Chinese Government provides RMB 240 million grant for Kabul University Comprehensive Teaching Building and Auditorium Project (Linked to Record ID#54009, #53629, and #53999)

Project narrative

On May 16, 2016, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Afghan Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah signed six bilateral cooperation documents, including an exchange of notes on the Kabul University Comprehensive Teaching Building and Auditorium Project. The Chinese Government committed approximately RMB 240 million in grant funding for this project, which involves the construction on the Integrated Teaching Complex and an auditorium for Kabul University. On October 10, 2017, the commencement ceremony of the construction of the comprehensive teaching building and auditorium of Kabul University in Afghanistan was held in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The Kabul University Comprehensive Teaching Building and Auditorium Project includes an academic lecture hall with 40 classrooms and an auditorium with a capacity of 500 people. It covers a total building area of about 14,100 m2, of which the comprehensive teaching building covers 8,350 m2, the auditorium covers 5,200m2, and the equipment room covers 550 m2. Its contents mainly include the major structures of the buildings, building decorations, an electricity system, a water drainage and supply system, an air-conditioning ventilation system, teaching office equipment installation, indoor furniture and appliances, and outdoor engineering. Upon completion, it will be the largest building of Kabul University. China 19th Metallurgical Corporation (MCC19) is the contractor responsible for project implementation. A project commencement ceremony took place on October 10, 2017. Then, the project passed its mid-term acceptance inspection on December 11, 2018. The project was officially completed on June 27, 2021. However, the building did not go into operation until July 31, 2022. The project’s originally expected completion date was May 2021. During the project’s completion, there were social risks to employee safety from Taliban attacks on Chinese business employees. Afghan employees of the China Railway 14th Bureau have established and improved risk assessment mechanisms to handle incidents of sudden explosions and terrorist accidents. Social safeguards include required medical and personal insurance for overseas dispatched workers.