Five deans and two faculty members from the Universities of Kabul, Nangahar, Herat, Balkh and Kandahar in Afghanistan visited Cornell during the week of Oct. 20.

The emissaries, part of their universities' agriculture faculties, were in Ithaca as part of a consortium with Cornell, Purdue University and University of California-Davis to update the curricula and improve teaching at the Afghan institutions, said Alice Pell, Cornell's vice provost for international relations.

The USDA-sponsored exchange adds to a few other Cornell projects in Afghanistan, including a program with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture and Food to develop horticultural extension materials, and a project with the non-governmental organization Global Partnership for Afghanistan (GPFA) for rehabilitating forests and orchards in communities. Student interns from Kabul University are assisting GPFA field staff on this project while gaining useful work experience. The program provides valuable links between community and university education.

The five deans included M. Yasin Mohsini from University of Kabul; Shah Mahmood Barai from University of Kandahar; Muhammad Asif Bawari from the University of Nangahar; Abdoul Rahim Omid from the University of Herat; and Abdoul Qayoum Ansari from the University of Balkh.

The two faculty members were Hussain Gul Aryobi, assistant professor of agricultural economics, and Mohammad Salim Rahimi, associate professor of plant protection, both from Kabul University.