American University of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)

Civic Engagement at AUAF

Civic Engagement Core Curriculum Design During the 2023-2024 academic year, AUAF incorporated two courses tailored to Afghanistan into the core curriculum: Civic Engagement and the Politics of Small Things and Thinking of Democracy. Developed and led by AUAF professor Jeff Goldfarb, these courses are key to the university’s Civic Engagement initiative. Both courses are supplemented by a series of videos, with excerpts intended to inform public dialogue on civic engagement in repressive contexts. Additionally, individual faculty sessions guide students through assignments, discussions, writing tasks, and oral exams, ensuring a deeper understanding of civic engagement and democratic thinking in the Afghan context.

Civic Engagement Curriculum Integration

AUAF is working to further embed Civic Engagement into its curriculum through various initiatives aimed at enhancing faculty understanding and application of the program. One key initiative was the establishment of a Civic Engagement/Politics of Small Things Working Group, which has brought faculty together to reflect on existing civic engagement practices in their courses and explore new ways to integrate civic-oriented pedagogies. The group’s early achievements include plans for a social entrepreneurship course in the Business department and the inclusion of Civic Engagement readings in the First Year Seminar (FYS) program. Additionally, the Civic Engagement team organized a panel discussion during the summer semester, with more events planned for the fall to support ongoing co-curricular engagement.

Civic Engagement and Transition to Success (TTS)

Program As part of AUAF’s Transition to Success (TTS) program, the Civic Engagement team developed and will teach a dedicated one-month module on Civic Engagement. This module introduces high school-aged girls in Afghanistan to key principles of civic responsibility, democratic participation, and community leadership. Designed to be accessible and engaging, the module is a core part of the TTS curriculum, helping to prepare students for future university studies and professional engagement. The teaching of this module is closely aligned with the broader Civic Engagement curriculum at AUAF, providing foundational skills that will be reinforced in later academic and co-curricular activities when TTS students join the AUAF undergraduate program.

Community Building and Future Directions

The Civic Engagement program emphasizes community building both within and beyond AUAF. To support this goal, AUAF launched an online version of the course “Civic Engagement in Repressive Contexts” through the Open Society University Network (OSUN) for Fall 2024. This course aims to become a recurring part of the OSUN Open Online Course offerings. Looking ahead, the CE team at AUAF aims to consolidate its courses, and explore how existing video resources can be better utilized to enhance the student experience. Efforts will also focus on incorporating Civic Engagement principles into other courses and programs, as well as offering additional co-curricular activities as part of student success programming