International Islamic University Afghanistan

Project Background

The Government of Afghanistan has allocated 100 hectares of land for the construction of the International Islamic University Afghanistan (IIUA) main campus in the City of Jalalabad. Jalalabad or Jalal Abad is the capital of Nangarhar province on the eastern side of Afghanistan, and is located at the junction of the Kabul and Kunar rivers bear the Laghman valley.

The proposed site is strategically located between Kabul, Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistan. It is linked by approximately 150 kilometres of highway with Kabul to the west and about the same distance to Peshawar in Pakistan to the east.

The master plan proposed to enhance the aspects of campus that can draw potential students and investors to it, while providing a firm foundation for future growth.  The four alternative layout designs were assessed using five main selection criteria; affordability, environmental sustainability, land utilisation, walkability and cultural identity. The master plan is based on four guiding principles for the future development of the campus:

  • Connect (walkability)
  • Create (affordability and environmental sustainability)
  • Complement  (land utilisation and environmental sustainability)
  • Conserve (environmental sustainability and cultural identity)
 
The IIUA conceptual master plan was formulated based on the tawhidic paradigm that signifies a unique relationship between man and Allah, the Only One, and excludes similar relationship between man and everything else. It also reinforces the duty of man as the vicegerent or khalifah on this earth. As a khalifah, it is man’s responsibility to perform his duty based on divine guidance, Al-Quran and Al-Hadith, and to be perform the duty with trust (amanah) and justice (‘adl).