Kabul University

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Kabul University


Established	1932
Chancellor:	Dr. Ashraf Ghani
Students:	7,000
Location	Kabul, Afghanistan
Website:	www.ku.edu.af

Kabul University (Persian: دانشگاه کابل) is located in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was founded in 1931 but officially opened for classes in 1932. Kabul University is currently attended by approximately 7,000 students, of which 1,700 are females. The university is still recovering from the long period of war and chaos in the country. The main building was rebuilt about 500 meters from the old one, which has almost the same design.

Thousands of students are studying at the university in fields of Agriculture, Economics, Pharmacy, Law, Literature, Science, Engineering, and Fine Arts.

1 History
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

Kabul University was officially inaugurated in 1932, opening it's doors for the first time to students from across the country. During the 1950s and 60s the university was one of the finest institutions of its kind in Asia, the intellectual heart of the country and the pride of Afghanistan.^[1]

In the 1960s foreign-educated scholars populated the campus, exposing the new Afghan generation to new topics such as communism, feminism and capitalism. Students influenced during this era include Ahmed Shah Massoud, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Dr. Faiz Ahmad, and Saydal Sokhandan.

Many different political groups were influenced in the University such as Khaliqis, Parchamis, Sholayees, Ikhwanies etc.

In a class between Ikhwanies and Sholayees, an Afghan poet named Saydal Sokhandan was killed by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in the 1970s. Saydal was fired upon and shot by Gulbuddin during an argument.^[2]

During the rule of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), Kabul University lost several lecturers and staff. The majority of the university's faculty left during the 10 year period of unrest or civil war that followed after the fall of the PDPA government in 1992.

The Angel Center at Kabul University.

It is estimated that the university will need $64 million US dollars to function again on a basic level. In January 2004, the campus boasted only 24 computers and one stethoscope. As part of its recovery program, Kabul University has established partnerships with four foreign universities, including Purdue.

In 2007, Iran donated USD 800,000 to Kabul University's dentistry faculty. Iran has also donated 25,000 books to Kabul University.^[3] At present, the main library of Kabul University is the best-equipped library in Afghanistan.^[4] The library is equipped with many computers, books and magazines mostly donated by Iran.^[5]

The faculty of science of Kabul University has five departments: Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics .

The Faculty of Engineering has four departments: Architecture, Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering. An estimated 600 students are taking classes there.

The Faculty of Pharmacy in Kabul University has five departments: Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics and Biochemistry and Food Analysis. It has seven functioning laboratories and recently the new curriculum of this faculty has been approved and is being implemented. An estimated 400 students are taking classes there.

The Faculty of Agriculture of Kabul University has six departments: Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Animal Science, Forestry and Natural Resources, Horticulture, and Plant Protection.

The Faculty of Veterinary Science of Kabul University has five departments: Paraclinic, Preclinic, Clinic, Animal Husbandry, and Food Hygiene.