Accomplishments and Lessons Learned

Mohammad Saleh Keshawarz; Hisham Alnajjar; Azizurahman Azimi

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Innovative Learning, Comparative Learning Analysis, and Lessons Learned
Tagged Division: International
Page Count: 8
Page Numbers: 25.125.1 - 25.125.8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--20885
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/20885
Download Count: 344

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Paper Authors

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Mohammad Saleh Keshawarz University of Hartford

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Mohammad Saleh Keshawarz is a Professor of civil engineering at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn.

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Hisham Alnajjar University of Hartford

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Hisham Alnajjar is professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Hartford, Conn. (USA), where he is also the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture (CETA). Before he served for nine years as the Chair of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at the University of Hartford, he received a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and a M.S. from Ohio University. His research interests include sensor array processing, digital signal processing, power systems, and engineering education. He may be reached at alnajjar@hartford.edu.

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Azizurahman Azimi Herat University

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Azizurahman Azimi is Associate Professor and former Associate Dean of faculty of engineering at Herat University, AFG. Azimi has a master's degree from the University of Hartford, Conn., USA, and a B.S. degree from faculty of engineering, Herat University, AFG.

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Abstract

Accomplishments and Lessons Learned A Partnership between University of Hartford and Herat UniversityAbstractIn 2007, the University of Hartford College of Engineering, Technology, andArchitecture, in West Hartford, Connecticut began a partnership with the Faculty ofEngineering at the Herat University, in Herat City, Afghanistan. The goals of the projectwere to use a combination of curriculum revision and development, faculty development,distance learning and collaborative projects, and local/internal partnerships to establishthe Herat University Faculty of Engineering as the preeminent Engineering program forWestern Afghanistan.Once a part of Kabul University, the Faculty of Engineering became a permanent part ofHerat University in 2004. After functioning in Kabul for approximately 20 years, theEngineering program was closed following the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the1980s. The program also temporary relocated to Pakistan in the 1990s. Although theuniversity was officially open in Herat City during the five years of Taliban rule,programming and resources were extremely limited. Many of those constraints remain inplace as the new Afghan government seeks to rebuild Afghanistan’s Higher EducationSystem.The partnership between University of Hartford (UH) and Herat University (HU) wasaccepted for funding by the World Bank in 2006. Before the partnership began, all theengineering instructors at HU had bachelor’s degrees only, with extremely limitedopportunities for graduate study or professional development, including technology in theclassroom, pedagogical innovations, and student-centered learning.Since the partnership began a total of 17 instructors from Herat University pursued theirmasters’ degrees in different disciplines of engineering at the University of Hartford. Inaddition to their coursework leading to a master’s degree, they shadowed UH instructorsand through this mentoring, they are learned technological applications available and areinstalled at HU via the World Bank and USAID funding), and they developed andupdated, student-centered course materials, assessment methodologies, and plans forcontinuing education and professional development strategies. A number of theinstructors also have implemented the Mechatronics and Architecture programs. Thesetwo curriculum areas have been developed collaboratively by HU and UH, and beganrunning in 2010.This paper will address the key successes achieved as well as the challenges encounteredin developing a robust partnership between countries with such different histories,cultures, educational philosophies, and resources.

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Keshawarz, M. S., & Alnajjar, H., & Azimi, A. (2012, June), Accomplishments and Lessons Learned Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--20885

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                Accomplishments and Lessons Learned  A Partnership between University of Hartford and Herat UniversityAbstractIn 2007, the University of Hartford College of Engineering, Technology, andArchitecture, in West Hartford, Connecticut began a partnership with the Faculty ofEngineering at the Herat University, in Herat City, Afghanistan. The goals of the projectwere to use a combination of curriculum revision and development, faculty development,distance learning and collaborative projects, and local/internal partnerships to establishthe Herat University Faculty of Engineering as the preeminent Engineering program forWestern Afghanistan.Once a part of Kabul University, the Faculty of Engineering became a permanent part ofHerat University in 2004. After functioning in Kabul for approximately 20 years, theEngineering program was closed following the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the1980s. The program also temporary relocated to Pakistan in the 1990s. Although theuniversity was officially open in Herat City during the five years of Taliban rule,programming and resources were extremely limited. Many of those constraints remain inplace as the new Afghan government seeks to rebuild Afghanistan’s Higher EducationSystem.The partnership between University of Hartford (UH) and Herat University (HU) wasaccepted for funding by the World Bank in 2006. Before the partnership began, all theengineering instructors at HU had bachelor’s degrees only, with extremely limitedopportunities for graduate study or professional development, including technology in theclassroom, pedagogical innovations, and student-centered learning.Since the partnership began a total of 17 instructors from Herat University pursued theirmasters’ degrees in different disciplines of engineering at the University of Hartford. Inaddition to their coursework leading to a master’s degree, they shadowed UH instructorsand through this mentoring, they are learned technological applications available and areinstalled at HU via the World Bank and USAID funding), and they developed andupdated, student-centered course materials, assessment methodologies, and plans forcontinuing education and professional development strategies. A number of theinstructors also have implemented the Mechatronics and Architecture programs. Thesetwo curriculum areas have been developed collaboratively by HU and UH, and beganrunning in 2010.This paper will address the key successes achieved as well as the challenges encounteredin developing a robust partnership between countries with such different histories,cultures, educational philosophies, and resources.
AU  - Mohammad  Saleh Keshawarz
AU  - Hisham Alnajjar
AU  - Azizurahman Azimi
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Accomplishments and Lessons Learned
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/20885
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--20885
ER  -