The HOPE project is a German-Afghan university cooperation project and follows the STEWS project (1.Jan-31.Dec 2021).

The cooperation with Gawharshad University, which began in 2014 and was intensified in 2021 through a German-Afghan university cooperation project, could be continued in 2022 thanks to the support of the German Academic Exchange Service with funds from the German Foreign Office.
In this project, two of the previous focus areas could be continued and two new focus areas could be added as a response to the changed situation.

First, the focus is on improving academic writing skills through the establishment of a writing center and the training of writing consultants. Secondly, based on the needs analysis of the STEWS project, the certificate for higher education didactics could be modified and finalized to fit the new conditions in the academic higher education landscape in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over power. Lecturers are trained in a train-the-trainer approach and empower other lecturers in a certificate program adapted to the latest findings of teaching research, existing examples of good practice, and expressed wishes.

In addition, a second focus is on cooperation with Afghan scientists who came to Germany. On the one hand, a network will be established to support them in various matters (integration-related, private, professional, and scientific). On the other hand, a Working Group Afghanistan was established at the University of Education Freiburg, which will bundle the manifold activities concerning Afghanistan and where different activities such as lectures, advanced training, and joint research activities will be implemented. In close collaboration, we organize annual conference in December 2022 and November 2023
You will find recurring information on current activities here.

Participating universities, staff, and partners

PH Freiburg: Prof. Dr. Uwe H. Bittlingmayer, Dr. Stefanie Harsch, Dr. Gerd Bräuer, Marion Degenhart

Gawharshad University Kabul: seven colleagues (names not disclosed for security reasons)

Afghan researchers in Germany: Prof. Dr. Mohammad Jawad Salihi, Dr. Baqer Zaki

More than 50 students participated in the writing training courses. During the course, the trainers supported the students to develop a paper from the initial draft to the final manuscript. Below you find three great examples. We are very proud of the students' work and the remarkable improvement in their ability to write.

Mursal Bakhtari, former student at Gawharshad University and participant of the writing skill training course, wrote an interesting paper on the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). 

Here you find the summary of her paper in English.

Here you find her full paper in Dari.

Shabnam Bakhtari, former student at Gawharshad University and participant of the writing skill training course, wrote an insightful paper on the Principles of Marketing. 

Here you find the summary of her paper in English.

Here you find her full paper in Dari.

Amina Bakhtari, former student at Gawharshad University and participant of the writing skill training course, wrote a well-written paper on the TAPI Project. 

Here you find the summary of her paper in English.

Here you find her full paper in Dari.