SAE Newsletter – 2019-10 – Volume 9, Issue 4
Provides an in-depth analysis of the historical progress, current challenges, and future trajectory of higher education and computer science programs across Afghanistan.
SAE Newsletter – October 2019, Volume 9, Issue 4, Mizan 1398
Dear Colleagues:
It is a pleasure to provide you the third 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 newsletter who have sent us technical articles, comments, suggestions, and news.
This issue of the newsletter features an article about the progress of higher education in Afghanistan by Dr. Bahawodin Baha, a Principal Lecturer at School of Computing, Engineering, and Mathematics; University of Brighton, England.
We are looking forward to the receipt of your technical news, articles, comments, suggestions, questions, and opinions about SAE activities, especially this publication. 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 newsletter features an article about the progress of higher education in Afghanistan”
Inside This Issue
- Greetings from the SAE President
- The Progress of Higher Education in Afghanistan
- Membership News
- Announcements
- Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in 2019
- Comments and Suggestions
- The Society of Afghan Engineers Organization
- Membership Application
Greetings from the SAE President
Dear Colleagues and SAE Members Salaam:
Over the past few months, I have been talking to many of you individually about issues of concerns over the activities of the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE). I share many of the reservations you have about this uncertain time in Afghanistan because of peace negotiations and the presidential election.
Although as Afghans, we all have certain personal feelings towards the peace negotiations and the presidential election, we are certain that whatever the outcome, the Society’s goal and mission remains unaffected and our determination and commitment to helping rebuild our beloved Afghanistan remains even stronger than before.
A significant number of Afghan engineers living in the United States, Canada and other countries outside Afghanistan have acquired a high level of education and are involved in all aspects of engineering work from government agencies to municipal offices to small, medium and large size corporations. They have significant combined training and experience in every engineering field. Many of them are very keen to enable their home country Afghanistan to benefit from their skills. SAE can be a vehicle for transferring these skills and knowledge to help Afghanistan develop and prosper.
SAE members and the engineering community in Afghanistan can work collaboratively to significantly improve capacity building and operational development in engineering in Afghanistan.
We hope that with the new administration, soon to be announced, sustained peace will be achieved and our membership can fully get involved in the construction and development of our beloved country Afghanistan without any risk or worries for their families. Let’s stay tuned and hope our helping hand would be accepted by the new administration.
May peace and prosperity be the guiding light for Afghanistan now and for future generations to come.
Sincerely,
Atiq Panjshiri
President, Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE)
The Progress of Higher Education in Afghanistan
Bahawodin Baha, Ph.D.
School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
University of Brighton, UK.
b.baha@brighton.ac.uk
Abstract
This paper discusses the context of the recent development and the present condition of higher educational institutions in Afghanistan. The recent progress and the main challenges which encounter the higher education sector in the country have been highlighted and the discussions and conclusions outline promising directions for enhancing the quality of higher education in the country.
Keywords: Progress, Higher Education, Challenges, Recommendations
1. History of higher education in Afghanistan
Modern education in Afghanistan began with the establishment of its first secondary education school in Kabul in 1903 with the main objective to train the civil servants for the Afghan government. However, the establishment of higher education in the country only started in the 1930’s and continued in the 1950’s-1970’s [1]. It has been well known and widely publicized that the infrastructures of Afghanistan were destroyed through the decades of wars and instabilities in the country. Amongst other domains, the higher education sector was not only decimated, but had been misused by politicians in order to achieve their short-term political objectives. Most well qualified and experienced academics were forced to leave the country, retired or killed. Those academics that stayed behind were isolated from the rest of the world and remained detached from the enhancement of education, knowledge, and the development of new technologies. The colleges and universities infrastructure suffered in the wars; for instance, laboratory equipment and libraries have been looted or burned, and most of the buildings of the educational institutes have been damaged. Furthermore, the curricula have been stagnated for decades and neither has there been staff development of suitably qualified and experienced academics or technical staff that was able to educate the students to face the challenges in Afghanistan in the 21st century [2].
Amongst the education sector, it has been recognised that the establishment of suitable technical and engineering institutions is vital for the reconstruction and future development in the country. Technical and engineering education has a relatively long history in Afghanistan but because of the instabilities in the country, this sector like many others, has experienced catastrophic decline. Several Engineering and Technical Vocational Education (TVE) institutions were established in the capital and some other major cities between 1930’s – 1980’s: the most successful ones were established with the help and technical assistance from countries such as Germany, the US and the USSR.
This paper discusses the progress and present condition of higher education in Afghanistan. The main challenges have been highlighted and recommendations are made as to how higher education in Afghanistan may be developed that meet international standards which will also address local needs.
2. The progress so far
The Afghan higher education (HE) sector has experienced significant improvement (1974 – 1978); however, the destruction of the higher education had begun with the establishment of first pro-communist government in Afghanistan in 1978. Moreover, the HE system was further downgraded after the USSR’s direct intervention and successive civil wars between the periods of 1980 – 2002.
In addition, the education system was heavily misused between late 1980’s until 2002. As educational values evaporated from the institutions, most of the appointments of the chancellors and deans, and the promotions of academics from lower rank to higher ranks were based on political affiliation rather than academic excellence. Therefore, the quality of education has gradually degraded, and consequently, the knowledge and skill of university graduates have been deteriorated significantly, which has a major negative effect on all sectors in the country.
After the intervention of the international community in 2001 and the subsequent establishment of the new government in 2002, some progress has been made to rebuild the education sector specifically in engineering and Technical Vocational Education (TVE) [3].
Efforts have been made to improve the higher education sector in the country during the last two decades; examples of a few improvements have been in the following areas:
a. The establishment of new universities and higher education institutions
The number of public and private universities has exponentially been increased without any proper planning and consideration for the development needs in the country. The list of public and private institutions offering higher education in the country has now reached one hundred eighty-one according to the latest figures supplied by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) of Afghanistan. The lists of public and private universities and higher education institutions can be found in appendix of this paper.
b. Increase in the number of students
Similarly, the number of students entering higher education from 2006 to 2018 has risen from less than fifty thousand students to nearly three hundred ninety thousand, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Number of students entering higher education, 2006 – 2018. Source: MoHE.
Furthermore, it is predicted that the number of students will increase by approximately 12% annually for the next four years. As the number of high school graduates in the country is increasing year by year, therefore, the number of students entering higher education will increase even further. Afghanistan has a very high percentage of young population and the numbers in youth cohorts are certain to increase for the foreseeable future.
Furthermore, according to the MoHE figures, approximately 60% of students are studying science and engineering and the remaining 40% are studying social science disciplines.
c. Training of junior lecturers at universities in the developed world
One of the main reasons behind the success in the recent educational development has been the establishment of partnerships between the Afghan universities and universities in the developed world.
The five major engineering institutions in Afghanistan have established affiliation with well-known universities in the US, Europe, and Asia through a World Bank sponsored program entitled, “the Strengthening Higher Education Project (SHEP)”. The aim of this program is to promote strategic planning and the introduction of a development and reform program at key higher educational institutions. According to the author’s knowledge, the list of the Afghan engineering institutions and their international partners include:
i) Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University, Afghanistan, with Kansas State University, and Ohio University, US, and with a few educational institutions in Japan;
ii) Kabul Polytechnic University, Afghanistan, with the University of Brighton, UK;
iii) Faculty of Engineering, Nangarhar University, Afghanistan, with San Diego State University (SDSU), USA;
iv) Faculty of Engineering, Herat University, Afghanistan, with the University of Hartford, USA [4];
v) Faculty of Engineering, Balkh University, Afghanistan, with Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.
A major component of these partnerships is the training of selected junior lecturers for the universities in Afghanistan. According to information from the MoHE, around one hundred and fifty individuals have been engaged at various postgraduate programmes at partner universities in the developed world. The return of these young lecturers has a major effect in enhancing the provision of education at their respective university departments in Afghanistan.
Furthermore, the curricula of certain departments have been updated and the list of equipment and materials has been provided to support the curriculum. It is highly recommended to the MoHE and donor agencies, such as the World Bank, to supply and equip the laboratories of these educational institutes.
In addition to the World Bank, other agencies such as US Agency for International Development (USAID), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the government of Japan have provided support to train lecturers and managers at MoHE and universities in Afghanistan.
Increasing the number of lecturing staffs in this short span of time from over 2000 to 18000 has been reported according MoHE, however, the author has not studied the criteria for the selection of the quality of educational qualifications, experience, and skills of these academics.
d. Reforming the university entry exam (Kankoor)
The University entry exam (known as Kankoor) for the Afghan universities and higher education institutions needed improvement. Many university professors and students have complained about the irregularities, especially in some provinces. The numbers of candidates who achieved higher grades from remote provinces have been unbelievably high. The low-quality scholastic background of high school graduates entering the universities have also been confirmed by talented young Afghan lecturers who were trained abroad and in some cases by scholars form universities in the developed world.
Luckily, the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) appointed a new director for the administration of Kankoor (2015) who was educated at University of Brighton in the UK. That director has developed a new Information Technology (IT) based solution, which jumble the exam questions and generate new set of exam questions for every candidate. Therefore, the possibility of misuse of the exams and cheating during the examination has considerably been reduced in recent years. Furthermore, the MoHE introduced other security measures that have eliminated the possibilities of misuse of the exams.
e. Improving physical infrastructure of selected Afghan universities.
The infrastructure of a few universities has been improved, in some cases new buildings have been built and old buildings have been renovated. The Afghan government expenditure on higher education is approximately two hundred Million US Dollars that support thirty-eight universities and higher education institutions. In addition, the World Bank also provides limited support under the program which is called higher education development programme (HEDP). Because of such low expenditure on HE, most institutions are functioning with limited resources and inadequate investment.
Despite the efforts discussed in this section, the quality of education provided by the universities and higher education institutions in Afghanistan has not reached to level of education of the universities in the developed world.
3. Challenges
Despite the progress discussed in the preceding section, the HE sectors in the country encounter many challenges, including the ones which are identified and discussed as follows:
(i) Low quality of HE
One of the major challenges of higher education in the country is the poor-quality educational knowledge of graduates from such institutions, which is not easy to address. The Afghan government ought to carry out a full assessment of the overall system and introduce a reform to address this issue. Perhaps international community and the Afghan Diaspora who are teaching in the developed countries can play a constructive role addressing this issue.
(ii) Lack of suitably experienced academic and technical staff
Despite of the fact that some lectures have been trained under various programmes in countries such as the US, UK, other EU countries, Japan, India and Turkey, however, they still do not have the necessary skills and experiences to properly revise the curriculum and introduce major reform over there. The vast majority of lecturers in the HE system have bachelor’s degrees from the Afghan universities.
(iii) Poor management practices
The management at the MoHE and the universities changes regularly, and most managers do not continue the established programs of their predecessors, which leads to an unstable system there. For the system to progress, institutions need long-term vision and plans.
(iv) Lack of learning resources including laboratories
Generally, there is a shortage of learning resources such as books, laboratory equipment, tools, materials, and computing equipment in most institutions. However, some institutions have excellent laboratory facilities, which have not been used at all. There is a lack of motivation for the academic staff to integrate experimental work in their curriculum.
(v) Lack of commitment by some academics
There has been a major problem that some academics are not committed to their full time jobs as most of them are having more than one job and teaching at private educational institutions in order to supplement their income.
(vi) Lack of further training and professional development for graduates
The Afghan government do not peruse major programs to further train the graduates from the Afghan universities. According to the author’s experience in the UK, medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, accountants and many other professionals are trained from two to eight years after their graduations so that they can work as professionals in their fields.
(vii) Limited employment opportunities
As limited numbers of high school graduates could enter the universities in Afghanistan, almost all of them were offered jobs by the government in the past. The private sector was almost in nonexistence status in the country. Unexpectedly, the number of graduates from the universities and higher education institutions has exponentially risen during the last decade and sadly the government still do not have any plan to create a vibrant private sector which can provide suitable training and future employment opportunities for such graduates. However, a small number of graduates can find jobs in the telecommunication and IT sectors, which have been created recently.
Regrettably, most employees at the Afghan government are recruited on the basis of cronyism, nepotism and financial gains. Therefore, currently most of the graduates from the Afghan universities face uncertain future.
4. Conclusions
The recent development of higher education in Afghanistan and the corresponding challenges have been investigated in this paper. Because of the efforts from the Afghan government, International community and the Afghan Diaspora, limited progress has been achieved.
The main achievements are in the following areas:
a) Creating new universities and higher education institutions
b) Increasing the number of students entering higher education
c) The training of selected junior lecturers abroad
d) Updating the curriculum of selected subjects
e) The limited improvement of learning resources
f) Improving the infrastructure of universities to certain degree
From the author’s point of view, there are still major challenges to be resolved. To establish a viable higher education in the country, the following problems need to be tackled immediately:
I- The establishment of strong management
Strong management teams are needed at the MoHE and universities in order to address the above problems and establish the foundations of suitable higher education system, which will deal with the real issues in Afghanistan. The management teams need to have suitable experience and a clear vision of how to further develop the education system.
II- Revision of curriculum
Even though the curriculum of selected subjects has been updated, there is a strong need to evaluate and to improve the quality of all the existing degree programs, i.e. update the curriculum, develop appropriate educational paradigms, refurbish and re-equip the laboratories in science, engineering and technology-based subjects. Integration of experimental work with theory needs to be at the core of the curriculums to overcome the lack of appropriate practical skills in the industry.
III- Accreditation boards
It is strongly recommended to the Afghan government that an accrediting board should be established within the MoHE to evaluate the suitability of existing programmes in all scientific and social science subjects at all Afghan private and public universities and hence retract the licences of existing institutions, which do not meet the accreditation criteria. The accreditation criteria should be developed by the accreting board. The Board may review the availability of suitable accrediting bodies that evaluate the programmes, recommend methods of delivery, ensure appropriate qualification of academics; and ensure the universities are equipped with appropriate facilities.
IV- Improving basic education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Improving STEM education is essential and it is strongly recommended that a council for promoting the STEM education is created as engineers and scientists need strong scientific background. Moreover, scientists and engineers have a collective responsibility to improve the lives of people around the world, including Afghanistan. Many expatriate Afghanis may be happy and willing to help here.
V- Evaluation of the existing courses
The government should evaluate the suitability of various courses offered by various institutions and establish if such courses can address the present needs the workforce in the country. Certain courses can be modified or abandoned altogether if the students cannot find employment in such areas.
Further recommendations are made to address the following issues:
a. The educational backgrounds of the high school graduates are weak and most of them have no or little exposure to the applications of Science and Technology,
b. Priority is given to education in subjects related to Science and Technology, as such subjects prospered the societies in the past and the Afghan people must learn from such historic developments in the western world,
c. Traditional teaching methods, i.e. just lectures with limited problem solving must be changed and fundamental should be taught properly, which could be supported by tutorials and laboratory work,
d. It is essential to integrate experimental work at the core of the curriculums because of the lack of suitable industrial base in the country,
e. It is a sad fact that cronyism and nepotism are some of the main factors behind the slow progress in all the Afghan institutions, including the MoHE, universities and other higher education institutions in the country. When the government appoints someone to senior posts, they should pay attention to their professional background and their experience not their political affiliation. However, it is regrettable that such principles are not applied as most individuals are appointed on the basis of their links with strong groups or senior managers within the government, not on the basis of their knowledge, experience and professional skills. The government must address this issue.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank Mr. Abdullah Qayoumi at MoHE and Dr. Hamidullah Waizy at Kabul Polytechnic University (KPU) for supplying some information which enabled the author to write this paper. The author is very grateful for the corrections, constructive comments and suggestions that were made by the reviewers to improve this paper.
Author’s Biography
Dr. Bahawodin Baha is a Principal Lecturer at School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brighton, England. Following his graduation from the department of Vocational Technical Education (VTE) at Kabul University (KU) in 1980, he served as an assistant lecturer at KU for a while. Then he was able to obtain a scholarship from the British Council and completed his MSc and PhD degrees in electronic engineering at Universities of Salford and Brighton in the UK, respectively. He has been teaching at the University of Brighton since 1989 and has been conducting research in electronics, where he has published many papers on power electronics at high quality international journals and conferences.
Beside his teaching job at University of Brighton, he has been assisting the higher education sector in Afghanistan since 2006. He conducted several Department of Foreign and International Development (DFID)/the British Council and the World Bank supported projects in Afghanistan. In addition, he also prepared several reports for the Afghan government and published many papers at international conferences to improve technical vocational and engineering education in Afghanistan.
5. References
[1]- Samady, R. S. 2001. Education and Afghan Society in the Twentieth Century, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Url: http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2002/unesco-afg-nov01.pdf
[2]- Baha, B. 2003. Engineering Education in Afghanistan, Proceedings of the 2003 WFEO/ASEE e-Conference, June 2003.
[3]- Baha, Z, Baha, B. 2008. Technical Vocational and Engineering Education in Afghanistan, American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference, Philadelphia, USA, June 2008.
[4]- Khpolwak, B. K., & Keshawarz, M. S. 2002, An Attempt To Resurrect Engineering Education In Herat, Afghanistan, American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference, Montreal, Canada, June 2002.
Appendix
A. List of public universities and higher education institutions (source, MoHE)
| No. | University Name / higher education institution |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kabul University |
| 2 | Kabul Medical University |
| 3 | Polytechnic University |
| 4 | Kabul Education University |
| 5 | Takhar University |
| 6 | Bamyan University |
| 7 | SZ University – Khost |
| 8 | Al-Bironi University |
| 9 | Balkh University |
| 10 | Nangarhar University |
| 11 | Herat University |
| 12 | Kandahar University |
| 13 | Paktiya University |
| 14 | Jawzjan University |
| 15 | Ghazni University |
| 16 | Baghlan University |
| 17 | LaghmanUniveristy |
| 18 | Kunduz University |
| 19 | Sayed Jamaludin Afghan University |
| 20 | Faryab University |
| 21 | Badakhshan University |
| 22 | Parwan University |
| 23 | Helmand Higher Education Institute |
| 24 | Badghis Higher Education Institute |
| 25 | Samangan Higher Education Institute |
| 26 | Panjshir Higher Education Institute |
| 27 | Paktika Higher Education Institute |
| 28 | Uruzgan Higher Education Institute |
| 29 | SarePul Higher Education Institute |
| 30 | Ghor Higher Education Institute |
| 31 | Farah Higher Education Institute |
| 32 | Logar Higher Education Institute |
| 33 | Ghazni technical University |
| 34 | Wardak Higher Education Institute |
| 35 | Daikundi Higher Education Institute |
| 36 | Afghan National Agricultural Science and Technology University (ANASTU) |
| 37 | Nimroz Higher Education Institute |
| 38 | Zabul Higher Education Institute |
B. List of private universities and higher education institutions, (source, MoHE)
| No. | University Name/ higher education institution |
|---|---|
| 39 | American University of Afghanistan |
| 40 | Kardan University |
| 41 | MaulanaJalaludin Mohammad Balkhi – Samangan Branch |
| 42 | MaulanaJalaludin Mohammad Balkhi University |
| 43 | Bakhtar University |
| 44 | Maiwand Higher Education Private Institute |
| 45 | Khorasan University |
| 46 | Kateb University |
| 47 | Cheragh Medical Higher Education Institute |
| 48 | Maryam University |
| 49 | Khatam al Nabiyeen University |
| 50 | Khatam al Nabiyeen University – Ghazni Branch |
| 51 | Peshgam Higher Education Private Institute |
| 52 | Sadat Higher Education Private Institute |
| 53 | Rana University |
| 54 | Aryana Higher Education Private Institute |
| 55 | Aryana Higher Education Private Institute- Second Branch Kabul |
| 56 | Arya University |
| 57 | Daawat University |
| 58 | Daawat University – Khost Branch |
| 59 | Dunya University |
| 60 | SpeenGhar Higher Education Private Institute- Kabul Branch |
| 61 | SpeenGhar Higher Education Private Institute- Nangarhar Branch |
| 62 | Salam University |
| 63 | Salam University – Second Branch |
| 64 | Tabash Higher Education Private Institute |
| 65 | Tabash Higher Education Private Institute- Second Branch Kabul |
| 66 | Karwan University |
| 67 | Mashal University |
| 68 | Khana e Noor Higher Education Private Institute |
| 69 | Eshraq Higher Education Private Institute |
| 70 | Ghalib University – Herat |
| 71 | Ghalib University – Kabul |
| 72 | Taj Higher Education Private Institute |
| 73 | Ghorjestan University |
| 74 | Ghorjestan Higher Education Private Institute- Second Branch |
| 75 | Tolo e Aftab Higher Education Private Institute |
| 76 | Tolo e Aftab Higher Education Private Institute- Second Branch |
| 77 | AbneSeena University |
| 78 | AbneSeena University – Mazar e Sharif Branch |
| 79 | AzaadIslami University – Kabul Branch |
| 80 | Gawharshad Higher Education Private Institute |
| 81 | Ameer Sher Ali Nawayee Higher Education Private Institute |
| 82 | Wadee Helmand Higher Education Private Institute |
| 83 | Jamee Higher Education Private Institute |
| 84 | Azhar Higher Education Private Institute |
| 85 | Maihan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 86 | Asia Higher Education Private Institute |
| 87 | Payam e Noor University |
| 88 | Pameer Higher Education Private Institute |
| 89 | Nasir Khisraw Higher Education Private Institute |
| 90 | Rah e Saadat Higher Education Private Institute- Mazar e Sharif |
| 91 | Rah e Saadat Higher Education Private Institute- Kabul |
| 92 | Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Higher Education Private Institute |
| 93 | Barak Higher Education Private Institute |
| 94 | Jamea’e Mustafa Higher Education Private Institute |
| 95 | Algheias Higher Education Private Institute |
| 96 | Khwarzami Iran Higher Education Private Institute |
| 97 | Kaboora Higher Education Private Institute |
| 98 | Alfalah Higher Education Private Institute |
| 99 | Arooj Higher Education Private Institute |
| 100 | Roshan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 101 | MeerwaisNeeka Higher Education Private Institute |
| 102 | Arakozia Higher Education Private Institute |
| 103 | Altaqwa Higher Education Private Institute |
| 104 | AhmadshaAbdali Higher Education Private Institute |
| 105 | Danish Higher Education Private Institute |
| 106 | Malalai Higher Education Private Institute |
| 107 | Bost University |
| 108 | Hakeem Sanayee Higher Education Private Institute |
| 109 | Fajristan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 110 | RabiaBalkhi Higher Education Private Institute |
| 111 | Afghan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 112 | Sayed Jamaluding Afghan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 113 | Sharq Higher Education Private Institute |
| 114 | Meli Higher Education Private Institute |
| 115 | Reshad Higher Education Private Institute |
| 116 | Afghanistan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 117 | Tanweer Higher Education Private Institute |
| 118 | Esteqlal Higher Education Private Institute |
| 119 | Afghan Swiss Higher Education Private Institute |
| 120 | KahkashanSharq Higher Education Private Institute |
| 121 | Zwal Higher Education Private Institute |
| 122 | Payam Higher Education Private Institute |
| 123 | Esteqamat Higher Education Private Institute |
| 124 | Jahan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 125 | UMEF Swiss University |
| 126 | Barna Higher Education Private Institute |
| 127 | Ahle Bait Higher Education Private Institute |
| 128 | Khana e Danish Higher Education Private Institute |
| 129 | Barna Higher Education Private Institute |
| 130 | Bamika Higher Education Private Institute |
| 131 | Rahnaward Higher Education Private Institute |
| 132 | Ghazi Amanuallah Higher Education Private Institute |
| 133 | Allahma Higher Education Private Institute |
| 134 | Mustaqbal Higher Education Private Institute |
| 135 | Edrak Higher Education Private Institute |
| 136 | Atifi Higher Education Private Institute |
| 137 | Royan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 138 | Harieewa Higher Education Private Institute |
| 139 | Payman Higher Education Private Institute |
| 140 | Hekmat Higher Education Private Institute |
| 141 | AbooRaihan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 142 | KhatamulNabieenJaghori Higher Education Private Institute |
| 143 | Ashna Higher Education Private Institute |
| 144 | ZamZam Higher Education Private Institute |
| 145 | Bayan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 146 | Hanzala Higher Education Private Institute |
| 147 | Kawoon Higher Education Private Institute |
| 148 | Qods Higher Education Private Institute |
| 149 | Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi Higher Education Private Institute |
| 150 | Matant Higher Education Private Institute |
| 151 | Khorsheed Higher Education Private Institute |
| 152 | Shifa Higher Education Private Institute |
| 153 | Barlas Higher Education Private Institute |
| 154 | Torkistan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 155 | Benawa Higher Education Private Institute |
| 156 | Shamal Higher Education Private Institute |
| 157 | Qalam Higher Education Private Institute |
| 158 | Afghan Pameer Higher Education Private Institute |
| 159 | Neestan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 160 | Neman Sadat Higher Education Private Institute |
| 161 | Muslim Higher Education Private Institute |
| 162 | Nmar Higher Education Private Institute |
| 163 | Kohanduzh Higher Education Private Institute |
| 164 | AbooNasar Higher Education Private Institute |
| 165 | Shirzai Afghan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 166 | Albarz Higher Education Private Institute |
| 167 | Imam Mohammad Shaibani Higher Education Private Institute |
| 168 | Sabir Higher Education Private Institute |
| 169 | Roshan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 170 | Razi Higher Education Private Institute |
| 171 | Saba Higher Education Private Institute |
| 172 | Afghan (Moora) Higher Education Private Institute |
| 173 | Shaheed Said Jan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 174 | Asas Higher Education Private Institute |
| 175 | Noorin Higher Education Private Institute |
| 176 | IbneKhaldoon Higher Education Private Institute |
| 177 | Jahan e Noor Higher Education Private Institute |
| 178 | Nokhbagan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 179 | Rah e Abresham Higher Education Private Institute |
| 180 | Darokhshan Higher Education Private Institute |
| 181 | Khawaran Higher Education Private Institute |
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 $60 are due. Your membership fee collectively would enable us to pay for some basic needed services of the Society such as Website security monitoring, updating, and maintenance. Also, your membership fee would provide SAE’s management the financial means to organize and host events and seminars on relevant technical topics. The membership renewal application is attached to the Newsletter and also can be downloaded from our website at www.afghanengineers.org
Please visit the SAE Facebook when you get the opportunity. We appreciate your kind attention to the membership due request.
Sincerely,
Atiq Panjshiri, President
The Society of Afghan Engineers
(2) SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives
The positions of the SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives are open. Please let us know if you are interested to volunteer for one of these positions or if you want to nominate other qualified members to serve in these positions. The representatives will inform the newsletter Editorial Board of any technical news in their regions and contact authors for their contributions in the activities of newsletter. For additional information please send an email to SAE eNewsletter Editorial Board: Ghulam Mujtaba, E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net; A. Wahed Hassani, Email: awhassani@gmail.com; A. Manan Khalid, E-Mail: manank10@gmail.com; and Hafizullah Wardak, Email: hwardak@comcast.net
(3) The SAE Membership Renewal Updates
The following are the status of the membership renewal fee payments and donations to the Society of Afghan Engineers during Year 2019. The SAE management would like to thank all members for their financial support and other contributions to the Society activities.
Membership Renewal Fee and Donations in 2019
| Date | First Name | Last Name | Fee Paid ($) | Donation ($) | Total Payment ($) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/28/2019 | Najib | Poya | 60 | 200 | 260 | |
| 1/19/2019 | Atiq | Panjshiri | 60 | 40 | 100 | |
| 1/28/2019 | Ghulam | Mujtaba | 60 | 140 | 200 | |
| 1/28/2019 | Steve | Rossi | 60 | 60 | 120 | |
| 2/26/2018 | Abdul Nazeer | Babacarkhial | 180 | 70 | 0 | Paid $250 in 2018 for Years 2018-2020 |
| 1/19/2019 | Sohaila S. | Shekib | 60 | 0 | 60 | |
| 2/10/2019 | Sayed Aziz | Azimi | 60 | 0 | 60 | |
| 1/19/2019 | Sadeq A. | Ezzat | 60 | 0 | 60 | |
| 2/10/2019 | Saleh | Yafatali | 60 | 40 | 100 | |
| 4/1/2019 | Abdul | Hassani | 60 | 0 | 60 | |
| 4/15/2019 | Zia | Yamayee | 60 | 240 | 300 | |
| 5/1/2019 | Sayed Jalal | Masumi | 60 | 40 | 100 | |
| 5/10/2019 | Amanullah | Mommandi | 60 | 40 | 100 |
Thanks to members who have updated their membership renewal and have paid their annual membership fees. Thanks for their generosity.
Comments and Suggestions
The Editorial Board of the SAE eNewsletter has received comments and suggestions from the respected Society members and readers of the Newsletter related to its July 2019 issue.
The Editor has responded to the readers’ comments and suggestions, individually by emails upon their receipt, and would like to take this opportunity to thank all for comments, suggestions, and kind words. The comments and responses are included for information of all readers of the newsletter.
The following are the comments/suggestions and Editor’s responses:
1. Comment from Engineer Abdullah Qadir from Afghanistan
Thanks for informing me of the new developments. Wish you all the best, to stay safe and enjoy life with your families.
Response: Thanks for the acknowledgment of the receipt of the SAE eNewsletter. We are looking forward to the receipt of the technical articles and news about the construction activities of your projects in Afghanistan.
2. Comment from Dr. Sharif Hassainy from Canada
Dr. Sharif Hassainy, former Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has sent the following email:
Dear Brother Ustad Mohtram Eng. Saheb G. Mujtaba Asallam-o-Alaikom,
I wanted to acknowledge the receipt of your email regarding the third quarterly issue of the 2019 SAE eNewsletter. Thank you for your cooperation and kind effort and volunteering.
Response: Dear Dr. Sahib Hossainy Walaikum -Us- Salam
Thanks for the email regarding the receipt of the July issue of the SAE eNewsletter and your kind words.
Best regards,
3. Comments and Suggestions from Ghulam Feda, the President of Education for a Better Tomorrow (AEBT), California, USA
Engineer Ghulam Feda, the AEBT President, called the Chief Editor of the SAE eNewsletter and mentioned that he enjoyed reading Engineer Rayek’s paper about water resources of Afghanistan. The paper has been published in July 2019 issue of the newsletter. During the telephone conversation, he asked if Engineer Rayek could give a presentation to Herat University staff members and students about the same topic by Skype.
During his conversation, he added that he has performed a study of water reservoir regulations and requirements in California, which could be implemented in Afghanistan. The Editor provided information that Mr. A. Mommandi has written a paper regarding water reservoirs in Afghanistan. His paper was published in the April issue of the SAE eNewsletter and it has been well received by the readers of the newsletter. He asked Mr. Feda that it will be very useful if he also write a paper about this topic.
The Editor sent an email to Mr. Atiq Panjshiri and Mr. Rayek for their responses to Mr. Feda’s requests. Mr. Rayek and Mr. Panjshiri have responded to Mr. Feda’s suggestions. Mr. Rayek has agreed to have a presentation about Afghanistan’s water resources via Skype.
The updated news about Mr. Rayek’s presentation to Herat University will be published in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
4. Comments from Mr. Hadi Aziz, former Professor and Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kabul University
Mr. Hadi Aziz was the Assistant Dean while Late Mr. Zarabi was the Dean of the College.
Comment: Thanks, Ostad Muhtaram for sending me the SAE e-Newsletter, especially that it includes the obituary of Marhoom Sediq Jan Zarabi. I greatly appreciate it!
Hadi Aziz,
The former Assistant Dean of Faculty of Agriculture
Kabul University
Response: Dear Ustad Aziz: Thanks for the email regarding the receipt of the July issue of the newsletter. I enjoyed our telephone conversation and your information regarding Marhoom Zarabi Sahib’s last job at Kabul University.
Best regards,
5. Comments from Mr. Malik Mortaza, former SAE President
Mujtaba Sahib Salaam:
Thank you for sharing the newsletter. I was very pleased to read the previous newsletter as well. The topic of the annual conference or symposium was very helpful to the people involved or interested in urban planning in Afghanistan. Hope SAE can communicate or coordinate the ideas, presented in the conference. SAE members have contributed some in the form of providing documents, or training the Afghan government employees, and private sectors in transportation, construction codes and/or manuals from 2003 to 2012 which I can remember. Under the leadership of Mr. Sharif Dehyar the Director of Code and Standards in the Ministry of Urban Development, they have made some good progress in developing construction codes, zoning regulation, and guidelines such as ANSI standard for disabled persons. But, lots need to be done to make some changes in the way urban planning is done in Afghanistan, particularly the infrastructure. Codes or regulations are all good if they are implemented. I hope SAE can continue to provide training and help the government offices in development and implementation of codes, standards, and regulations. For example, the ANSI standard for disabled was translated in Dari with the figures and the Ministry of Justice approved it in 2008 for government use. Copies were distributed to the Ministry of Martyred and Disabled, Municipalities, and private sectors by the Ministry of Urban Development.
I am confident that SAE can find the mechanism, once again, to assist the government of Afghanistan.
Very Respectfully,
Malik Mortaza
Response: Dear Engineer Sahib Mortaza Walaikum Salam:
I am very pleased to know that you have found the July and earlier issues of the SAE eNewsletter informative. The work of the newsletter is the joint efforts of the contributors/authors like yourself, and newsletter Editorial Board/Subcommittee. Thanks for your kind words. Accordingly, I have copied our Editorial Board members so that they read your comments and suggestions.
You have also suggested the need for Society’s involvement in the activities such as urban planning, training, code development and implementation, and design/construction standards in Afghanistan.
I agree with your suggested ideas. But, I am not sure if the government has asked the Society to provide training in the aforementioned areas. In this email, I have copied Engineer Sahib Panjshiri, SAE President, and Mohtarama Sohaila Shekib, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, for their considerations, and responses to your suggestions and recommendations.
Once again, thanks for your contributions in the publication activities of the SAE eNewsletter by the comments and suggestions that you have sent.
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, E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net
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., E-Mail: mujtabaghulam@bellsouth.net
* 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; Hafizullah Wardak, Email: hwardak@comcast.net; Abdul Hamid Layan: Email: hamid.layan@gmail.com
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
SAE eNewsletter Regional Representatives:
Abdul Hamid Layan – Kabul: Email: hamid.layan@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 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.