page_title: American University of Afghanistan
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: American University of Afghanistan / History
caption_attribution_description: Entrance of the Saleha Bayat Building at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul.
context_page_description: The American University of Afghanistan is Afghanistan's first private, not-for-profit institution of higher education. The university is located in Kabul, near the Darul Aman Palace and the Afghan Parliament.
  Chartered in 2004, the AUAF offers an MBA program, four undergraduate degree programs, pre-college preparation and continuing education and professional development training.
context_section_description: The idea for the American University of Afghanistan began in 2002 with Dr. Sharif Fayez, then Afghan Minister of Higher Education. During his time as minister, he proposed the creation of Afghanistan's first-ever private university. The following year in an address before UNESCO, then U.S. First Lady Laura Bush announced her support of educational initiatives in Afghanistan. The U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, likely inspired from his own experience at the American University of Beirut, encouraged the establishment of the American University of Afghanistan.
  The Afghanistan High Commission for Private Investment offered leases on two parcels of land totaling 55.354 acres (224,010 m²) in the Darulaman area of Kabul until 2103. In addition, the American University of Afghanistan corporation was chartered in the State of Delaware, under the leadership of Dr. Jacob van Lutsenburg Maas, who later became the non-profit corporation's president, to receive these leases. In 2007, the non-profit corporation became a tax-exempt 501(c) 3 organization.
  A charter for the establishment of the American University of Afghanistan was granted on July 26, 2004, by the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education, under Article 46, Chapter 2 of the new Afghan Constitution and Article 445 of the Civil Code. A feasibility study was initiated by the Coordinating Council of International Universities, based in the United States, to recommend an institutional framework.
  In December 2004, the inaugural meeting of the Board of Trustees convened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where Dr. Fayez was elected President pro tempore, serving in this capacity until April 2007, when he was named "founder" by the new president. He continue to lobby the Afghan government on the university's behalf, served as an adviser to the current president, and maintained an office on campus until his death in Feb 2019
  In March 2005, then U.S. First Lady (and former teacher) Laura Bush visited the site and announced a substantial grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch the institution. USAID continues to be the primary financial backer of the organization as it pursues sources of private funding.
  The first students of the American University of Afghanistan enrolled in March 2006. They began with classes to improve their English language and study skills. By September of that year, the university began offering its first credit-bearing undergraduate courses. The Professional Development Institute was also launched in the same year, providing adult professional courses and adult professional level programs.
  On June 8, 2008, Mrs. Bush announced an additional $40 million (USD) in funding for the subsequent five years. Funding will cover more than half of the university's operating expenses during that period, leaving the university to pursue private funding for the remainder of its operating expenses and for the development of its new campus.
  The university held its first commencement ceremony on May 26, 2011, awarding undergraduate degrees to 32 graduates. It held its fourth, and largest, graduation on December 5, 2014, where 180 undergraduate and graduate students graduated. On May 22, 2015, the university held its sixth commencement ceremony, honoring the class of 2015, at the university's International campus. The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Doctorate of Humane Letters Honorary Degree to distinguished guest, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who also delivered the commencement address.
  Currently, more than 1,700 full and part-time students from all 34 provinces of Afghanistan are enrolled in the university, including 1,190 students in undergraduate and graduate program, and 950 students in certification courses. About 35.9% of students for Spring 2015 were women, and more than 85% of the students receive financial assistance. In an interview with Film Annex, Dr. C. Michael Smith, former President of the American University of Afghanistan stated that for the 2012–13 school year over 50% of the entering studen
caption: The Saleha Bayat Building at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul.
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