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The American University of Afghanistan (Pashto: د افغانستان امريکايي پوهنتون / Persian: دانشگاه امریکایی افغانستان) (AUAF) is Afghanistan’s first private, not-for-profit institution of higher education. Established in 2006, AUAF offers three undergraduate degree programs, as well as intensive English-language preparation courses and professional development training.
[edit] HistoryThe idea for AUAF began in 2002 with Dr. Sharif Fayez, then Afghan Minister of Higher Education. During his time as minister, he proposed the creation of Afghanistan’s first-ever private university. The following year in an address before UNESCO, United States First Lady Laura Bush announced her support of educational initiatives in Afghanistan. The United States Ambassador Zalmay Khalizad, likely inspired from his own experience at The American University of Beirut, encouraged the establishment of The American University of Afghanistan. The Afghanistan High Commission for Private Investment offered leases on two parcels of land totaling 48 acres (190,000 m2) in the Kart-e-Seh area of Kabul until 2103. In addition, the non-profit American University of Afghanistan Foundation was chartered in the State of Delaware (United States) under the leadership of Dr. Jacob van Lutsenburg Maas, who later became Foundation President, to receive these leases. (In 2007, the Foundation became a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization). A charter for the establishment of The American University of Afghanistan was granted on July 26, 2004 by the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education, under Article 46, Chapter 2 of the new Afghan Constitution and Article 445 of the Civil Code/ A feasibility study was initiated by the Coordinating Council of International Universities, based in the United States, to recommend an institutional framework.[1] In December 2004, the inaugural meeting of the Board of Trustees convened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where Dr. Fayez was elected President Pro Tempore, serving in this capacity until April 2007, when he was named “Founder” by the new President. He continues to lobby to the Afghan government on the university's behalf and keeps an office on campus. In March 2005, then United States First Lady (and former teacher) Laura Bush visited the site and announced a substantial grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch the institution.[2] USAID continues to be the primary financial backer of the organization as it pursues sources of private funding. The first students of the American University of Afghanistan enrolled in March 2006. They began with foundation classes to improve their English-language and study skills, followed in September 2006 by their first credit-bearing undergraduate courses. In 2007 the Professional Development Institute was launched providing adult professional courses and adult professional level programs. On 8 June 2008, Mrs. Bush announced an additional $40 million (USD) in funding for the subsequent five years. Funding will cover over half of the University's operating expenses during that period, leaving the university to pursue private funding for the remainder of its operating expenses and for the development of its new campus. [edit] ProgramsPrograms are offered at foundation, undergraduate, and continuing education levels. All programs are conducted entirely in English. The University runs on the US semester system with the academic year starting in August, and in other respects operates in the style of American Universities around the world. The Undergraduate Degree Program The American University of Afghanistan currently offers three four-year undergraduate degree programs: Business Administration, Information Technology and Computer Science, and Arts and Sciences. Through required general studies in their first two years of study, all students acquire knowledge in English composition, mathematics, the natural sciences, arts and humanities, and the social sciences. In Fall 2008, Stanford Law School's Afghanistan Legal Education Project was trialed at the University. It saw approximately 60 students enroll in an "Introduction to Law" course that features the first text in decades dedicated to the legal system in Afghanistan. Undergraduate tuition for Afghans is 25,000 Afs per 3 credit hours and is 37,500 Afs per 3 credit hours for non-Afghans. Need-based financial assistance and merit-based scholarships are available. The Foundation Studies Program The Foundation Studies Program prepares students for the high expectations of American-style, English-only university degree programs, and also develops the high-level English language skills necessary to take on major employment positions in Afghanistan or abroad. AUAF offers instruction in English through native English-speaking instructors from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and South Asia. The Professional Development Institute The American University of Afghanistan’s Professional Development Institute was established in 2007 to meet the training needs of professionals in Afghanistan and the region. It offers an array of high-impact, high-value training courses, workshops and seminars to professionals from the private sector, government, non-governmental organizations working in Afghanistan and the region In 2008 the Professional Development Institute joined with Goldman Sachs and the Thunderbird School of Global Management to implement a women's entrepreneurship training program. The program is part of a larger initiative, 10,000 Women, supported by Goldman Sachs. [edit] OrganizationThe overall governance and management of AUAF is overseen by the Board of Trustees. The Board makes all major financial decisions, as well as decisions on the policies and procedures required for AUAF to achieve its vision and mission. The Board consists of leading members of the academic, business and political communities in Afghanistan and the United States. The President is responsible for implementing the decisions of the Board and for the overall administration of the University. The President is assisted by two Vice Presidents, The Chief Finance and Administration Officer and the Chief Academic Officer. [edit] CampusThe campus of the American University of Afghanistan is located in the Kart-e-Seh area of Kabul, Afghanistan. Plans for a new campus nearer to Dar-ul-Amman Palace in Kart-e-Seh are currently being laid. The AUAF campus consists primarily of three main buildings. The Azizi Building houses classrooms and faculty offices. The Bayat Building houses the administration, two computer labs and several classrooms. The C Building (yet to be formally named) houses the library, chemistry and biology labs, and classrooms. The C building also contains a real-presence videoconferencing system for use in collaborative classes with the American University of Central Asia. [edit] References[edit] External links
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