Embassy of Afghanistan hosts Joint Meeting with Oslo Metropolitan University and Kabul University for Start of Academic Partnership & Collaboration
Today, Monday the 30th of November, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Oslo facilitated a joint virtual meeting with Kabul and Oslo Metropolitan Universities.
Participants included, Ambassador Ghafoorzai as facilitator of the meeting, Chancellor of Kabul University, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Osman Babury, the Rector of the Oslo Metropolitan University, Dr. Curt Rice and heads of relevant departments of the Universities.
The purpose of the meeting was to identify areas of collaboration between Kabul and OlsoMet Universities, spanning various areas, including international studies, social and health sciences, as well as technology, design and art.
At the outset, Ambassador Ghafoorzai and the Rector of OsloMet University, Dr. Rice offered condolences on last month’s terrorist attack at Kabul University, which took many innocent lives.
Amb. Ghafoorzai highlighted the swift return of students at Kabul University to their studies as an example of the people’s determination to defy and overcome such cowardly attacks, which could never undermine the people’s commitment to see their country prosper.
He also emphasized on short-term and long-term initiatives of cooperation between various faculties and departments of the Universities. Some of the initiatives include: online-teaching, fellowships, capacity building, academic mobility and joint programs in the area of research.
The Rector of the Oslo Metropolitan University, Dr. Rice and Chancellor Babury gave an overview of various programs and faculties of their Universities, with discussions focusing on identifying specific fields of interest for future partnership and collaboration.
Dr. Rice further pointed out the many similarities that already connect Kabul University and the Oslo Metropolitan University in terms of number students, common fields of study and shared academic objectives. He also expressed OlsoMet’s readiness to enter into direct collaboration with Kabul University.
The Chancellor of Kabul University, Prof. Babury gave an overview of the history of Kabul University and other higher education institutions in Afghanistan had come a long way in progressing into a more capable institution that was empowering the youth of the country to further secure the future of the country.
Prof. Babury further expressed his appreciation of the initiative as further strengthening the optimistically developing higher education situation in Afghanistan and its value for the country’s post-conflict development.
Following up on the positive outlook and appreciation between the two universities, participants discussed the signing of a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the near future to begin the process of implementing their partnership.
Dr. Rice and Prof. Babury thanked H.E. Ambassador Ghafoorzai for facilitating this meeting and taking the initiative to start a partnership and collaboration between the two Universities.
As a separate initiative, the Embassy is also keen on starting a cooperation between OsloMet University and the Kabul Medical School in the areas of occupational therapy, prosthetics and orthotics as a measure to enhance knowledge and skills in Afghanistan for the production of prosthetics and orthotics.