SAE Newsletter – January 2018, Volume 8, Issue 1, Jadi 1396

A QUARTERLY UPDATE FROM THE SOCIETY OF AFGHAN ENGINEERS

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the Editorial Board members of the SAE eNewsletter, I am wishing you and your families a Happy New Year 2018. We are looking forward to the prosperity and peace in Afghanistan and the entire world.

It is a pleasure to provide you the first issue of the 2018 SAE eNewsletter (newsletter). This is the eighth year of the quarterly update from the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) through the publication of this newsletter. Thanks for the technical articles, comments, suggestions, and news that you have sent for publication in this newsletter.

This issue of the SAE eNewsletter (newsletter) features news about the Society’s 2017 Annual Conference and the upcoming Annual General Assembly Teleconference, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2018.

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

Very Truly Yours,

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

“This issue of the SAE eNewsletter features news about the Society’s 2017 Annual Conference and the upcoming General Assembly Teleconference, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2018”

Inside This Issue

• Greetings from the SAE President
• Message from the Chairperson, SAE Board of Directors
• The Society of Afghan Engineers 2017 Annual Conference -Brief Report
• The SAE 2017 Annual Conference -Executive Summary
• The SAE 2018 General Assembly Teleconference
• Membership News
• A Brief Report on SAE Election 2017
• Announcements
• The Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in 2017
• Comments and Suggestions about SAE eNewsletter
• Obituary-Mohammad Ashraf Roshan
• The SAE Organization
• Membership Application

Greetings from the SAE President

Dear SAE Colleagues Salaam:

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2018.

Today marks the beginning of my second term as President of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE). It has been an honor and privilege of mine to serve as the President of this Society for the past three years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your trust in electing me to serve this wonderful professional organization for another three years as President.

I welcome and congratulate all new and re-elected nine members of the Board of Directors and thank them for their willingness to serve SAE. I am looking forward to working with you as we embark on a new journey of managing SAE for the next three years. I have had the privilege and honor of working together with a group of professional and dedicated members of the Board of Directors, whose two terms in office ended. I want to thank them for their services and support of the Society during their two terms.

In the last three months, the SAE Executive Committee was extremely busy providing assistance to the independent SAE election committee, but most of our focus was concentrated on hosting SAE’s Annual Conference 2017. The report and executive summary of the conference are included separately in this issue of the SAE eNewsletter. The Conference was well-attended, and SAE members from all over the United States actively participated. We were fortunate that USAID representatives as well as representatives from Afghanistan’s Embassy were among the participants of the conference.

Currently, the Executive Committee is preparing for our upcoming Annual Meeting scheduled for Saturday January 13, 2018. The General Assembly Meeting will be held by teleconference from 2PM – 4PM Eastern Time. I hope every member of the Society will be able to attend this important annual meeting. The meeting agenda is also included in this issue of the newsletter.

Over the past three years, our focus was mostly on exploring ways for the Society to actively participate in the developmental activities of our beloved homeland Afghanistan. We have had several constructive meetings with Afghan Government officials and provided them the opportunity to utilize the free professional services of our volunteer members. Over the next three years, I want to focus more on the internal capacity growth of the Society. There is need for involvement of our young Afghan Engineers as well as experienced members of the Society in the developmental activities of Afghanistan. As the president, I welcome the challenges and I am excited about the prospects of creating a stronger professional environment in cultivating ideas, innovation, and progress.

We need to build on the organization’s past success and continue to move forward. We must eliminate barriers to be effective and helpful. Your active participation in this process is critical. I call on all members to participate in one of SAE’s committees and become active with the day to day operations of the organization. I sincerely thank you for your willingness to participate in SAE’s activities and to help our beloved country Afghanistan prosper.

Sincerely,

Atiq Panjshiri, President
The Society of Afghan Engineers

Message from the Chairperson, SAE Board of Directors

Dear Colleagues,

It is with joy that I wish you a happy new year and a year full of peace, good health and achievements.

I would like to express my gratitude for the honor you have given me in re-electing me as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for another term and thank you all for your confidence in me.

As we look forward to the New Year and the new term ahead of us, I would like to convey my congratulations to Mr. Atiq Panjshiri for his re-election as the president of SAE for the next three years as well as the re-elected Members of the Board of Directors and to welcome the newly elected members of the Board of Directors. I greatly appreciated the team work and tireless efforts demonstrated by the out-going Board of Directors in facilitating the work of the Executive Committee for the smooth operations of SAE. It is my hope we will continue with the same spirit and enthusiasm during this term to achieve the goals and mission of SAE.

As we continue together in our quest to serve our beloved country, Afghanistan, we should strive to strengthen our relationship with the Afghan Government to ensure SAE ideas and recommendations are implemented in order to achieve sustainable development. Through this, I believe the benefits derived will serve our people for generations to come.

My goal for the next three years is to team up with the Executive committee to increase the capacity of the Society to be able to achieve the goals and mission to bring the Society to a higher level of recognition.

I maintain my vision to see the SAE at a higher level of operation and attaining recognition as a professional technical organization by the Afghan government and play a significant role in achieving development that is sustainable.

I look forward to the next three years for success in meeting our goals and mission.

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

The Society of Afghan Engineers 2017 Annual Conference – Brief Report

The Society of Afghan Engineers 2017 Annual Conference was held in Alexandria, Virginia on October 14, 2017. The following is a brief report of the conference.

The 2017 SAE Annual Conference Brief Report
“Afghanistan Sustainable Development”
By Sohaila Sanie Shekib

The Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) held its 2017 Annual Conference on, Saturday October 14, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Conference was held at the Dunya Banquet Hall located at 5951 Stevenson Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia.

The objective of the Conference was to initiate discussions on existing problems experienced in the areas of development in Afghanistan and their possible implementable and sustainable solutions.

The Conference was well-attended with approximately 60 participants including the US Afghan Embassy representative, Ms. Angiza Nasiree, Policy and Strategy Counsellor, and representatives from USAID Office for Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, Mr. Mark Schneider, Afghanistan Desk Officer and Mr. Thomas Bauhan, Senior engineer.

The Conference opened with the recital of select verses from the Holy Quran by Mr. Ahmad Muqhset Moqami. After the Quran recitation, the SAE Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Ms. Shekib gave the Opening Remarks and the Conference theme overview. Mr. Atiq Panjshiri, the SAE President briefly described the SAE Activities.

The Conference speakers presented their papers on various topics based on the theme of the Conference “Afghanistan Sustainable Development”. The agenda was strictly followed, except for two absent presenters, and the empty slots were filled by other presenters.

Ms Angiza Nasiree, the Afghan Embassy representative elaborated on the functions of the Afghan Embassy. She presented the Embassy’s message and willingness to liaise with SAE and convey their ideas and proposals to the Afghan Government.

The USAID representatives gave an overview of projects in Afghanistan and outlined the long-term development plan for Afghanistan’s reconstruction projects as well as their level of funding which provides the opportunity for planning and prioritization of the development process. The consideration of the sustainability and durability issues of the infrastructure during their design and construction were addressed. The following were the highlights of presentations:

The Conference deliberations highlighted the many aspects of Urban Development. Discussions were made about the factors that need to be taken into consideration during the process of Urban Planning and Urban Development in a sustainable manner to ensure the developed infrastructure lasts for the long-term. The following were among the highlights of presentations:

Mr. A. Manan Khalid presented a paper, entitled, “Urban Flooding & Flood Control Solutions”. In his presentation, he emphasized on the topic of Urbanization and its challenges including urban flooding and the measures that should be taken to control these challenges. He elaborated on the importance of preventing flood disasters in urban areas with sustainable solutions.

Dr. Saleh Mohammad Keshawarz presented his paper titled: Groundwater Exploration in Afghanistan using remote sensing and GIS and demonstrated the importance of tapping into groundwater as a natural resource in a sustainable way to ensure long-term availability.

At this juncture, time was made available for a panel discussion where Dr. Saleh Mohammad Keshawarz, Mr. Manan Khalid together with Mr. Mark Schneider, the USAID representative took questions from the audience. The presenters responded to the questions.

After the Lunch Break, Dr. Gul Afghan Saleh made his presentation on “Afghanistan Environment from an Engineering Perspective”. He discussed a few items including the lack of critical elements such as management policies and processes, uniform construction standards, systematic quality control and quality assurance programs, effective project management, staff training for technology adoption, operation and maintenance, and research to inform sound Architectural and Engineering best practices in a sustainable manner.

A Panel discussion was chaired by Ms. Shekib with four panel members:
* Mr. Manan Khalid spoke about the Urbanization of Kabul City;
* Dr. Mahmoud Samizay, spoke on Urban Planning/Development Process in Afghanistan;
* Mr. Humayoon Ibrahim, spoke on Urban Development Process in USA, and
* Dr. Gul Afghan Saleh, spoke on Urban Development Process worldwide.

The objective of the Panel discussion was to compare the Urban Development process in Afghanistan to the rest of the world. At the end, the Panel responded to the audience questions.

Overall, the Conference covered important areas of development and emphasized on the sustainability of investments in the development process. The Conference met its objectives in conveying the shared information to the Afghan government for implementation for the attainment of sustainable development.

Closing remarks were given by the president of SAE, Mr. Atiq Panjshiri.
The Conference was adjourned at 5:00 PM.

The SAE 2017 Annual Conference – Executive Summary

By Atiqullah Panjshiri

Summary

The following executive summary discusses the major challenges associated with urbanization and proposed solutions for Afghanistan’s sustainable development. These topics were discussed at SAE’s Annual Conference which was held on Saturday October 14, 2017.

Challenges to Afghanistan’s Sustainable Development

Urbanization

Urbanization is a process whereby populations move from rural to urban area, enabling cities and towns to grow. It can also be termed as the progressive increase of the number of people living in towns and cities. It is highly influenced by the notion that cities and towns have better economic, political, and social conditions compared to the rural areas.

Accordingly, urbanization is very common in developing and developed worlds as more and more people have the tendency of moving closer to towns and cities for privileged social and economic services as well as benefits. These include social and economic advantages such as better education, health care, sanitation, housing, business opportunities, and transportation. In countries savaged by decades of civil unrest, such as Afghanistan, security also becomes a deciding factor.

Urbanization could be very costly for countries coming out of civil wars such as Afghanistan. During decades of civil war, infrastructure throughout Afghanistan, especially in larger cities where they existed to some extent, were destroyed and Kabul took the brunt of that. Return of millions of refugees and rural population seeking security and welfare, made Kabul the main settling location. A city planned for 750,000 people became home to almost 6 million people. The city expanded out of bounds while the infrastructure remained a challenge.

This forced urbanization made Kabul City the 5th fastest growing city in the world, but with a huge price. Lack of basic housing, shortage of electricity, roads, sanitary systems, water, and drainage has created a havoc. Most housing has been built without any regard to zoning and permitting process, and as a result, the uncontrolled urbanization has become a huge liability. Among many other problems, urban flooding has become a major issue for larger cities, especially Kabul City. Uncontrolled construction, concrete sidewalks, concrete/asphalted roads, concrete ditches, paved parking lots, paved private residential front and back yards has drastically reduced the possibility of water to percolate into the ground, thereby reducing recharge and increasing surface runoff. Reduced recharge has caused the water table to keep on dropping and people digging deeper and deeper in search of clean water.

Proposed Solutions to the Urbanization Challenges

The following suggestions are presented to curb some of the noted problems of urbanization and reverse the trend of deteriorating living conditions in Kabul City.

Urban Flooding & Flood Control Solutions

When land is not developed, the runoff is approximately 10%. When development comes and land gets occupied by buildings, roads, sidewalks and other impervious surface, the surface runoff increases to 55% and the ground water recharge goes down from 25% to 5%. It is estimated that 70% residences in Kabul are illegal and built without any permit or proper approved construction Plan process, monitoring and construction inspection and/or enforcement of standards. Undeveloped land that is needed to absorb the rain and snow water has become scares, to the extent, that the Kabul River bed is being used for business and living.

To control the effect of urban flooding and to increase recharge, the City must adopt and promote the use of permeable pavers that easily allows water to be absorbed into the ground below. There are many other solutions, such as bio swales and drywells that can be used where feasible to control surface runoff and recharge ground water.

In recent years, “Modular Cell System” is being widely used in the developed countries. This system is made heavy duty plastic, is light weight, easy to assemble and no technical skills are needed for their installation. Due its modular nature, it can be designed to any needed capacity. It is designed for traffic load which makes it suitable for placement under driveways, parking lots, sidewalks and roadways. It is relatively less costly and light weight for easy transport. Its use is extremely practical in Kabul for commercial and residential uses. It can be buried in residential and commercial yards, under driveways, parking areas and roadways. It can be constructed both as a detention or retention system. The needed capacity and the number of units needed can easily calculated through the use simple hydrologic equations. If every house, commercial and institutional building retain/detain the water produced on their property through the use of this system, it would mostly solve the flooding problem of Kabul City.

Enforcement of Urban Development Process

Urban development is the planning and process by which metropolitan areas grow. The process involves both legal and technical compliance in area such as city planning, land use, planning permissions, environmental impact, transportation needs, sanitation, water and other land development utility needs.

Unfortunately, the urban development process in Afghanistan and particularly in Kabul has not been followed and enforced as in other countries. In order for Afghanistan to tackle its urbanization problems and protect local residents and the environment, the Afghan Government must develop its urban development policies formally through a transparent and legal process and enforce the legal and technical requirements for city planning and land use.

The Government must create a governing commission comprised of stakeholder members to lead the urban development process. Similar to other countries, the commission will be in charge of the overall planning and approval process. Once the land development has been approved in accordance with established zoning guidelines, the technical detailed plan review process will begin with each relevant agency weighing in. Then, once all stakeholders have been included, the plan will be slated for final approval and permit issuance. Finally, the plan will be monitored rigorously through routine construction inspection and observance of regulations, guidelines and standards by the developers.

An orderly land development process can only be successful if proper planning and enforcement of established regulations, guidelines and standards are applied equally to all applicants. Lack of an orderly process can lead to unruly urban sprawl that results in unequal living conditions and could force the poor into slums or other areas with substandard living conditions. Also, disorderly development could have a major negative impact on the environment and health.

The SAE 2018 General Assembly Teleconference

The SAE 2018 General Assembly Teleconference will be held from 2:00 -4:00 PM EST. The following is the teleconference agenda.

General Assembly Teleconference
Saturday, January 13, 2018
2:00 -4:00 PM EST (Washington DC.)
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Pacific Time (California)
Teleconference Phone Number: 1 (712) 775-7000
Code No. 388028#

AGENDA

TIME	PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION TOPIC	PRESENTER
2:00- 2:05	Membership introduction and roll call	Nazeer Babacarkhial
2:05- 2:30	Welcome statement and opening remarks	Atiq Panjshiri
2:30- 2:40	A message from the SAE Board of Directors	Sohaila Sanie
2:40- 3:00	Financial Report	Hashem Baluch/Atiq Panjshiri
3:00- 3:10	SAE eNewsletter	Ghulam Mujtaba
3:10- 3:15	The SAE 2014 Election Committee Report	Manan Khalid
3:15- 3:55	Discussions, Questions, and Answers	Atiq Panjshiri
3:55 -4:00	Closing Remarks	Atiq Panjshiri
4:00 PM	Teleconference Adjournment

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.”

A Brief Report on SAE Election 2017

In the October 2017 issue of the newsletter, the detailed SAE Election Committee’s report was published.

Mr. Atiq Panjshiri has been reelected by the Society members as the President of the Society. The biographies of the Vice President, Secretary, and Society manager will be included in April 2018 issue of the newsletter.

The elected members of the Board of Directors are: Farid Abass, Reza Afshar, Nazeer Babacarkhial, Rafaat Ludin, Gul Afghan Saleh, Mahmoud Samizay, Mohammad Saber Sarwary, Sohaila Sanie Shekib, and Hafizullah Wardak. The elected Board of Directors have reelected Mrs. Sohaila Sanie Shekib as their Chairperson. The biographies of the Vice- Chairperson and Executive Director will be included in April 2018 issue of the newsletter.

In accordance with the Society Bylaws, the Newley elected/appointed members will serve in their positions from January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2020.

Announcements

(1) The 2017 SAE Membership Renewal

Dear Members of the Society:

The Management of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) would like to remind all members that 2018 membership renewal and Annual fee of $60 are due. Your membership fee collectively would enable us to pay for some basic needed services of the Society such as Website security monitoring, updating and maintenance. Also, your membership fee would provide SAE’s management of the financial means to organize and host events and seminars on relevant technical topics. The membership renewal application can be downloaded from our website.

Please visit the SAE Face book when you get the opportunity.

We appreciate your kind attention to the membership due request.

Sincerely,
Atiq Panjshiri, President
The Society of Afghan Engineers

(2) SAE eNewsletter-regional Representatives

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 if you want to nominate other qualified members to serve in these positions. The representatives 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; and Hafizullah Wardak, Email: hwardak@comcast.net

(3) The SAE Membership Renewal Updates

The following are the status of the membership renewal fee payments and donations to the Society of Afghan engineers during Year 2017. The SAE management would like to thank all members for their financial support and other contributions to the Society activities.

Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in 2017

Date	First Name	Last Name	Fee Paid	Donation	Total Payment Received In 2017
1/7/2017	Atiq	Panjshiri	$60	0	$60
2/8/2017	Ghulam	Mujtaba	$60	$100	$160
2/8/2017	Yacob	Munir	$60	0	$60
1/27/2017	Steve	Rossi	$60	$60	$120
1/27/2017	Gul Afghan	Saleh	$60	$40	$100
1/7/2017	Abdul Nazeer	Babacarkhial	$60⁷	0	$0
2/8/217	Abdul Manan	Khalid	$60	0	$60
1/7/2017	Sayed F.	Abass	$60	0	$60
1/7/2017	Reza M.	Afshar	$60	$140	$200
1/27/2017	Najib	Poya	$60	$200	$260
1/7/2017	Hashem	Baluch	$60	0	$60
4/10/2017	Abdul W.	Hassani	$60	0	$60
4/23/2017	Sohaila	Shekib	$60	0	$60
4/23/2017	Hashem	Rayeq	$60	0	$60
5/12/2017	Sadiq	Ezzat	$60	0	$60
1/7/2017	Hafiz	Wardak	$60¹	0	$0
1/7/2017	Yar	Ebadi	$60¹	0	$0
1/7/2017	Amin	Mahmood	$60¹	0	$0
1/7/2017	Zarjan	Baha	$60¹	0	$0
5/15/2017	Saleh M.	Keshwarz	$60²	0	$120
5/15/2017	Rafhat	Ludin	$60³	0	$180
5/20/2017	Amanullah	Mommandi	$60⁴	0	$180
5/20/2017	Najim	Azadzoi	$60⁵	$80	$200
6/1/2017	Saber M.	Sarwari	$60⁶	0	$180
6/14/2017	Zia	Yamayee	$60	$100	$160
1/7/2017	Ashraf	Roshan	$60⁸	$0	$0
7/1/2017	Abdul Saboor	Rahim	$60⁹		$180
10/30/2017	Abdul Baqi	Ahmadi	$60	$140	$200

1. Mr. Hafiz Wardak, Dr. Yar Ebdai, Mr. Amin Mahmood and Dr. Zarjan Baha paid their membership renewal fees for 2017 in 2016.
2. Dr. Saleh Keshawrz paid his membership fee of $120.00 for years 2016 and 2017 in 2017.
3. Mr. Rafat Ludin paid his membership fee of $180.00 for years 2015- 2017 in 2017.
4. Mr. Amanullah Mommandi paid his membership fee of $180.00 for years 2015- 2017 in 2017.
5. Mr. Najim Azadzoi paid his membership fee of $120 for years 2016- 2017 in 2017 plus $80 donation.
6. Mr. Saber Sarwary paid his membership fee of $180.00 for years 2015- 2017 in 2017
7. Mr. Babacarkhial has sent his membership fee for period of four years -Payment for 2014-2017 in 2015
8. Mr. Ashraf Roshan has sent his $120 membership fee for the years 2016 and 2017 in 2016.
9. Dr. Abdul Saboor Rahim paid his membership fee of $180.00 for years 2015- 2017 in 2017

Thanks to members who have updated their membership renewal and have paid their annual membership fees. Thanks for their generosity.

Comments and Suggestions about SAE eNewsletter

The Editor-In – Chief of the SAE eNewsletter has received comments and suggestions from a few respected readers of the newsletter; Engineer Fazel Ahmad Afghan, Engineer Belqis Mujtaba Majboor, Engineer Ahmad Shabir Ahmadyar, Engineer Abdullah Qadir.

The following are the readers’ Comments and Editor-In-Chief’s responses:

Mr. Fazel Ahmad Afghan

Mr. Afghan is Chief Editor’s respected colleague and former President of the Building Department of the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan.

Mr. F. A. Afghan’s comment:
Salaam Dear Ghulam Mujtaba
Thank you very much for sending me the SAE eNewsletter, wishing you good luck. God bless you.
F. A. Afghan

Editor’s response to Mr. Fazel Ahmad Afghan’s comment:
Walaikum-Us-Salam Engineer Sahib Afghan:
I am glad to know that you have received the October issue of the newsletter. I have you in the distribution list of the newsletter. Having correspondence with you brings the memories of good old days while you were serving as the president of the Building Department of the Ministry of Education and I was teaching at the Civil Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University. I participated in two school building research/design projects for your Department through the Center for Engineering Consulting Services and applied Research of Kabul University.

It will be a pleasure to receive your technical articles, comments, and suggestions about newsletter and engineering related issues of Afghanistan.

Mrs. Belqis M. Majboor, PE.ME, CPM

Mrs. Majboor is working with second District of the Florida Department of Transportation as District Pavement Design and Quality Assurance Engineer. She has suggested the posting of the newsletter on the SAE website and membership renewal fee methods.

Mrs. B. Majboor’s comments/suggestions:
I recommend posting all the eNewsletters on the SAE website and providing a link to the website and the article. This way people can read the new and previous months’/ years’ articles at any time.

I also recommend an easier way to pay for membership through the website and or by paying through phone using an automated system. Paying for membership and becoming a member will be quicker and easier.

This does involve technology and continuously checking to make sure it works properly. Thank you for asking for feedback.

Belqis

Editor’s response to Mrs. Majboor’s comment/suggestions:
On behalf of the Newsletter Subcommittee, I thank you for the review of the SAE eNewsletter and your comments/suggestions related to the payment method of the membership fee and posting of the newsletters on the website.

I directed your email to the SAE President and the following are his responses:

The e-newsletters are posted on the website, except for the July edition and I have asked the administrator to make sure it is posted.

The online membership fee payment was discussed at our website committee and consulted with the website administrator couple years ago. The recommendation was not favorable, because of security concerns and risks, and the need for e-commerce account, which is expensive beyond SAE’s current allocated budget.

I personally like the idea and believe it could facilitate easier payment method and possibly increase number of membership. I will share the suggestion with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for future consideration.

Regards, Atiq

Mr. Shabir Ahmadyar, MEng

Mr. Ahmad Shabir Ahmadyar’s comments/suggestions:
The Editor received an email from Mr. Ahmad Shabir Ahmadyar, MEng, MIEAust CPEng NER, Electrical Power Engineer. He is a PhD Candidate at the School of Electrical and Information Engineering – The University of Sydney.

Mr. Ahmadyar’s email:
Dear Mr. Mujtaba,
Hope you are doing well, and thanks for volunteering your time for the SAE activities. I am sending this email from Sydney, Australia. I have been looking for ways to paying the SAE’s membership fee for the last couple of years, but haven’t succeeded yet.

May I suggest making the payment process more flexible? Nowadays, with secure transaction systems, such as PayPal, it is very easy to complete a transaction from anywhere, and it does not cost anything extra. However, the current SAE system of collecting the membership fee through money order or check is not only slow, but it is somehow impossible for people like me to pay the fee.

Looking forward to hearing from you in this matter.
Best Regards, Ahmad Shabir

Editor’s response by email to Mr. Ahmadyar’s comment/suggestions:
Dear Dr. Sahib Ahmadyar Salam:
Hoping that this finds you, your respected family, and Afghan Community in Sydney, Australia in good health and high spirit. It is a great privilege that we are receiving correspondence, comments, and suggestions from Australia.

You have provided us a valuable comment/suggestion related the alternative SAE membership payment method. We have received similar comment from another SAE member. Mr. Atiq Panjshiri, the SAE President indicated that he will discuss this issue with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. I have copied him in this email to let us know if he has any updated information and response to your email.

Once again, thanks for your email. Looking forward to the receipt of your technical articles for the publication of the future issues of the SAE eNewsletter.

Best regards,
Editor-In-Chief SAE eNewsletter

Mr. Abdullah Qadir

The Editor received an email from a respected colleague and friend, Engineer Sahib Abdullah Qadir, who is working as team leader of an engineering consulting firm in Afghanistan. He has written about Dr. Rahim’s interview in the last issue of the newsletter.

Mr. Abdullah Qadir’s comments/suggestions:
Dear elder brother,
Thanks for sharing such useful information with me. I wish you long life with good health for you and your honorable family. I went through the interview of Dr. Saboor Rahim. It was very interesting and congratulation to him and his wife for their 50th anniversary of the wedding.
with very best regards, Abdulah Qadir

Editor’s response to Mr. Qadir’s comment/suggestions:
Dear Engineer Sahib Qadir Salam:
We are pleased to know that you have received and enjoyed reading the newsletter. Hoping that this finds you, your respected family, and our colleagues in Afghanistan in good health and spirit.
Of course, Dr. Rahim will be happy to read your email and message.
Best regards,

Dr. A S. Rahim’s email response to Mr. Qadir’s comment/suggestions:
Muhtram Ustad Mujtaba Khan and Engineer Sahib Qadir Jaan Salam,
Sending my best regards and thanks for your emails. I appreciate Qadir Jaan’s comments on the interview and the note on the anniversary.
Sincerely, Saboor Rahim

Obituary

Mohammad Ashraf Roshan

May 1956 – October 2017

The Society of Afghan Engineers is saddened for the untimly passing of Mr. Ashraf Roshan, who was a member of the Executive Committee serving as the Treasureer for the past three years. The Society of Afghan Engineers expresses its heartfelt condolences to his wife, Mrs. Tooba Roashn, his three children, and the rest of Roshan family. His departure is a tremendous loss for Society and the Afghan Community in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. Below is a brief Biography of the late Architect Ashraf Roshan.

Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Roshan was born on May 10, 1956 in Kabul Afghanistan. He is the son of Mr. Roshandil Roshan and his wife Momena Roshan.

Mr. Ashraf Roshan attended the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University. Design and architecture were his passions. With them, he completed several projects at the University and graduated with honors in 1981.

Upon immigrating to the United States, Ashraf began his career in architecture in Dallas, later moved to Maryland, and cofounded an architectural firm with his wife. He earned his license from the American Institute of Architects.

A prolific architect, Ashraf designed countless residential and commercial projects throughout the mid-Atlantic region and has received several honors for his creative design works.

After events of 2001, Mr. Roshan became actively involved in design and construction efforts in his homeland of Afghanistan and made many trips to assist in the development activities there. After a brief battle with cancer, he passed away on October 7, 2017. He is survived by his wife Tooba Roshan and his three daughters; Miriam Rafiqi, Nila Roshan and Marwa Roshan.

The SAE Organization

• SAE Executive Committee Members:

  • President: Atiq Panjshiri
  • Vice President: TBA
  • Treasurer: TBA
  • Secretary: TBA
  • Manager: TBA

• SAE Board of Directors-Officers:

  • Chairperson: Sohaila Sanie Shekib
  • Vice-Chairman: TBA
  • Executive Director: TBA

• Members SAE Board of Directors: Farid Abass, Reza Afshar, Nazeer Babacarkhial, Rafaat Ludin, Gul Afghan Saleh, Mahmoud Samizay, Mohammad Saber Sarwary, Sohaila Sanie Shekib, and Hafizullah Wardak

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

• SAE Chairpersons of Committees/Subcommittees:

  • Ghulam Mujtaba, Chairman – SAE eNewsletter Subcommittee

• SAE Local Chapter Coordinators:

  • A. Hamid Layan – Kabul, Afghanistan
  • M. Qaseem Naimi – Toronto, Canada
  • Najim Azadzoi – Massachusetts
  • M. Qasem Kadir – Southern California
  • A. Manan Khalid – New York and New Jersey
  • Amanullah Mommandi – Colorado
  • Atiq Panjshiri – Virginia and Washington DC

• SAE eNewsletter Subcommittee:

  • Subcommittee Chairman: Ghulam Mujtaba, M.S, CE, P.E.
  • Members: A. Wahed Hassani, Ph.D., P.E.; A. Manan Khalid, M.S., P.E., LEED AP; Hafizullah Wardak; Abdul Hamid Layan

• SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board:

  • Editor–In–Chief: Ghulam Mujtaba, M.S, CE, P.E., CPM
  • Editorial Board Members: A. Wahed Hassani, Ph.D., P.E.; A. Manan Khalid, M.S., P.E., LEED AP

• SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives:

  • Abdul Hamid Layan – Kabul

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 are 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.

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