The Minister conveyed his greetings from President of Afghanistan,
H.E. Mr. Hamid Karzai to the AIT President Prof. Said Irandoust.
Stating that Afghanistan lays a great stress on education, H.E. Obaid
said that 2012 marks 80 years of higher education in Afghanistan. The
country has 31 universities and institutions of higher education,
besides 60 private institutions. Female students now comprise 30 per
cent of its 150,000 strong student body in higher education.
Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AIT, Minister Obaid
described it as a “brilliant chance” of strengthening Afghanistan’s
relationship with AIT. The Minister stated that previous batches of
students who have graduated from AIT had expressed extreme satisfaction
and happiness at their studies and stay at AIT, and this has encouraged
the Ministry to send more students to AIT. AIT and Afghanistan have a
relationship that began in 1970, and we will make all steps to enhance
the relationship, he added. Currently Afghanistan has 50 students at
AIT, and there is scope for sending another 100 students in
undergraduate courses, the Minister said. Since the undergraduate
intake is in August, Afghanistan can send these students for a bridging
program as early as January, he added.
“Afghanistan has educational collaboration with India, Turkey,
Malaysia, China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran,” he said, adding that
students from Afghanistan are currently studying in various countries,
particularly the United States and Germany.
The Minister was accompanied by a delegation including Dr. Shaheer
Nesari, Senior advisor to the Minister and Acting Coordinator of
Strengthening of Higher Education Program (SHEP) program; Prof.
Habibullah Habi, Chancellor, Kabul University; Prof. Mohammad Hassan
Rashiq, Director, Academic Affairs; and Mr. Mohammad Qaasim, Manager,
AIT-Balkh University Parnership Officer, Afghanistan.
The Minister also signed an MOU with AIT which sought to increase
cooperation between the Ministry of Higher Education, Afganistan and
AIT. The MoU signing ceremony was witnessed by Prof. I.M.Pandey, Vice
President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Weerakorn Ongsakul, Dean, School of
Environment, Resources and Development (SERD); Dr. Nitin Kumar
Tripathi, Associate Dean, School of Engineering and Technology (SET);
Dr. Jonathan Shaw, Executive Director, AIT Extension; Dr. Naveed Anwar,
Executive Director, AIT Consulting, and Program Coordinator,
AIT-MoHE-SHEP Project; Mr. Ahmed Amjad Ali, Head, External Relations
and Communications Office (ERCO); and Ms. Sumana Shrestha, Program
Officer, ERCO.
The delegation also held detailed discussions and meetings with
faculty in the School of Engineering and Technology (SET), School of
Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), and School of Management
(SOM). They also met AIT students from Afghanistan.
