UMass Amherst’s impact in fighting COVID-19 extends to a program backed by the university in Afghanistan. Two graduates from the first cohort of the Biomedical Technology (BMET) associate degree program at Kabul University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) in Afghanistan have been recognized for their efforts to design and construct a low-cost ventilator using locally available materials. Afghanistan has a lack of ventilators address the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BMET program is an educational initiative founded by the Center for International Education (CIE) in the UMass Amherst College of Education. The graduates involved in the ventilator development graduated from the BMET program in 2018.
At a recent public event to unveil the new ventilator, designed and constructed by Faisal Osmany and Matiullah Firozi, the Afghani government recognized the contributions of the BMET team and awarded them certificates of appreciation.
As part of its work in university support and workforce development with USAID, CIE is responsible for creating partnerships between U.S. community colleges and Afghan universities to create associate degrees in employment-related skill areas. In Afghanistan these degrees are housed in four-year institutions rather than in separate community colleges. Unlike many of the technical and vocational education training programs in the Afghanistan, the associate degrees are explicitly tailored to the needs of employing institutions. Students are required to complete four semesters of course work, followed by a semester-long internship to expose students to real employment experience.
In fall 2015, CIE oversaw the creation of a partnership between the Community Colleges of Spokane in Washington State and KUMS in Kabul to establish the BMET associate degree program. The Community Colleges of Spokane provided extensive assistance in curriculum development, faculty capacity building, laboratory installation and classroom renovation to assist KUMS in creating the new program.
The CIE works to contribute to the development of leaders in the field of international education who will become active agents for change to improve education systems around the world. Throughout its history, CIE has been committed to working to strengthen educational systems, both formal and non-formal, in developing countries of the world. Recent emphasis has been on conflict-affected countries with the greatest educational challenges.