Welcome Address by Founding President of the American University of Afghanistan Dr. Sharif Fayez: "Toward a Better University System"
Second Joint Ministry of Higher Education – the American University of Afghanistan Conference
Kabul, Afghanistan
April 24 – 25, 2007
In the Name of God the Compassionate the Merciful.
On behalf of the American University of Afghanistan, I am pleased to welcome you all to the second joint conference of the American University of Afghanistan and the Ministry of Higher Education.
It is a great honor for me to thank President Karzai for his message of support of AUAF and our conference. I would like to thank his Excellency Mr. Zalmai Hewadmal, President Karzai’s cultural advisor, for coming to our conference and bringing this special gift from the President.
His Excellency Minister Dadfar has always been a strong supporter and sincere friend of AUAF and I deeply appreciate his close cooperation with AUAF. Your Excellency, I am pleased to thank you and your deputies and advisors, particularly Mrs. Soriya Paikan, Mr. Khiski, Dr. Mousavi, Dr. Huseinyan, Professor Cheragh, Mr. Assad Safi and others for their close cooperation with AUAF.
His Excellency Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Ghafour Ghaznawi, the founder of science centers and one of the great educators in Afghanistan, has also honored us by participating in our conference. Whenever my staffs ask me to help them in recruiting students from high schools, I dial your number and you have always responded to my calls in a graceful manner. Thank you for your help.
I am very pleased to welcome the AUAF chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Akram Fazel, chair of the Trusteeship Committee of the Board, Professor Ishaq Nadiri (Special Economic Advisor to President Karzai), former Chairman of the Board, Mr. Mirwais Azizi (President of Azizi Bank), the first Vice-Chairman of the Board, Mr. Ehsan Bayat (President of AWCC and Bayat Foundation – I think he is not here), Mr. Noorullah Delawari, Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Hasan Gran, Executive Chief of the Parliament. Your financial, moral and academic contributions to AUAF have helped AUAF launch its program so successfully.
Professor Michael Daxner, a former president of the University of Oldenburg and a representative of the Magna Charta Observatory, has once again honored us by participating in this conference. Academic freedom, which must be the soul of every university in a democratic system, was the topic of his presentation for the previous conference. Today he will talk about another important higher education issue: legislation. Thank you, Mike, for joining us.
We are very fortunate to have the participation of UNESCO and hope to have its close cooperation in our future educational events. I would like to offer my special thanks to Dr. Anwar Alsaid, who warmly accepted my invitation and then facilitated the participation of Dr. Molly in our conference. Dr. Molly’s topic "Policy Issues on Higher Education: Equity, Efficiency and Quality" will deal with some of the most important issues and challenges confronted by Afghan higher education.
With the participation of two major USAID-funded capacity building and higher education organizations – AED and Bearing Point – this conference will provide vital information about the role of USAID in shaping the future of higher education and building capacity in Afghanistan. Two distinguished representatives of the two organizations, Dr. Neil Maghnam, a former US university president, and Dr. Rabbani, a distinguished educator, will talk about their programs for higher education in Afghanistan.
Dr. Sultana Parvanta, who moderated the previous conference and translated the participants’ presentations from English into Farsi and vice versa, and has helped me organize both conferences, will talk about university partnership besides playing the role of a moderator and translator in this conference. Please accept my humble gratitude for your dedicated professional contributions to these conferences.
Our last speaker will be AUAF President Dr. Thomas Stauffer. As a former president of several U.S. universities, Dr. Stauffer has enormous knowledge and experience in university governance and management. He will arrive in Kabul from Dubai this afternoon. If the conveyor at the terminal doesn’t stop several times and if traffic jam doesn’t turn his drive from the airport to the Intercontinental into a nightmare, he will be able to make his presentation on time.
I have never wanted to feel detached from the public universities in this country. I am a product of the system and will try my best to help it within my capacity and the jurisdiction of the American University of Afghanistan. Therefore I would like to ask Kabul University President Nazifi, Kabul Education University Professor Alimi, Kabul Medical University President Professor Obaid, Kabul Polytechnic University President Professor Mir Fakhradin, Presidents of Nangarhar University, Balkh University, Herat University, Kandahar University and presidents of other universities and institutes in the country to feel home here at AUAF.
I am very pleased to see Professor Fazel Khan, one of the most respected educators of this country, among us. He was one of my most favorite professors at the Faculty of Education of Kabul University, a distinguished educator, a former Minister of Education during a time when education had become a taboo and a secret activity in many parts of this country. Thanks, Professor Fazel, for participating in this conference.
We are all members of one higher education family, with common goals and objectives to teach knowledge, create knowledge, disseminate knowledge, and to help our students use knowledge for their good and that of their society, to help the country understand, appreciate and embrace democratic values and the sublime values of our faith and culture.
The American University of Afghanistan does not impose any ideology on anyone or institution because it is not in the business of teaching or creating ideology. According to the AUAF Charter, one of the main purposes of this institution is to serve as a "save haven for democratic discourse, research, teaching, and learning." (Article I)
As the founder of this institution, one of my responsibilities has been to introduce AUAF to the Afghan academia, the Afghan government and the society as a model of excellence in private higher education institution, with a mission to promote democracy, civil society, academic freedom, and reform in Afghan higher education by organizing such joint conferences.
Before ending this note, I would like to recognize the important role of a special supporter and friend of this institution. From the time when AUAF was only a vision in 2002 up to now when that dream is being realized, he has been involved in helping us establish this university. President Karzai awarded him the distinguished Mir Masjidi Khan’s Medal for his excellent services in health and education, not probably knowing that he has also played a very significant role in the establishment of AUAF.
My good friend, Dr. James Sarn, USAID Education and Health Director, the American University of Afghanistan, with all its stakeholders, should never forget your great contributions in helping us establish this institution, which hopefully will be a model of excellence in the future. Jim, you deserve much more than these words.
With you I would like to thank USAID Mission Director, his deputy, Dr. Mark White, Mr. James McCloud, Ms. Marilyn Bianco, and USAID itself for their great financial, academic, and moral support.
