Purdue takes lead in helping Afghanistan university School in ravaged capital facing huge challenges Other U.S. universities are expected to follow, but Purdue recently became the first to commit formally to help rebuild Kabul University in Afghanistan. The rebuilding effort, which has yet to be thoroughly defined, was announced at a Feb. 13 news conference at Purdue following a three-day workshop that involved Purdue faculty and administrators as well as current and former Afghanistan officials.   Sherief Fayez, Afghanistan's minister of higher education, speaks at a Feb. 13 news conference as Purdue's Wallace Tyner listens.     "Funding is the biggest concern," said Wallace Tyner, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. "We will seek funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Asian Development Fund." He added that no state funds will be used. The most immediate need in Purdue's effort to help is for travel money to send a delegation of Purdue professors to Kabul University in March. The delegation will further assess the university's needs and help reconstruct the University's curriculum. Tyner encouraged anyone who has resources that they want to contribute to the effort to contact him at 49-44205 or wtyner@purdue.edu. The total, long-term cost of the 10-year rebuilding effort isn't known, but is expected to be in the millions of dollars. At the news conference, Afghanistan's minister of higher education, Sherief Fayez, spoke candidly about the challenges confronting Kabul University. "Kabul is facing fundamental problems," Fayez said. "We do not have sufficient qualified teachers. We have no labs at all. Water, power systems are not working." Kabul University has no professors with doctoral degrees and only one with a master's degree. The rest have bachelor's degrees. Despite the enormous rebuilding task ahead, signs of progress already are evident at Kabul University, such as the participation of 4,000 prospective students in its recent entrance exam. Of that number, about 500 were women, none of whom would have been allowed to apply under Taliban rule. In thanking Purdue, Fayez said that many people in Afghanistan would be grateful for its efforts. "Purdue will take care of our fundamental needs," he said. "Purdue will become a very familiar word in Afghanistan -- perhaps as familiar as Kabul University." Return to top Index of this issue of Inside Purdue