Fifty years ago, Germany, and later the USA and the former USSR, was the first country which assisted higher education of Afghanistan in a long-lasting and effective way.
In the 1960s, Germany established the German Language Department at Kabul University and it started supporting faculties of Science and Economics in academic affairs. Many German professors visited Kabul University and taught in the classrooms. Textbooks for the Afghan students were published in collaboration with Afghan professors. Germany took an active part in building construction, equipping the laboratories, developing curriculum and publishing of textbooks. Every year, some instructors were sent to Bochum, Bonn and Cologne universities to gain Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Science and Economics. The academic assistance and partnership resulted in the construction of infrastructure, the arrangement of all teaching conditions and improvement and continuation of teaching and learning quality.
Due to unfavourable conditions and war that assistance stopped but restarted in 2002. In the last ten years, joint programs resumed with German Language, Economics, Science and Computer Science faculties. In addition, Germany also extended some short-term assistance to Medical, Engineering and Pharmacy faculties. Within the last few years, as a part of the same assistance, some instructors got their Master’s from Germany. They were very effective in the relevant faculties.
However, the academic community of Afghanistan has lagged behind the global knowledge for more than 30 years. On the other hand, knowledge and technology has vastly expanded and advanced in the last few decades. Therefore, our universities are in even greater need of updated infrastructure, laboratories, curriculum, teaching material and furthering the education of our instructors to Master’s and Doctoral degrees. All this can be achieved with the establishment of Afghan–German University.
According to the new constitution, it is now possible for the foreign countries to launch educational facilities in Afghanistan. The Afghan-American University is its first one, and an Afghan-Turkish University is also going to be set up soon as another one.
Keeping in mind the needs of Afghanistan and the academic assistance of Germany, this new Afghan-German University may have the following faculties: Economics, Science, Medicine, Computer Science, Engineering, Geology and Public Administration. It will definitely be a new chapter in the 100 year friendship and academic assistance between Germany and Afghanistan.
With the 100th anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of German-Afghan relationships in 2015, it is highly expected that an Afghan-German University will be announced by the leaders of both countries during the celebration of the anniversary.
Dr Yahya Wardak, Advisor at Ministry of Higher Education, Kabul/Afghanistan 2015
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