Challenges Worth Conquering: New Campus Construction

AUAF student looks over new campus towards Darulaman Palace

AUAF is in the early stages of constructing a state of the art campus on 43 acres of land donated by the Government of Afghanistan.

The new campus, which is being built in compliance with international standards, is designed to accommodate 5,000 students with facilities for research and teaching, housing, and recreation.

Located in the heart of Kabul, future AUAF students will study in the shadow of the iconic Darulaman Palace (Dari for “abode of peace”) and the stunning mountains that surround the city. Afghanistan’s national museum and its parliament buildings are also nearby.

“The Darulaman area is going to be the center of attention in coming years as many significant entities including government offices are going to settle here.” Says Engineer Basirullah Siddiqi, a civil engineer working on the new campus project.

“We are in the first phase of construction now,” says Eng. Siddiqi. The building process has been divided into three stages to ease the management of the project.

Building state of the art facilities in Afghanistan does not come without challenges. “Progress could be much faster if we had the required funding and a standard architectural design ready for the University to use.” Eng. Siddiqi explains that the $50 million (USD) price tag on Phase One is proving a significant obstacle.

“We are working to raise the money we need to build our new campus,” says Mr. Johan Brongers, Chief Finance and Administration Officer and Vice president of AUAF.

Dr. Thomas Stauffer, President of AUAF, is spearheading the fundraising effort. He and his team have submitted several proposals to various donors requesting them to support the construction of the new AUAF campus.

After fundraising, it is design that ranks highest in significance. Complexes on the new campus should follow a single architecture design which brings them in harmony with each other and historical structures that encircle the new site, a point stressed by both Mr. Brongers and Eng. Siddiqi. Although the new campus will contain modern facilities, it is meant to reflect and extend the rich architectural heritage of the country.

“High architectural standards are a priority,” says Eng. Siddiqi. Mr. Brongers adds, “A team of experts will meet in March 2008 to discuss design.”

“We envisage the first phase will be completed in five years.” Mr. Brongers.