KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - (July 8, 2003) Earlier today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a $553,475 grant to the Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan to fund a feasibility study on a proposed American University in Afghanistan (AUA) project. The grant was conferred in a signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Higher Education. United States Ambassador to Afghanistan Robert Finn signed the grant agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government. His Excellency Sharief Fayez, Minister of Higher Education of Afghanistan, signed the grant agreement on behalf of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan.

The project proposes the creation of an American-style, private, coeducational university in Afghanistan. If established, the university would follow in the tradition of similar universities worldwide that are members of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU). AAICU members are legal entities, and accredited for degree purposes, in both the host country and in the United States. The AUA, like other similar institutions, would be founded on the principle of self-sustainability. As such, tuition and fees would be structured to cover most expenses.

The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan has direct responsibility for managing Afghanistan's public universities and developing strategies for the reconstruction of the country's higher education sector as a whole. The Ministry sees the AUA project as a means to address a number of strategic issues and a benchmark against which other higher education institutions in Afghanistan can be measured.

The Ministry has requested that the Coordinating Council for International Universities (CCIU) develop the AUA project. CCIU is a non-profit organization established in 1996 to serve as an advisory and management group to promote the creation and strengthening of strong American-style universities abroad. CCIU will conduct the USTDA-funded study, which will examine the economic, regulatory, and social aspects of the project, and develop an implementation plan.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

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