The Human Development Concept
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Human development is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests.

Capacity Building Programme for Human Development

Afghanistan’s first National Human Development Report (NHDR) 2004 painted a clear picture of the status of human development in the country after two decades of war and destruction. The Human Development Index (HDI) value calculated nationally puts Afghanistan at the dismal ranking of 173 out of 178 countries in the world. The report led to the identification of a number of challenges for sustained research and analysis among Afghan specialists and institutions, in order to carry out alternative policy research beyond the production of a UNDP sponsored Report.

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Students and lecturers at universities in Afghanistan suffered from years of neglect, the flight of qualified teachers, and archaic methods of pedagogy. In support of a new generation of teachers and students capable of engaging with current human development issues in the world and in Afghanistan, there is a need to introduce new lecture subjects and new pedagogical methods, such as field work and applied workshops at higher learning institutions in Afghanistan. In response to this situation, the Centre for Policy and Human Development (CPHD) will support the capacity building of research and teaching on human development at Kabul University through its capacity building programme. It is foreseen to expand the programme to other universities in Afghanistan in the coming years.

Social Research Methodologies (SRM) Training Program:

Centre for Policy and Human Development offers a six month certificate training program on social research methods to both Kabul University lecturers and students on annual basis, since 2008. It is an integrated-conceptual and practical-program, aimed to promote research culture within Afghanistan’s academic institutions, particularly at Kabul University.

The SRM training program is providing opportunities to both Kabul University lecturers and students to enhance their conceptual knowledge and methodological understanding in the field of social research. In addition, the training is aimed enabling the trainees to improve their practical skills for conducting, formulating, and reporting their field research endeavors. Ultimately, the training will further allow Kabul University to raise the standards of research activities by initiating, and promoting new research projects within its various faculties and departments.

Forty university lecturers from various social sciences departments of Kabul University were enrolled in the first round of the training in 2008. At the end of the program, 32 trainees were able to produce group-field research projects on different issues relevant to human development concept. For 2009, the training was commenced in mid July with 45 participants- 20 lecturers and 25 senior students- from 8 social science faculties enrolled.

CPHD LECTURES:

Wednesday, July 15 2009
 

Can Good Policy Be Made in Afghanistan?

CPHD held a third guest lecture of the 2009 series, reflecting on policy making practices in post 2001...

CPHD NEWS:

Kabul, 20 May 2009
 

The Center for Policy and Human Development (CPHD) held its first guest lecture of the year 2009 on May 20, 2009 at the Conference Hall of CPHD.

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