Passing on knowledge to the future engineers of Afghanistan

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Seventeen students of the Sheikh Zayed University graduated the construction engineering course at the Civil Military Operations Center in Khost City, Afghanistan, June 10.

The course, taught by the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, is a senior elective for engineering students and is broken up into three areas: an overview of engineering studies, project delivery and quality management quality verification, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engineer Bruce Pastorini from Jacksonville, Fla., who assists the Khost PRT.

In the future, the class will be taught solely by four Afghan engineers who worked with Pastorini during the course.

By teaching these young men critical engineering skills it will further the development of Khost province as well as the other provinces of Afghanistan, said Pastorini.

“I challenge you to use what you’ve learned to better this country,” said Dr. Gul Nuwaz, Sheikh Zayed University vice chancellor, during the graduation ceremony.

 “I really enjoyed doing this and sharing what I know, and comparing the instructor’s experiences with my own. I highly respect these guys because of the risks they take every day to educate the next generation of engineers,” said Pastorini, referencing the men who worked with him.

Upon completion of this course, the students will have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and move into the work force.

 “At this point they can go into any job as a beginning engineer for the PRT or coalition forces and be as good as or better than engineers out there now,” said Pastorini.