Afghan citizens.

The ESTB must oversee and lead to fruition in the following areas on a priority level. Each one of the listed areas will create much needed employments and economic growth. Government ministries will be responsible for the execution in their respective areas. The different areas in the order of priority are:

A. Education and Training
B. Water management
C. Power and Energy
D. Transportation
E. Communication
F. Agriculture
G. Health
H. Extraction of natural resources and establishments of the manufacturing base building factories, etc.

I remember one of my former professors at the Engineering Faculty of Kabul University, when I was a student, saying: “Afghanistan must keep and store every single drop of its fresh water and not let it go away as waste”. As oil has been, and will be for sometimes, the main source of wealth and prosperity in the Middle East; similarly the fresh water of Afghanistan is and will be a source of abundance wealth if managed properly. This could be accomplished provided that a genuine and transparent engineering, science, and technology policy are developed and properly executed. Otherwise, Afghanistan may deplete even its groundwater reservoirs. In the villages south of Kabul the water table is dropping drastically and the old Kariz system is almost drying up.

3. Education and Training

Education should be the top agenda item of the national ESTB policy. Engineering, science, and technology related training and mentoring of the labor force at every level should receive priority. Scientific and technical talent must receive recognition and nurtured both at private and public institutions and labor sectors. The well-being of scientist and engineers should be given a high priority and recognized with guaranteed rewards and compensations.

In order to improve existing work behavior and lay foundation for a long term success necessary for the development of a well-educated private and public sectors, both technical and nontechnical labor force must be provided continuous training.

Every employee regardless of their level of education should receive mandatory on the job training prior to the start of employment or during employment. The contents and duration (three days to a week is recommended) of training will depend on the type of project, government institutions, factory products or construction site in which the employee is working.

A well-educated workforce, at every level, is the key to economic success. The following three significant and interrelated areas for training are recommended:

a. On the job continuous training of laborer workforce –common craft laborer onsite capability improvement to create quality products
b. Continuous Learning – offered on the job training at existing engineering institutions both public and private sector (government institutions, private and public organizations, engineering/consulting, and or construction companies …etc). Stimulation of scientific education at both sectors leads to economic growth, more jobs, brings progress and raise productivity
c. Higher Educational Institutions- train future technical leaders, an important element for building engineering, science and technology infrastructure

I deliberately made “continuous training of laborer workforce” item # a. On the job continuous training of laborer and crafters has been sidelined or has received less attention; but it is an important part for executing engineering plan and design for building or producing quality products. A well-educated workforce at every level is the key to quality end products.

Well trained workers create stable future workforce and lead to overall family stability and wellbeing. It also builds a foundation for success both economic and quality. On the job short trainings are essential for the skill and trade improvements of the construction laborers and factory workers. The following are a few examples of the workforce training areas and topics; depending on the types of end products, factory setup, or construction type; which should be part of laborer and crafts workforce training:

a. Workplace ethics: The workers should learn the simple workplace ethics of the proper treatment of their co-workers, pride in producing quality work, and understanding that his/her work is important piece of the overall project.
b. Quality achievements: The workforce should learn the methods that will result in the achieving the required quality
c. Work place safety: The workforce should learn how to keep self and fellow employee from on the job injury. Identify hazardous areas and tools.
d. Improvements of the laborer/crafts skills: There are basic job related skills that the workers should learn. For example proper communication on the job site, blue print reading, proper use of tools, reading of the blueprints, and following of the instructions.
e. Daily meetings and required briefing: The additional daily 30 minutes to an hour of the preconstruction meetings and discussions should be provided prior to start of daily shift that cover important points of the scheduled tasks for the day. The workforce should be encouraged to take ownership of what he/she is working on.

The continued regular trainings increase the workforces’ technical skills, raise their moral, and develop pride and motivation in their performance. This form of adult education and on-the-job training is an opportunity and possibility for the workers to better themselves and fill few gaps in their experience.

I remember listening to several craft laborers who had worked with Helmand Valley Authority during the construction of the project. The employees were expressing their sense of fulfillments and considered themselves better educated than their village peers. They used to talk and discuss their learning experience regarding the proper placement of bricks, preparation of mortars, etc. They had some level of pride in what they had learned in that project.

4. Work Incentive:

Individual motivation and incentives play important role in adult desire for learning. Possible incentive to workers to complete projects on schedule, within the budget and desired quality should be considered part of the overall project plan. The following are few examples of employee incentive:

a. Provide lunch or equivalent for everyone when 25 % of the project work is complete on schedule and meeting set quality. Recognize those who have excelled and have completed all the mandatory trainings.
b. A half or one day of extra payment when 50 % of the project work has been completed on schedule and within the budget. Again recognize those who have excelled and performed well.
c. Provide lunch or equivalent for everyone when 75% of the project works are completed within the schedule and budget. Again recognize those who have excelled and performed well.
d. One or two days of extra day payment when 100 % of the project work is complete and meet schedule and budget. Recognize those who have excelled and performed well.

5. College and University Education:

The highest attention should be given to the engineering, science, and technology higher educational institutions. EST graduates are future leaders in their respective area of study. However it should be understood that once these graduates start their work they must be provided further training depending on their work place and work responsibly. When I started my first job at the Afghan Construction Company (part of the ministry of public works) the expectations were that since I was a US graduate, I must know everything, which was an inaccurate assumption. My stay at this place lasted only three months and I moved to the Faculty of Engineering Kabul University. These false assumptions exist even now. Residents in villages across the country have similar perception.

In general college level curriculum should emphasize the practical aspects of subjects, blending theory with practical problems to become more effective, especially in Afghanistan.

Engineering educational institutions, such is the Faculty of Engineering and Polytechnics should produce graduates who are able to apply their learning of science, math, and engineering to apply in engineering issues, conduct themselves professionally according to engineering ethics and code of conduct. They should understand their responsibilities for improving human life on this planet and especially in Afghanistan. The “Orientation” class that existed in the Faculty of Engineering curriculum was providing opportunities to students to explore various engineering fields, should continue as part of the curriculum. I recommend that engineering students from freshman to senior should be provided internship of few months (perhaps during school holiday period) at various ministries or large construction or factories every year.

When I was teaching structural analysis and concrete design at the Faculty of Engineering, an area that sparked students’ high interest was blend of theory, practical problems and projects, for example structural analysis and design: from developing engineering drawing to analysis, and observation at the construction site. My personal experience and observation revealed that Afghan students are very intelligent, eager to learn and capable to serve the society well.

Educational institutions should be kept non-partisan. Their involvements in the political parties and politics should be kept away. Once every one enters the compass politics should stay out of the gate. The selection and appointment of teaching staff should be based strictly on educational merit and their capability. No one should be permitted to join faculty staff based on the political party affiliation.

6. Large and Small Scale National Projects:

The areas A-H listed in section 2.0 will lead to creation of large and small scale national projects. ESTB should actively oversee the execution and monitor Master Schedule for each project.

For each one of these national projects Master Project Schedule should be developed, where their start and finish, as well as major milestone should be identified. A tracking system by which ESTB monitor, and see the progress and quality of work on scheduled milestone must get in place. ESTB should be able to launch a Deep Dive on any area as they see its need.

A new project should receive careful prime contract selection. The following steps should become part of the process:

a. Subject Matter Expert (SME) should be invited to review the technical aspect of the project and set milestones for further review and identify possible shortcomings and gaps.
b. Engineering and architectural work of any small or large project should be given to local Afghan companies. There is a need to start a base. No doubt that mistakes will be made, but overall local technical workforce should receive selection priority.
c. Engineering & architectural work should not move out of Afghanistan, if a foreign company does get a contract for a large project, 80-90 % of the technical work should be done inside the country. The foreign contractors should employ local architects and engineers.
d. Preliminary Design Review (PDR). This step is very important for the overall cost, schedule, and technical acceptability of the project. Example-In a major engineering firm where an engineer had missed one decimal in the value of modulus of elasticity of concrete, correction of that error had increased the cost the project more than 20 million dollars.
e. Final Design Review. The step is similar to PDR and very important for the overall cost, schedule, and technical acceptability of the project
f. Project should be awarded to one Prime that will be responsible for completion of the entire project.
g. Project should not go through a chain of contract subcontracts and subcontracts. The current practice from hand to hand and contract chains should cease.
h. Review should be conducted at several set milestones to make sure the project is progressing per schedule.

With the implementation and execution of these various area projects (A-H of section 2.) well-paying jobs will become available across Afghanistan. This will lead to continuous and persistent economic progress, vibrant social and economic environments, prosperity, stability across the country, and end to the current senseless and unfortunate state of economic stagnation.

About the Author:
Mr. Hafizullah (Hafiz) Wardak is the former professor of Kabul University and serves as a current member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Afghan Engineers.

He has received his BS degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawaii, Honolulu Hawaii and MS degree in Civil (Structural) Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He has completed all required course work for PhD (Fracture Mechanics) at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama.

Professor Wardak has been working with Boeing Aerospace Company as Full Scale Fatigue Test Director and lead engineer for the past 29 years. He has also worked with Sargent & Lundy- Chicago, Illinois, for 6 years as senior engineer, member of the Structural Specialist Organization. He has worked on structural analysis of several nuclear power plants.

In Afghanistan he worked at the Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University, for six (6) years as professor of the civil engineering department, and deputy-chairman of the Afghan Seismological Center.

Interview with Mr. M. Qasem Kadir, Innovative & Management Leader

By: Ghulam Mujtaba, PE, CPM

Mr. M. Qasem Kadir is the former SAE President and Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is currently working as Director of Information Technology at DeVry University Pomona Metro, supporting three DeVry University locations at the Pomona, Colton and Palmdale locations. Mr. Kadir has also served as National Information Technology (IT) Director for the West Coast and was responsible for overall leadership and technology-directions for twenty six DeVry University locations.

He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Aachen Technical University, Aachen, Germany and his Master of Information System Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, DeVry University, Pomona, California. He is currently attending his MBA with a concentration in Information Security. He is also enrolled in Cisco Academy Certified Instructor Program. As Adjunct Professor he thought graduate Level courses at Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University.

He currently resides in Riverside, California with his wife, and his two daughters. He enjoys Soccer and he is an American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) certified coach.

The author has known Mr. Kadir as a professional colleague for many years. The Editorial Board members of the SAE eNewsletter have held interviews with industry leaders, scholars, and managers so that the readers of the newsletter benefit from their expertise and follow them as their role models. In this issue of the newsletter, the Editor-in–Chief of the newsletter had privilege of having a brief interview with his colleague and friend, Professor Kadir, an innovative and management leader.

The following are the interview questions/discussions (Q) and Professor Kadir’s responses (R):

(Q) You are considered an innovative technology and management leader. Please describe your past and present activities in the implementation of technology and information systems, especially your roles in leadership, management, and creative technology.

(R) The Information Technology world has drastically changed in the past 20 years. The rich content and the ease of access of the Internet made IT an integral part of social, educational, and economical community. Internet brought people together; distances disappeared, and connected the world as one large community.

Due to active professional life in the Information Technology field for the past 20 years, I have not been immune to these changes. I enjoyed the changes and struggled from time to time with the challenges that were brought into my professional life by these changes.
I learned to embrace the change and adopt the new reality over and over. As a leader, I had to focus on Technology as contributor to the success of the organization versus a cost factor.

(Q) You have been working for many years with DeVry University and in Pomona Metro. Please provide us your roles and responsibilities with this University.

(R) I joined DeVry University in 1997 as manager of the IT laboratories and was promoted to the IT leadership 2 years later. During my tenure at DeVry University I assumed different responsibilities and leadership positions within the IT organization. I served as Director of IT, Dean of IT, and Regional Director of IT within the IT Organization.

(Q) You have been in the leadership role for many years and would be beneficial for job seekers to know about the importance of leadership skills. At this time most companies are looking for people with leadership potential even when hiring for entry level positions, not for management position.

(R) Leadership skills are often as important as technological ability in the IT field. Information Technology leaders are often sitting on the same table as other stake holders within organization. A good leader connects with his/her people and offers them guidance and technology vision moving forward. The leader empowers and motivates the team. I have always enjoyed working with self-starter, fast learner, initiator and team members who were not afraid of change and who embraced the change as new opportunity. IT jobs are changing and will continuously change and must be prepared to update his/her knowledge as he/she grows in this field.

(Q) In any institute there might be some employees who do not work or report directly to a leader. The leader wants to lead the employees of other departments and get their cooperation. How should the leader motivate the employees of the other departments so that they work with him/her by gaining their cooperation?

(R) As a leader it is always important to empower the team and motivate them to become self- achiever. A leader makes sure those team members are part of the decision making process and accept the ownership for their part. He/She explains to them the organizational benefits for the ideas and plans. Explains to them how their cooperation will benefit their personal career’s goal in long run.

(Q) You have served as Dean of Information Technology. As an expert in this field, please provide us with brief information regarding each social Medias and how can we benefit from their uses in the development activities of our careers?

(R) Social Medias and Online available resources are enormous resources for personal, business and professional development. Nowadays, people use social media platforms for reading news and then share with others. Social medias like LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Twitter etc. allow you to show off your talent and professional skills publicly which will definitely lead to professional development. I am amused to read, how social media is important for professional development in modern world.
Because of social media availability learners are no longer limited to face-to-face interactions, thanks to a range of technology-driven environments that facilitate international networking and sharing.

Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Face book and other social media platforms have the potential to amplify access to resources that fuel personal and professional development in ways never before possible. They create international settings for new collaborations, conversations and even career opportunities. Spaces such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ offer instant opportunities to follow and learn from authors, educators, opinion leaders and professional icons that not only share information and resources but frequently initiate and invite direct engagement. Simply following people who would otherwise only be names in textbooks or journal articles is one legitimate way to be in these spaces.

Social media-based platforms provide access to professional organizations and resources of value to adult students and career changers. Some of that access may be to member-only spaces for information sharing. Others are public, giving anyone interested in the organization and its work, access to resources and information.

Online communities created in these social media spaces provide opportunities to share resources, spark questions that expand collective learning and make connections that sometimes lead to employment offers, consulting requests and collaboration opportunities. These communities can create new, rich spaces for learning and interacting.

(Q) There are computer scammers that they use scam tactics to coerce laptop and pc owners into giving out information or letting scammers on their computers. Sometimes they call and introduce themselves that they are HP technician and want to help. They indicate that the hackers have penetrated the computer’s firewall and want the owners to get in front of their computer to facilitate their help. Please provide information that how to prevent these types of computer scams.

(R) This is a very good question and it impacts every user to a certain degree. Before I describe some attacks and the tools used to conduct these attacks, I would advise and recommend every one the followings:
1 – Do not accept any type of downloads or support from internet unless you have initiated the communication.
2 – Do not open any email’s attachment from strangers.

The below described article and information are collected from the internet, by utilizing google search engine and the information is widely available on the internet and I am not the author of these contents. (Thanks to Online Search Engine Google)

Malware is a catch-all term for various malicious softwares, including viruses, adware, spyware, browser hijacking software, and fake security software.

Once installed on your computer, these programs can seriously affect your privacy and your computer’s security. For example, malware is known for relaying personal information to advertisers and other third parties without user consent. Some programs are also known for containing worms and viruses that cause a great deal of computer damage. There are many different types of Malware described below:

• Viruses which are the most commonly-known form of malware and potentially the most destructive. They can do anything from erasing the data on your computer to hijacking your computer to attack other systems, send spam, or host and share illegal content.
• Spyware collects your personal information and passes it on to interested third parties without your knowledge or consent. Spyware is also known for installing Trojan viruses.
• Adware displays pop-up advertisements when you are online.
• Fake security software poses as legitimate software to trick you into opening your system to further infection, providing personal information, or paying for unnecessary or even damaging “clean ups”.
• Browser hijacking software changes your browser settings (such as your home page and toolbars), displays pop-up ads and creates new desktop shortcuts. It can also relay your personal preferences to interested third parties. Below, please read some facts about the Malware in general:

Malware is very difficult to remove.
Malware programs can seldom be uninstalled by conventional means. In addition, they ‘hide’ in unexpected places on your computer (e.g., hidden folders or system files), making their removal complicated and time-consuming. In some cases, you may have to re-install your operating system to get rid of the infection completely.

Malware threatens your privacy.
Malware programs are known for gathering personal information and relaying it to advertisers and other third parties. The information most typically collected includes your browsing and shopping habits, your computer’s IP address, or your identification information.

Malware threatens your computer’s security.
Some types of malware contain files commonly identified as Trojan viruses. Others leave your computer vulnerable to viruses. Regardless of type, malware is notorious for being at the root, whether directly or indirectly. Some of virus infection, causing conflicts with legitimate software and compromising the security of any operating system, Windows or Macintosh.

Once malware is in your computer, it can do many things. Sometimes it’s only trying to replicate itself with no harm to anyone, other times it’s capable of doing very nasty things. Some common types of malware are described below:

1. Adware – not truly malware and almost never delivered using one of the methods above. Adware is software that uses some form of advertising delivery system. Sometimes the way that advertisements are delivered can be deceptive in that they track or reveal more information about you than you would like. Most of the time, you agree to the adware tracking you when you install the software that it comes with. Generally, it can be removed by uninstalling the software it was attached to.
2. Spyware – software that monitors your computer and reveals collected information to an interested party. This can be benign when it tracks what web pages you visit; or it can be incredibly invasive when it monitors everything you do with your mouse and keyboard.
3. Ransomware – lately a very popular way for Internet criminals to make money. This malware alters your system in such a way that you’re unable to get into it normally. It will then display some kind of screen that demands some form of payment to have the computer unlocked. Access to your computer is literally ransomed by the cyber-criminal.
4. Scareware – software that appears to be something legit (usually masquerading as some tool to help fix your computer) but when it runs it tells you that your system is either infected or broken in some way. This message is generally delivered in a manner that is meant to frighten you into doing something. The software claims to be able to fix your problems if you pay them. Scareware is also referred to as “rogue” software – like rogue antivirus.

Some malware get into your computer and appear to do nothing at all. Such malware may have no obvious symptoms, but it has infected your computer along with a group of other computers, forming what is called a “botnet”. This botnet can be directed by an Internet criminal to do any number of things including spam delivery and attacking Internet sites. Internet criminals don’t want to do anything direct that may be tracked back to them, so they employ botnets to do their dirty work for them.

Sometimes you’ll hear the term “rootkit” or “bootkit” used to describe a certain type of malware. Generally, this refers to methods that the malware uses to hide itself deep inside the inner workings of Windows so as to avoid detection.

You can mix and match these terms to describe just about any modern malware. Something like Tidserv/Alureon uses drive-by download to get into your system. Once it’s in, it creates a bootkit so it starts before Windows even starts, and it creates a worm-like application that uses rootkit techniques to hide itself. Once it all starts up, it can act like spyware or it can hijack many Windows functions to do just about everything from putting advertising popups on your system to allowing someone to take remote control of your system. Drive-by-download’ attacks occur when a visitor navigates to a site that injects malware onto the victim’s PC. Crucially, these attacks are usually downloaded and run in the background in a manner that is invisible to the user – and without the user taking any conscious ‘action steps’ to initiate the attack. Just the act of viewing a web-page that harbors this malicious code is enough for the attack to run.

For maximum protection, make sure your PC is protected with security software that can protect you against malware.

(Q) You have received your B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Aachen Technical University, Aachen, Germany. We assume that the medium of instructions in Aachen Technical University is German language. Did you learn German language in Afghanistan or Germany?

(R) When I immigrated to Germany, I learned the German language before I could start with my education at the University.

(Q) Where did you complete your high school and elementary education and when did you emigrate from Afghanistan to Germany and from Germany to USA?

(R) I have graduated from the Habibia High School in Kabul and immigrated to Germany in 1980. I have relocated to USA in 1994

(Q) It is impressive that you have been working full time to support the family in the United Sates and managed to receive your Master of Information System Management from Keller Graduate School of Management DeVry University, Pomona, California and currently taking courses to get another master degree in business administration. You are also enrolled in Cisco Academy Certified Instructor Program. Please explain to the readers how were you able to manage your time in obtaining such higher educations.

(R) It is over 20 years that I am involved in the Higher Education Industry, as IT Professional, as Educator and as student. It became my second nature. As I mentioned before, social media, and online education opens new paths for personal and professional development. Video Conferencing-Technologies utilized in virtual classrooms, make the online classroom’s environment very content rich and yet available to you from the comfort of your home and available 24/7 any time. I learned to manage my time and enjoyed the affiliation with the university, which offered the opportunity to advance my education at my own speed. Further being involved in IT leadership and enjoy teaching required me to keep up with the changing world of IT.

(Q) You are an adjunct professor at Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University. What courses do you teach?

(R) I have taught Information technology course at both graduate and under graduate level.

(Q) During your career services you have been serving as Metro IT Director, Pomona Metro; and other agencies besides School of Management of DeVry University. Please briefly discuss the types of work that you perform or have performed with Pomona and your other educational institutions in the United States.

(R) During my service at DeVry University, in different IT leadership position, I have built and directed the organization’s technology operations, organized functions, built and coached staffs, established effective operational procedures to ensure smooth transitions. I have designed and implemented technology initiatives in support of business goals and objectives. I am involved in leading, coaching, recruiting, developing and organizing the IT staff in accordance to the business guidelines.

(Q) You have won a few awards from DeVry University. Please tell us the number and types of awards that you have won.

(R) I have won the President’s Excellence award for my achievement in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003. This award was giving to those colleagues who continuously accomplished outstanding achievements during that year.
PRIDE (Professional Recognition of Integrity, Dedication and Excellence) is the highest prestigious award of the DeVry University. I have won the DeVry University PRIDE award for my accomplishment in the year 2005.

(Q) You have served as the member of the Society of Afghan Engineers and also have served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors. During your work as President and Chairman please provides us highlights of the Society activities and successes.

(R) I have joined the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) in 1995, and supported the Southern California Chapter of SAE from 1996 until present time.
I was nominated as Vice President of the Society of Afghan Engineers from 2002 to 2004. During this period SAE accomplished the following achievements:

• Actively organized and supported the first volunteer capacity building program with assistance of Afghan Assistance Coordination Authority (AACA)
• 2002: SAE organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Habitat for Humanity and the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers organized the first International Conference in Kabul, titled “National Urban Visions and the Future of Kabul City”.
• 2003: I served as the Chairperson of the SAE organized conference at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, USA titled “Empowerment of Afghan Professionals”. This conference was attended by Afghan Scholars from all over the world. The Conference was attended by many government leadership team from Afghanistan. The Minister of Higher Education, Minister of Public Affair, Vice-Minister of Water and Power, Minister of Afghan Diasporas, Economic Advisor to Afghan President and Permanent Ambassador to United Nations were among guest from Afghanistan.
• 2004: I served as Chairperson of the SAE organized conference at U.C. Berkeley, California, titled, “Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Development in Afghanistan“. This conference was attended by Afghan scholars in the USA, and members of the Afghan governments from Kabul.

I served as elected President of the Society of Afghan Engineers from 2004 to 2009.
During this period SAE accomplished the following achievements:

• 2005: Served as Chairperson of SAE / SAAE organized conference at Kabul University titled, “The Role of the Private Sector in the Reconstruction and Development of Afghanistan”. This conference was inaugurated by the office of the Afghan President and many cabinet members had attended the conference.
• 2007 – 2008: SAE jointly with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) have been awarded a capacity building contract. The ASCE is the prime contractor of this training contract. Twelve SAE members and five Kabul University staff were involved in this training program. The prime object was to start a program hosted by Kabul University for the enhancement and creation of private sector engineering consulting capability in Afghanistan in all engineering disciplines titled, “Enhancing The Private Sector Engineering Consulting Capability In Afghanistan ( USTDA / ASCE / SAE / KU )”.

I have served as member of the Board of Directors from 2009 to 2011 and as elected Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015.

(Q) The main reason for establishment of the SAE was to help in rebuilding activities of our beloved country. Since the inception of the Society fortunately the education and reconstruction activities of the country have relatively improved. More infrastructures have been built. The students have been sent to abroad for their graduate studies and the numbers of universities in the Country have increased. The architects and engineers have access to the current design and construction standards through internet. Please let us know if you think that the goals of the Society should be reviewed and modified to better serve the country and Afghan communities abroad.

(R) Since SAE is a non-political organization and this position have served us well in the past years through different political powers in the Afghan political stages. I recommend that we should continue this path and stay away from political involvement. We must continue our support for the reconstruction and rebuild of Afghanistan when the advices are requested. SAE is better advised to continue the support of Afghanistan Professional community in a Professional Advisory Role and support the Capacity Building in all professional fields that the members of SAE can contribute to.

(Q) Please let us know if you have any message for the readers of the newsletter, especially for the students in Afghanistan and Afghan Communities in abroad who are interested to pursue their education in the field of information technology.

(R) As I mentioned before, Internet opens up opportunities for personal and professional development, offers access to online education without any geographical boundaries and grant access to most of the online courses’ material at no cost.
I encourage all colleagues to take advantage of this golden opportunity, created by Internet, for their personal and professional development. Utilize this great gift of our time to advance their education and to enhance their skill level in any major and field that they desire.
I strongly recommend students in Afghanistan to focus on their education and utilize Online Education as an opportunity to achieve the Degree they desire.
Information technology field is like all other fields, challenging and rewarding. Joining information technology field is rewarding because technology changes are imminent and it is exciting to be involved in such empowering development. These forthcoming technology changes require continuous commitment to keep up with the change and update the knowledge level.
I would like to thank the SAE Newsletter editorial’s team for their tireless efforts in publishing this great newsletter and for giving me the opportunity to express my personal view in different topics.

(Q) I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation to have an interview with editor of the newsletter. You provided invaluable educational information.

Membership News

Achievements and Awards

The newsletter will inform their readers of winners of awards or any other successes of Afghan professionals and students, especially, their Society members. You can help the SAE eNewsletter editors by providing the news of the achievements, award winners, promotions, retirement, and any other success stories.

“Advise us of success stories or achievements of the Society members and any Afghan professionals and students.”

Announcement:

The positions of the SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives are open. Please let us know if you are interested to volunteer for one of these positions or you want to nominate other qualified members to serve in these positions. The representative will inform the newsletter Editorial Bard of any technical news in their regions and contact authors for their contributions in the activities of newsletter. For additional information please send an email to SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board: Ghulam Mujtaba, E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net; A. Wahed Hassani, Email: awhassani@gmail.com; A. Manan Khalid, E- Mail: manank10@gmail.com

Membership Renewal 2015

Date	First Name	Last Name	Fee Paid	Donation	Total Payment
7/14/2014	William H.	Haight III	60	40	100
1/1/2015	Ahmad Farid	Haidari	60	0	60
1/1/2015	Homayon M.	Ibrahim	60	0	60
1/1/2015	Rafaat	Ludin	60	140	200
1/1/2015	Ashraf	Roshan	60	60	120
1/1/2015	Atiq	Panjshiri	60	0	60
1/12/2015	Hafizullah	Wardak	60	0	60
1/12/2015	Ghulam	Mujtaba	60	40	100
1/12/2015	Yacob	Munir	60	0	60
1/12/2015	Fahim	Panjshiri	60	0	60
1/12/2015	Steve	Rossi	60	60	120
11/22/2014	Gul Afghan	Saleh	60	0	60
1/24/2015	Abdul Nazeer	Babacarkhial	240		240
2/6/2015	Abdul Wahed	Hassani	60	0	60
2/12/2015	Abdul Manan	Khalid	60	0	60
3/6/2015	Mohammad S.	Keshawarz	120	0	120
3/6/2015	Abdul Saboor	Rahim	60	0	60
3/6/2015	Najim M.	Azadzoi	60	0	60
3/6/2015	Sayed F.	Abass	120	0	120
3/6/2015	Sohaila S.	Shekib	60	0	60
3/6/2015	Aziz	Ghani	60	0	60
3/6/2015	Mahjan	Saleh	60	0	60
3/27/2015	Sayed Aziz	Azimi	60	190	250
3/27/2015	Zarjan	Baha	60	40	100
4/1/2015	Mahmoud	Samizay	60	0	60
4/2/2015	Abdul	Chahim	60	0	60
4/11/2015	Aziz	Ghafoory	60	0	60
4/10/2015	Reza M.	Afshar	60	0	60
4/25/2015	Painda M.	Fakoor	60	0	60
4/25/2015	Sadeq A.	Ezzat	60	0	60
5/27/2015	Yar M.	Ebadi	120	0	120
08/2015	Zabi	Zaca	120	0	120

1-Mr. Babacarkhial has sent his membership fee for period of four years – Payment for 2014-2017.
2- Dr. Keshawarz and Dr. Yar M. Ebadi have sent their membership fees for 2 years.
3- Mr. Zabi Zaca sent membership fees for 2015 and 2016.

Thanks to members who have updated their membership renewal and have paid their annual membership fees. Also, the treasurer has received donation checks from a few members. Thanks for their generosity.

The SAE Organization

SAE Executive Committee Members:
* President: Atiq Panjshiri
* Vice President: Farid Abass
* Treasurer: Ashraf Roshan
* Secretary: Farid Haidari
* Manager: Gul Afghan Saleh

SAE Board of Directors-Officers:
* Chairperson: Sohaila Sanie Shekib
* Vice-Chairman: Najim Azadzoi
* Executive Director: Nazeer Babacarkhial

Members SAE Board of Directors:
Najim Azadzoi, Nazeer Babacarkhial, Wahid Enayat, Mohammad Saleh Keshawarz, Rafaat Ludin, Amanullah Mommandi, Saber Sarwary, Sohaila Sanie Shekib, and Hafizullah Wardak

SAE Past Presidents:
Ghulam Mujtaba, Abdul Hadi Rakin, M. Qasem Kadir, Abdul Hadi Rakin, Mohammed Hashim Rayek, Ahmad Wali Shairzay, Sohaila Sanie Shekib, and Malik Mortaza

SAE Local Chapter Coordinators:
* Najim Azadzoi – Massachusetts
* M. Qasem Kadir – Southern California
* A. Manan Khalid – New York and New Jersey
* Mohammad Mirwais – Kabul
* Amanullah Mommandi – Colorado Chapter Coordinator
* M. Qaseem Naimi – Toronto, Canada
* Atiq Panjshiri – Virginia and Washington DC

SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board:
* Editor–In–Chief: Ghulam Mujtaba, M.S, CE, P.E., CPM (E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net)
* Editorial Board Members:
* A. Wahed Hassani, Ph.D.,P.E. (Email: awhassani@gmail.com)
* A. Manan Khalid, M.S., P.E., LEED AP (E-Mail: manank10@gmail.com)

Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
The subscription to the SAE eNewsletter is free. If you are not receiving the SAE eNewsletter directly and would like to subscribe, please send a note to: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net with the subject “Subscribe: SAE eNewsletter”. To unsubscribe, send a note with the subject “Unsubscribe: SAE eNewsletter”.

Disclaimer:
The author, reporter, or agency of each publication, project, news, and products is included in this newsletter. Additional contact information of the authors and their agencies are available with the Editorial Board of the newsletter and may be provided upon request. The Editorial Board of the Society of Afghan Engineers, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, or any of its members is not liable for the accuracy or contents of the information. The reports and information are included as provided by the authors and agencies without any changes in the substance of the documents. The information about the agency products or services is not the SAE endorsement.