As part of the Afghan-German Cooperation, the project “Academic Mining Education in Afghanistan” (AMEA) is financed by the German Federal Foreign Office and jointly implemented since May 2014 by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The program applies an integrative approach revising mining related study programs, providing for both teaching staff as well as students in Afghanistan access to up-to-date technical knowledge, innovative teaching methods, and exposing them to real life work environments in country and abroad.
As part of the capacity development concept, up to 45 outstanding students and lecturers also receive scholarships for two to three months’ practical training or a Master of Geoscience at TU Freiberg. Options for cooperation with institutes in Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Pakistan and Iran are also being assessed.
Networking between Institutes in Iran, Germany and Afghanistan
A first study tour to Iran in May 2015 identified numerous options for academic exchange on teaching approaches, learning material, joint research but most importantly practical learning in the field suitable for both academic staff as well as students. A future trilateral cooperation with German and Iranian universities, the private sector and the Geological Survey of Iran (GSI) in the AMEA context is therefore being prepared. Next steps on how to work together were discussed with colleagues of the University of Teheran, School of Geology and School of Mining Engineering, the Geology Department of Amir Kabir University as well as representatives of the Department of Geology of the Islamic Azad University of Esfahan.
These talks were completed by meetings with the President of the Organization for Industry, Minerals and Trade of the Chahar Provincial Department of the Ministry of Industries and Business of Iran and finally rounded up by comprehensive meetings with relevant members of the Geological Survey of Iran (GSI). Following the initial fact finding mission, two interdisciplinary capacity development measures to Iran and Germany for professors and lecturers of the three AMEA partner universities from Afghanistan, i.e. Kabul Polytechnic University, Kabul University, and Balkh University are currently under preparation for 2015 in close cooperation with selected German Universities, i.e. University of Applied Sciences, TFH Georg Agricola, Bochum and selected Iranian Universities.
Contact:
Arnim Fischer
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH
Head of Program Academic Mining Education in Afghanistan
E-Mail: Armin.Fischer(at)giz.de
Author: Kai Steger
