SAE Newsletter – January 2019, Volume 9, Issue 1, Jadi 1397

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the Editorial Board members of the SAE eNewsletter, I am wishing you and your respected families a Happy New Year 2019. 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 2019 SAE eNewsletter (newsletter) with latest information about the activities of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE).

This is the ninth year of the quarterly update from the SAE through the publication of this newsletter.

Thanks to the readers of the SAE eNewsletter who have sent us technical articles, comments, suggestions, and news for publication of newsletter.

This issue of the SAE eNewsletter (newsletter) features an article about Kabul Polytechnic University. There is an interview with Ustad Abdul Azim Bahrami, former professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University. Also, there is news about Society of Afghan Engineers Annual Conference 2019.

As always, we welcome your feedback, questions, technical news, and articles about Afghanistan.

Very Truly Yours,

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

“This issue of the SAE eNewsletter features an article about Kabul Polytechnic University. There is an interview with Ustad Abdul Azim Bahrami, former professor at the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University”

Inside This Issue

• Greetings from the SAE President
• The Society of Afghan Engineers Annual Conference 2019
• Kabul Polytechnic University
• Interview with Ustad Abdul Azim Bahrami, Former Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University
• Membership News
• Announcements
• Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in 2018
• Comments and Suggestions
• The Society of Afghan Engineers Organization

Greetings from the SAE President

Dear SAE Colleagues Salaam:

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2019.

In the last three months, the SAE Executive Committee was extremely busy preparing for the upcoming Annual Conference 2019. This year’s Annual Conference is scheduled for Saturday January 19, 2019, from 9:30am until 4pm at Dunya Banquet Hall in Alexandria, Virginia. The conference flyer and agenda are included in this issue of the newsletter. The focus of the conference is on “Sustainable Land Development in Afghanistan”.

At the conference, we will have highly qualified subject matter experts with years of practical experience present on a variety of important topics.

My hope is that all members of the Society will be able to attend this interesting conference, either in person or by watching it through live social media. The Conference will be broadcast live on SAE’s Facebook page.

Over the past few months some volunteer members of the Society have developed a proposal for establishing a licensing authority for engineers and architects in Afghanistan. Establishing such a licensing authority is similar to the model adopted in many other countries for certifying and issuing professional license to architects and engineers. SAE submitted a preliminary concept proposal to Afghan Government officials this year. We hope to receive a positive response from the Government of Afghanistan. If the response is favorable, SAE members are committed to expanding the concept to a full detailed proposal and will voluntarily participate during the initial implementation process.

To be able to carry out the task of establishing a licensing authority for our beloved Afghanistan, we need our members’ assistance and participation, especially from our experienced members for this highly important and sensitive project. I will be in touch with you when I hear back from the Afghan Government on approval of the concept proposal.

Once again, I wish you and your loved ones a year of prosperity and good health.

Sincerely,

Atiq Panjshiri
President, Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE)

The Society of Afghan Engineers Annual Conference 2019

Sustainable Land Development in Afghanistan

Free General Admission With Registration
Register by emailing info@afghanengineer.org

Saturday January 19th 2019
9:30 am – 4:00pm
Dunya Banquet Hall
5951 Stevenson Ave, Alexandria VA 22304

Conference Agenda

Masters of Ceremonies
Atiq Panjshiri, SAE President
Sohaila Shekib, SAE Chairperson of the Board

• 9:30 – 10:00 AM: Registration & Continental Breakfast

• 10:00 – 10:15 AM: Welcoming & Plenary Remarks

  • Acknowledgements and Introduction of SAE Board of Directors & the executive Committee
  • Recitation of Holy Quran
  • Introduction, Atiq Panjshiri, SAE President

• 10:15 – 12:00 PM: Session I – Presentations

  • Topic: SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
  • Chaired by: Sohaila Shekib
  • Urban Development Policy – Dr. Gul Afghan Saleh
  • Establishment of Urban Development Institutes and Authorities – Ahmad Wali Shairzay P.E.
  • Unregulated Development and Accessibility Challenges for the Disabled Afghans – Manan Khalid P.E.

• 12:00 – 1:00 PM: Session I – Q & A and Panel Discussion

• 01:00 -1:45 PM: LUNCH

• 01:45 – 2:45PM: Session II – Presentation

  • Topic: SUSTAINABLE LAND DEVELOPMENT
  • Chaired by: A. Manan Khalid
  • Infrastructure Construction – Jalal Masumi
  • Urban Storm Drainage Design – Amanullah Mommandi P.E.
  • Sustainable Urban Transportation – Hadi Rakin P.E
  • E-Government – Farid Abbas

• 02:45 – 3:45 PM: Session II – Q&A and Panel Discussions

• 3:45 – 4:00 PM: Conference Summary and Closing Remarks

  • Atiq Panjshiri, President SAE

• 4:00 PM: Adjournment

Kabul Polytechnic University

By: Najib Poya, P.E.; Najibullah Aoudjan, MSE.; and Noor Ahmad Sultani, MSE, BA

Introduction:

Kabul Polytechnic University, the second largest technical institution of higher education in Afghanistan, was established on October 13, 1963 with technical aid from the Soviet Union. It has been providing cadre of technical experts for the past 40 years. The following is an overview of its history, progressive academic, and departmental evolution over the past four decades. The Polytechnic University has various departments and academic programs that foster scholarly achievements, has undergraduate and graduate programs.

History:

The Kabul Polytechnic was founded on a picturesque area on a hillside near Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Polytechnic Institute was established as a part of the Kabul University and later, in the year 2002, it was elevated to a University. The Polytechnic University is actively engaged in the training activities of many Afghan students in different architectural and engineering fields. Many of the graduates lead technical agencies in Afghanistan.

Buildings and Facilities:

The Polytechnic campus covers an area of 720,000 square meters and consisting of buildings and other facilities, including; Classrooms, laboratories, libraries, student dormitory, accommodation for university professors, cafeteria with capacity of 1,000 students, a mosque with a capacity of 500 worshippers, a sport center, and a conference hall with a capacity of 1000 people for seminars and workshops. It also has many sport facilities; including a beautiful stadium with football field, a swimming pool, a volleyball court, a basketball court and a tennis court.

Affiliation:

The Soviet Union provided financial and technical aid to Afghanistan for the design and construction of Polytechnic University. The architects and engineers of the Afghan government and Soviet Union collaborated jointly on the design and construction activities of the campus buildings and other facilities. Many Soviet scholars came to Kabul to teach various subjects at the Polytechnic Institute.

Student Enrollment and Graduation:

The first group of high school graduates were admitted to the Polytechnic Institute in 1966 and graduated with their BS degrees in various fields in 1972.

Up until the year 2002, the Polytechnic was known as Kabul Polytechnic Institute. In 2002 the name of the Institute was changed to Kabul Polytechnic University.

Since year 2002 University has offered master’s and PhD degrees. So far, 20 postgraduate students have successfully completed their graduate programs and have received their PhD degrees.

Since its establishment, the Kabul Polytechnic University has been working as the largest engineering institution for the training of professional cadres in Afghanistan. Its graduates serving in all engineering disciplines. The Kabul Polytechnic Institute/University has always tried to provide both a suitable space and an atmosphere for students to excel. It is well known for its modernity as well as its quantitative and qualitative growth, development and standardization.

Kabul Polytechnic University Plans

The Kabul Polytechnic University has plans to expand its physical facilities and technical capabilities to handle the Country’s demands for architectural and engineering graduates over the next 50 years. The plans include more classrooms, teacher training and preparation spaces, and modern well-equipped laboratories for all departments. Following is a summary of the structure when it was an institute and the development that has been happening for it to become a full-fledged university.

Kabul Polytechnic as an independent scientific institute offered the following:

1. Industrial and Civil Engineering Structures (architecture and construction were commonly offered)
2. Road Design and Construction (Civil)
3. Dams and Canals Design (Civil)
4. Mines Exploration and Research.
5. Extraction and processing technology of mineral products,
6. Investigation of the reserved underground oil and gas.
7. Oil & gas chemical technology and
8. Several other technical fields.

In addition to the above seven specializations, the Institute also had the following departments:

1. Department of Mathematics
2. Department of Physics
3. Department of Chemistry
4. Department of Electro Mechanics
5. Department of Construction Engineering
6. Department of Technical Drafting
7. Department of Sports Health and Fitness
8. Departments of Concrete, Metal, Wood Elements, Construction Material, Safety Engineering, Architecture, and Hydraulics.
9. Department of Social Sciences

Administration and Faculty of Kabul Polytechnic:

Dr. Abdul Azim Ziaei was the first President of the Kabul Polytechnic Institute.

At start, for the most part, the faculty members were from Soviet Union who were belonging to various Soviet educational institutions. Due to language barrier, Soviet and several Afghan translators helped to translate the contents and materials of the lecturers. Efforts were made to prepare Afghans for the task. This was accomplished by involving them first in research and laboratory testing activities and later handing them the responsibility of full-fledged lecturers.

The curriculum, lecturers and other staff recruitment issues were dealt with through to the Institute’s Scientific Council.

The Scientific Council:

The Scientific Council consisted of the President of the Institute, the Vice President, the Soviet Scientific Advisors, as well as Head of departments from Afghan and Soviets nationals.

Teaching System:

At start about 90-95% of the faculty members were Russian professors, most of whom were the authors of the books being taught. For a period to build the necessary expertise, the Afghans just assisted and collaborated with Russian professors. This continued till they built the expertise to become independent lecturers themselves. Over the years, and by following this model, the number of Afghan faculty kept on increasing.

The arrangement between Kabul Polytechnic and Kiev Polytechnic was such that every year at least two to three Russian professors were dispatched to assist with teaching students and training Afghan faculty staff in each field. Overall, the faculty consisted of more than a hundred Afghans and more than fifty Russian professors.

Classes were typically conducted from eight o’clock in the morning to one thirty in the afternoon. In addition to this, recitation and tutorial classes continued every day until late afternoon hours.

Student Examinations and Evaluation Process:

The following two methods of examination used to test students:

1. Written exams with a maximum score of one hundred points and other exams just to ensure that progress was satisfactory. They were designed to allow the professors to ask three to five questions from each student. The students were allowed about fifteen minutes to prepare their answers with an objective to satisfy the examiner.
2. Quizzes, were also administered to ensure that students understood the topics.

Each student had an assigned registration book. The professors recorded the grades or wrote whether the exam was satisfactory or not. Quizzes were graded and recorded upon completion, but written exams usually took the professor three to five days to grade.

Fifth year students were required to start their diploma projects at the end of the first semester. Each student was allocated a guide to assist them with their projects. A guide’s role was to monitor the student capacity and approach. Their feedback was shared with the professors which assisted them with grading the final projects.

The completion of the diploma projects required the students present and defend their work to a mixed panel of state elected specialists and university professors. These panels usually consisted of about fifteen people.

Practical Training:

Polytechnic University student are required to participate in two other practical training programs. These training programs consisted of the following:

1. A geodesy and cartography workshop, with equipment provided by the Institute. This is required to be completed by the end of the third year.
2. A two-month internship practical training with an engineering agency. This work prepares student with their diploma project. This is required to be completed during the fourth year.

Interview with Ustad Abdul Azim Bahrami, Former Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University

By: A.M. Khalid, P.E, LEED AP(BD+C)

It was a privilege to have had Ustad Bahrami as my professor at the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University. I have a long history of work and friendship with this noble personality. Later on, during my short teaching career, I became Ustad Baharami’s office mate and enjoyed his guidance and company. I spent time at his home office, assisting him on the preparation of a surveying book that he was authoring at that time. After my departure from Afghanistan, he continued to regularly visit my parents and asking them if they need any help. He has not visited my wife and my son, but he never forgets to ask me about them by name, whenever we speak. We are very fortunate knowing such a kind and father figure personality and it is my pleasure to introduce him to those of you who may have heard of him but know little about him.

As a graduate of Afghanistan Institute of Technology (AIT), Ustad Bahrami received his BS in Civil Engineering from Kabul University and his MS degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in Indiana. He started his professional career with the Ministry of Public Works in 1959 and became a faculty member at the Kabul University in 1967. Except during 1976 to 1978, when he served as the Director of Planning Design and Construction at Kabul Municipality, he continued to teach at Kabul University up until 1986. At one point, he also taught as a guest professor at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Ustad Bahrami was a graduate of the first batch of four engineers who graduated from the newly established Faculty of Engineering in Afghanistan. Messrs. Gulam Sakhi Noorzad, Abdul Azim Waizi, and Hayatullah Nazarkhail were his classmates and they graduated in 1959 from Kabul University.

During his time as an immigrant in Pakistan, he worked with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for a period of two years. He served as a Coordinator and Inspection Engineer. He also taught surveying classes at the engineering program of International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Peshawar, Pakistan. During Dr. Hassani’s tenure with IRC, they both served as professors at the school of engineering, which was established by IRC in Peshawar. They both authored several books in Dari language, which are still used as textbooks at various universities in Afghanistan.

After his immigration to USA, he returned back to work as the Chief of Engineering Services at Volunteers in Technical Assistant (VITA), a USAID project for Afghan Refugees, in Peshawar, Pakistan.

He is a friend and a dear professor. I appreciate his willingness to perform this interview for SAE readers of the newsletter. His achievements are motivating, and he is certainly a role model for our future generations.

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

(Q) Thank you Ustade Muhtaram for accepting our request to do this interview. Please tell us about yourself, especially, your background, interests, and hobbies.
(R) First and foremost, I would like to thank the SAE eNewsletter Subcommittee for giving me the opportunity to set for this interview. I was born in Guzara District of Herat Province in a middle-class family and I am the youngest of the 5 siblings. Upon completion of my elementary education in Guzara and middle school in Herat City, I enrolled at AIT High School in Kabul. After graduating from AIT, went on to the Faculty of Engineering and became one of the first four graduates of the Faculty of Engineering of Kabul University. I got married to a wonderful woman from a wonderful family right after my graduation from Kabul University. I am blessed with seven children (2 boys and 5 girls) and 20 grandchildren. My hobbies are walking, spending time with my family, especially my grandchildren, and helping them with their studies and homework.

(Q) I vividly remember and enjoyed your valuable classes on Surveying. What motivated you to teach? Do you miss teaching in your country of birth?
(R) Let me start by saying that I loved, still love, and miss teaching. For me, it was not a job, but something that I loved. To prove that, I started teaching when I was in high school. I would teach a grade below as I moved up. The way I ended up at Kabul University was an adventure. Upon graduation from the University, I wanted to become a faculty member, but due to needs of those days, I was selected to become a military officer. However, after meeting the late Prime Minister, Mr. Sardar Dawood Khan, and on the insistence of the Minister of Public Works, I ended up working in the Ministry of Public Works. I became the General Director of roads, planning, design, maintenance, and construction throughout Afghanistan. Then, the President of Kabul University requested that I join the administrative team of the university. At Kabul University, I was asked to teach in the Faculty of Engineering. I might have fritted and sweated the first day, but it started my teaching career.

Then, I got a scholarship to go to the United States for higher education. I completed my master’s degree at Purdue University in Indiana and returned to the Faculty of Engineering. Two and a half years after that, I became an exchange professor at the University of Cincinnati for a period of one year. I was evaluated by my students there and received an evaluation of 4+ out of 5. I returned to Kabul University after that, and except a short assignment at Kabul Municipality, I taught at the Faculty of Engineering up until my departure from Afghanistan in 1986. I also served as member of Center for Engineering Consulting Services and Applied Research (CECSAR) of Kabul University.

(Q) When and how did you leave Afghanistan? Have you been involved in any activities in Afghanistan since your leave from the country?
(R) As I mentioned, I left Afghanistan for Peshawar in 1986. It took 3 months for all my family members to join me in Peshawar. My first job in Peshawar was with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). I was introduced to them by IRC (International Rescue Committee). It was a great opportunity as I ended up in the design and construction activities of building schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure for the Afghan refugees. When I joined UNHCR, there were no practical and functional design guidelines. Construction practices were wasteful. I led an effort to develop the design and construction practices and made huge strides during my service with UNHCR.

After 2 years with UNHCR, in 1989, my family and I immigrated to the United States and we settled in the beautiful State of California. In the September of 1990, I was contracted by Virginia office of VITA and they asked me to serve in their Peshawar office as the Director of Design. I went on to direct the entire rural development operation. Local construction material became scarce in Afghanistan, and we started supplying material from Pakistan. It was logistical nightmare. Lack of funding and the reduction of projects caused me to return to the United States after 3 years of my work with VITA.

There were jobs in Afghanistan and I had to make a living. I did everything to serve Afghanistan and fellow Afghan Refugees. A month and a half after my return to the United States, I developed serious health problems which prevented me from further involvement in the causes of our homeland, but Afghanistan has been always on my mind. I hope our younger generation will pick where we left it. It is a civic and religious obligation.

(Q) I know that you were held in high regards by your students. They loved you when you were their professor. You have always been a father figure and a counselor to your students and friends. What motivates you to go out of your way to help others?
(R) I always loved my students like my children. We put all sweat and tears and care in the upbringing and education of our children and want to see them to achieve the highest in their lives. I tried to treat the students the same way regardless of their birth place, language, race, and political affiliations. I took pride and satisfaction in their achievements. There is no better motivation than helping knowledge hungry students to achieve their goals in life.

(Q) You were a professor at Kabul University and you also taught at the University of Cincinnati. How would you rate your experience at both places?
(R) As a professor, I put the same efforts, regardless of whether I thought at Kabul University or the University of Cincinnati. I would like to mention that with all the limitations and lack of adequate facilities, our professors at the Faculty of Engineering were doing a fantastic job. The proof is in the successful accomplishments of our graduates all over the world.

(Q) Civil Engineering is vast field. Why did you choose to teach Surveying?
(R) My first field work was surveying. As one of the four engineers, I surveyed a 60 km road in Konar Province. We also designed all features of that road including pavement and alignment. Surveying is a very interesting field of civil engineering and I broke into it at the onset of my career. I also did my master’s degree in surveying. Therefore, surveying became my specialty. I thought both the theory and practice of surveying for the rest of my teaching career and very much enjoyed it.

(Q) Please tell us about your assignment at Kabul Municipality. What made you take that assignment and what did you enjoy about it?
(R) I went to Kabul Municipality on the need and insistence of the Kabul Mayor at the time and was appointed as the Director of Planning, Design, and Construction. My responsibilities included overall city planning, design, and construction of public housing, commercial and recreational facilities, city roads, bridges, flood mitigation and water distribution systems. I was also a member of the committee responsible for the review of construction quality control of new projects. I was also involved in the neighborhood dispute resolution. I would say that my two years at Kabul Municipality was full of challenges. There were a lot of politics and huge expectations. Regardless of the challenges, I tried my best to serve my people.

(Q) Please tell us about your publications while you were serving at Kabul University
(R) The following is a list of my publications:
* Afghan Cadastral Survey
* Concrete in Cold Weather
* Geodetic Location of Points
* Sedimentation in Reservoirs
* Strengthening Foundations for Loess
* Use of Piles as Foundation on Loess Soils

I would like to state that all above articles were published in the Journal of Science. Additionally, I also authored a surveying textbook in my final years at the Faculty of Engineering. The textbook was in Dari, as by then, the medium of teaching at the Faculty of Engineering was changing from English to our native language. It is not easy to write engineering in Dari, but I tried my best to find proper and understandable terminologies.

(Q) You were involved at some capacity with the educational arm of IRC (Faculty of Engineering in Exile) in Peshawar. You coauthored some books and articles with Dr. Hassani. Please tell us more about your books and activities there?
(R) I co-authored two surveying books with a friend and a fellow professor, Dr. Hassani in Dari language. These books were used as textbooks as well as technical guides for in-service engineers and technicians. It is worth mentioning that these books are extensively used in various universities in Afghanistan. I was also involved in curriculum development of surveying courses of IRC’s engineering program from the onset. Moreover, I taught surveying classes for IRC students for many years before immigrating to USA.

(Q) What message do you have for the younger generation, especially for the students in Afghanistan and Afghan Communities abroad who are interested to help their country at some point in time.
(R) I would like to say to the younger generation to please be hungry for knowledge and acquire as much of it as possible. Experience has proven that our country cannot be built with guns, but it can be built with knowledge and that is the only way. Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world”.

Lastly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the SAE eNewsletter Subcommittee for giving me the opportunity to set for this interview.

(Q) I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation to have this interview with a member of the Editorial Board of the SAE e-Newsletter. You provided invaluable educational and inspirational 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, any Afghan professionals, and Afghan students.”

Announcements

(1) The 2019 SAE Membership Renewal

Dear Members of the Society:

The Management of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) would like to remind all members that 2019 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 the financial means to organize and host events and seminars on relevant technical topics. The membership renewal application can be downloaded from our website at www.afghanengineers.org

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 2018. 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 2018

The Society of Afghan Engineers

Date	First Name	Last Name	Fee Paid ($)	Donation ($)	Total Payment ($)	Remarks
1/19/2018	Mahmood	Samayzai	60	0	60
1/19/2018	Atiq	Panjshiri	60	0	60
2/7/2018	Ghulam	Mujtaba	60	140	200
2/7/2018	Steve	Rossi	60	60	120
3/5/2018	Gul Afghan	Saleh	60	40	100
2/26/2018	Abdul Nazeer	Babacarkhial	180	70	250	Paid $250 in 2018 for Years 2018 – 2020
2/18/2018	Abdul Manan	Khalid	60	40	100
1/1/2018	Aziz	Ghani	0	0	0	Paid $120 in 2017 for Years 2017 and 2018
3/5/2018	Reza M.	Afshar	60	100	160
2/28/2018	Hashem	Baluch	60	0	60
2/26/2018	Abdul W.	Hassani	60	0	60
3/13/2018	Hashem	Rayeq	60	0	60
3/5/2018	Yar	Ebadi	60	0	60
2/26/2018	Amin	Mahmood	60	0	60
2/26/2018	Zarjan	Baha	120	0	120	Paid $120 in 2018 for Years 2018 & 2019
2/28/2018	Naim	Ahmadzai	60	0	60
3/13/2018	Homayun	Saadut	60	40	100
4/5/2018	Zabihullah	Zaca	60	0	60
4/5/2018	Zia	Yamayee	60	140	200
4/7/2018	Jalal	Masumi	60	40	100
4/15/2018	Hafiz	Wardak	120	0	120	Paid in 2018 for 2018 & 2019
5/21/2018	Farid	Abass	60	0	60
8/4/2018	Keshawarz	Saleh M.	180		180	Paid in 2018 for 2018-2020

Comments and Suggestions

The Editorial Board of the SEA eNewsletter has received comments from the respected Society members and readers of the Newsletter related to the 2018 issues of the newsletter and fire prevention activities of Afghanistan. The following are their comments and suggestions:

1. Comment from Zia A. Yamayee, Ph.D., LSMIEEE, about SAE eNewsletter
Professor Emeritus
Shiley School of Engineering
University of Portland

Discussion: The SAE eNewsletter Editor has received comments from Professor Yamayee, his former colleague at Kabul University. In the United States, Dr. Yamayee has taught electrical engineering courses and served as Dean of the two engineering colleges.

Dean Yamayee’s Comment: “Thank you for all you have been doing as an active member of the Society of Afghan Engineers over the years. We have all benefited from publication of the SAE eNewsletter, which has been a great resource for everyone interested in Afghanistan- its past, present and future. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!”

Editor’s Response: Thanks for your kind words about the quarterly publication of the SAE eNewslettter. The continued last eight-year publications of the newsletter have been the results of joint efforts of the SAE Newsletter Subcommittee members, administrators’ support, and contributions of the authors like yourself. Thanks for your past and present contributions in activities of the newsletter.

2. Suggestion from Mr. Atiq Panjshiri, President

The following email is related to a request from Mr. Arif Rasuli, the President of Afghanistan Engineers’ Association (AEA); Kabul, Afghanistan. Mr. Rasuli has asked the help of the Architectural, Engineering, and other professional Afghan communities within and outside Afghanistan to provide technical articles related to the fire prevention activities and security issues in Afghanistan.

2 (A) – Mr. Panjshiri’s email:
Dear Colleagues Salaam:
Below is an email, received from our colleagues in Kabul, asking for help in providing expert suggestion on how to prevent future fires in Afghanistan. If you have experience in fire prevention and life safety issues, please do not hesitate to share it with us. I am hoping with your participation, we would be able to come up with a procedure and practical methods to prevent future fire disasters.
Thanks in advance for sharing your ideas.
Regards
Atiq Panjshiri, President

2 (B) – Mr. Arif Rasuli’s Dari email
Subject: چالش‌های مصئونیت محالت تجمع عامه و تجارتی در کشور
اعضای محترم جامعه انجنیرِ ی کشور سالم برشما
همه ما شاهد حوادث دلخراش آتش سوزی ها و تلف شدن جان و مال مردم عام و تجار ملی خویش میباشیم. مسولیت اشخاص مسلکی انجنیران، مهندسان، انجمنهای شان، شرکتهای ساختمانی ، شاروالی ها، ادارات مربوطه تطبیق قانون و در راس آن دولت است که در زمینه تدابیر مناسبی سنجیده و اقدام نمایند.
در شرایط کنونی کشور هویداست که اگر یک معضل و چالش مهم را بگفتمان همگانی مبدل نشود، از راه رسانه ها به همه اشخاص ذیعالقه رسانده نشود راه حل و نتیجه مطلوب بدست نخواهد آمد. بهمین منظور هیئت رهبري انجمن انجنیران افغانستان متن ضمیمه این ایمیل را ترتیب داده و به رسانه ها، ویب سایتها و بشما عزیزان و اشخاص مسلکی ارسال مینماید تا
اگر خدا خواسته باشد در زمینه تالش مشترک نماییم. باید هرکدام ما در ساحه کاری خ ویش آنرا مراعات نماییم، توجه مسولین امور، مطبوعات و مردم عام را به این معضل معطوف نماییم. رهبری انجمن انجنیران افغانستان در زمینه منتظر نظریات سازنده شما میباشد.
با احترامات فایقه
محمد عارف رسولی بنمایندگی هیئت رهبری انجمن

2 (C) – Dr. Yamayee’s Response to Mr Panjshiri’s request for help:
Dean Zia Yamayee has promptly responded to Mr. Pnjshiri’e email. He has sent the SAE a list of his publications for the use of Afghan professionals and Afghan youth. In his email he has indicated that “I am happy to help any of my Afghan friends, former colleagues, and the Afghan youth when they need and/or ask for my help.”

2 (D) – The Editor’s Response to Dr. Yamayee’s Email:
Thanks a lot for sharing the list of your published articles with us. It is impressive that so many publications you have. It requires a lot of efforts and time to publish these types of technical papers, especially at the times that you were serving as Dean of the colleges and had administrative duties. As you have indicated in your email, the interested former colleagues and Afghan youth can directly contact you if they need any additional information and help regarding your papers.

I’m sure that the professional agencies, educational institutes, and libraries in Afghanistan may need many of your published articles. In my opinion; your articles about solar energy, electromechanical devices and power system; and quality improvement process for engineering programs will be very beneficial and immediately needed in Afghanistan.

You have an impressive resume. The Afghan professional community in Afghanistan and abroad are proud of your accomplishments. You are a great role model for Afghan engineers and engineering students.

It is understandable that you want to be of help to our beloved country and its people, especially, Afghan youth. Accordingly, I have taken the liberty of sharing your resume (which includes the list of your publications) with Mr. Arif Rasuli, Dean Abdul Hamid Layan, and other colleagues within and outside Afghanistan.

2 (E) – Mr. Arif Rasuli’s Response to the receipt of Dr. Yamyee’ List of Publications:
Dear Distinguished Scholars and Colleagues Salam,
First, let me thank Jenab Panjshiri Sahib, President of SAE, and Jenab Ustad Mujtaba Sahib for kindly communicating our message to our distinguished Afghan scholars and professionals about the relevant problem as well as Jenab Dr Sahib Yahmayee for sharing his valuable articles on the fire control and safety issues etc.

We will share the documents directly with more than around 800 engineers via their emails and to others by hand and send them to the websites, which are currently accessible, used in our country, and of course under the respected author’s name.

We expect continuation of your kind cooperation and promise to deliver valuable articles and journals to the right people and agencies at the right time.
Many thanks and best regards,
Arif Rasuli
President of Afghanistan Engineers’ Association (AEA)

2 (F) – Mr. Hamid Layan’s Response to the receipt of Dr. Yamyee’ List of Publications:
Dear Ustad Mujtaba, UsSalamo Aliakmon.
I received the valuable articles of Prof. Yamaee and will share them with Professors of Engineering School of Kabul University and some other private and public schools of engineering in Afghanistan.
Thank you and kind regards.
Hamid Layan
Vice Chancellor
Gawharshad University
Kabul/ Afghanistan

Editor’s General Note:
Dear Commentators and authors of the SAE eNeswsletter articles:
I have responded to your emails individually upon their receipt and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you again for your comments, suggestions, and kind words. The work of the newsletter is joint efforts of the Newsletter Subcommittee and its contributors like yourself. The Newsletter Subcommittee is very pleased to know that you have received and enjoyed reading the past issues of the quarterly publication of the SAE eNewsletter.

The Society of Afghan Engineers Organization

• SAE E-Executive Committee Members:

  • President: Atiq Panjshiri
  • Vice President: Amanullah Mohmmandi
  • Treasurer: Mohammad Hashem Baluch
  • Secretary: TBA
  • Manager: TBA

• SAE Board of Directors-Officers:

  • Chairperson: Sohaila Sanie Shekib
  • Vice-Chairman: Gul Afghan Saleh
  • Executive Director: Abdul Nazeer Babacarkhial

• 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, Abdul Hadi Rakin, 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

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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.