The opening ceremony of the three-day National Conference on the Industrial Revolution for Afghanistan’s Sustainable Development was held at Al-Biruni University.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Higher Education, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, the Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs of the Ministry of Higher Education, the Deputy Governor of Kapisa Province, several directors from the Ministries of Higher Education and Industry and Commerce, provincial officials, university leadership, lecturers, and researchers.

The Minister of Higher Education, Sheikh-ul-Hadith Mawlawi Neda Mohammad Nadeem, stated that the aim of such conferences is to provide constructive recommendations to the Emirate’s institutions and to strengthen Afghanistan’s path toward self-reliance. He emphasized that such initiatives should be expanded and their academic aspects further strengthened.

He noted that the Islamic Emirate is moving toward industrialization and called on university lecturers to train professional human resources for this purpose. He also remarked that the previous occupation neither implemented any fundamental projects in Afghanistan nor created genuine development; instead, it destroyed the country’s existing resources.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Sheikh Nooruddin Azizi, said that in the past there were around 4,000 active factories in Afghanistan, whereas the current number has reached nearly 6,000. He added that the Islamic Emirate has created many facilities for traders and industrialists. In this regard, by the order of Amir-ul-Mu’minin (may Allah protect him), 161,000 acres of land have been allocated for industrial use.

Additionally, the Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs, Sheikh Zia-ur-Rahman Al-Aryoubi, the Deputy Governor of Kapisa Province, Sheikh Asadullah Sinan, the Chancellor of Al-Biruni University, Mufti Waqayatullah Waqar Hanafi, and other speakers also highlighted the importance of the conference.

The main objectives of the conference include introducing the concepts of the industrial revolution and its impact on Afghanistan’s sustainable development, fostering cooperation between the public sector, the private sector, and academic institutions, explaining opportunities and challenges related to sustainable development, aligning with Afghanistan’s new economic direction, and presenting scientific and practical solutions for the effective use of new technologies in economic, social, environmental, and other areas of development.

It is important to note that 73 research papers were submitted to the conference, of which 51 will be presented by researchers over the three-day program.