A ceremony was held in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on July 31 to inaugurate a China-funded teaching building and auditorium at Kabul University.

The modern teaching building, funded by the Chinese government for the university, was completed within five years, which is a symbol of bilateral cooperation in the field of education, Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu said at the ceremony.

He noted that China has had extensive and in-depth cooperation with Afghanistan in education, and thousands of Afghan students are now studying in China and nearly 200 local students are enrolled at the Confucius Institute of Kabul University.

China will continue to provide support and assistance to Afghanistan and expand cooperation in various fields, including education, as it has done in the past, Wang added.

Photo shows the China-funded teaching building and auditorium at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan, from a distance. [Photo/IPPR]

Tasked with the project's survey, design, engineering supervision and construction management, Sinomach subsidiary China IPPR International Engineering Co Ltd (IPPR) ensured the smooth progress of the project facing the double test of both terror prevention and epidemic control.

The project includes an auditorium that can accommodate 1,500 people and an academic lecture hall for 150 people and a teaching building, making it the largest China-aided building in Afghanistan in recent years.

Afghanistan has just emerged from the quagmire of years of wars and is now facing new tasks such as economic development and social reconstruction, according to Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, acting minister of higher education of Afghanistan's caretaker government.

He said he hopes that China will continue providing aid to Afghanistan and carry out more cooperation with Afghanistan in the field of education.

Photo shows the interior landscape of the China-funded teaching building and auditorium at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan. [Photo/IPPR]

Photo shows the interior landscape of the China-funded teaching building and auditorium at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan. [Photo/IPPR]

Following the principle of adaptation to local conditions, the building's decorative patterns, designed by IPPR, are based on local Islamic traditions and are also shown in the landscape design.

In view of the climatic characteristics of Afghanistan, which has hot summers and cold winters, as well as strong sunshine and strong winds, the building adopts a courtyard design that facilitates ventilation and lighting.

Deep windows are used in the facade to reduce direct sunlight. Colonnades provide good outdoor shelter. The building is equipped with solar power facilities for public area lighting to reduce energy consumption.

The teaching building and auditorium will be used for excellent graduate programs, and the infrastructure will contribute to cooperation between Afghanistan and China.

Kabul University, as the main university and the first institution of higher education in Afghanistan, was established in 1932. This influential institution has been affected by the political and military developments in Afghanistan over the past four decades.

At the ceremony on July 31 Kabul University Rector Osama Aziz said the university is deeply grateful for China's long-term assistance and support.

IPPR as a backbone enterprise in foreign aid projects has participated in more than 100 China-aided projects in more than 50 countries.