Da Afghanistan Bank Donates Five Scholarships to AUAF

Five staff members of Da Afghanistan Bank will join AUAF as new students next semester, after receiving full scholarships from the Bank for their undergraduate studies.

AUAF Founding president, Dr. Sharif Fayez announced the scholarship donation 12 June, saying "Da Afghanistan Bank is willing to educate its team and cooperate with AUAF at the same time."

The scholarships, which total $80,000 (USD), will fund five of the Bank’s employees to study for an undergraduate degree at AUAF. A typical course of study for an undergraduate degree will require four years of full-time study.

The scholarships form part of Da Afghanistan Bank’s strategy to build the capacity of its staff by investing in their education and professional development. The Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank, Mr. Abdul Qadeer Fitrat, spearheaded the initiative. He said: "The Bank has several capacity building programs for the employees in every level and in many subjects."

The five members of the Bank went through a selection process, which Mr. Fitrat characterized as "competitive and objective." He added, "We devised a selection process based on language proficiency and other factors, and we allowed any interested employee to apply."

On 10 May 2008, the selected members of Da Afghanistan Bank arrived on the AUAF campus to start the placement process. One of the major criteria for admission to AUAF is English-language proficiency, which is determined through a standardized test administered by AUAF.

Four of the five staff members qualified for direct entry into AUAF’s undergraduate program, while one scholarship recipient will begin his studies in the Foundation Studies Program (FSP), which prepares students for the challenging expectations of university degree programs.

Dr. Fayez is optimistic about growth of the two organizations’ relations. "We are confident that the returning staff members will take to the Bank a great wealth of knowledge and skills which would lay down stones of future cooperation."

The Bank already plans to continue providing scholarships for its employees.

  "The Bank has taken on a long term strategy of capacity development for its members through various short and long term trainings," says Mr. Fitrat. "We hope to cooperate more with the American University in future."