Director: Daniel C. Levy

Afghan Government and USAID Partner for Private Higher Education

PROPHE Summary (by Prachayani Praphamontripong):
The U.S. Agency for International Development has partnered with the Afghan Government and other private donors to establish the private American University of Afghanistan set to open in 2006. Targeting 1,100 undergraduates from Afghanistan and neighboring countries, the university will offer programs in management, liberal arts, and communications, all taught in English. Additionally, President Karzai has emphasized that educational development is crucial to national development.

PROPHE Observation (by Daniel C. Levy):
The creation of the American University of Afghanistan is part of broader efforts at educational and national development. Noteworthy is that this university would be private. That legal status, the fields of study, the name of the institution, and presumably other features underscore not only privatization but also Americanization in higher education in the Central Asian region.