About ATKU

The ongoing USTDA Pragma Corporation’s Accountancy Training Program at Kabul University builds Afghanistan's accounting sector capacity in two ways:

1. Provision of accountancy courses to 150-200 Kabul University students
Pragma Corporation senior instructors and graduate teaching assistants have been providing accounting courses to Kabul University students since January 2007. This USTDA grant calls for the provision of four 28-day long accounting courses—two in basic bookkeeping and accounting and two sector specific (one focusing on the telecommunications sector and one on the aviation sector) designed to match private sector accountancy personnel requirements. All four courses are intended to provide Kabul University students and recent graduates with a solid basis in financial and managerial accounting that will help them meet Afghan employers’ requirements for trained accountancy personnel. Additionally, Pragma instructors and teaching assistants provide assistance to the students with their resumes so that they can market their skills and experience in a professional way that appeals to prospective employers in Afghanistan and abroad.

2. Development of an Accountancy Training Resource Center at Kabul University
Pragma Corporation has purchased and installed 35 brand new computers for the Accountancy Training Resource Center at Kabul University. They are currently being used by the students enrolled in the accounting courses conducted by Pragma, but will be available to all students, faculty and future staff of the Resource Center. The Resource Center is intended to be a financially self-sustainable unit of Kabul University. Pragma Corporation is currently working to develop guidelines for the continued operation of the Resource Center. This process includes: a) developing model bookkeeping and accounting course curricula; b) identifying potential sponsors such as international enterprises, assistance programs that could provide assistance in the development of curricula and other educational efforts leading to sector growth and capacity building; and c) developing a plan for future faculty educational development and training in accounting.

About Pragma Corporatoion

The Pragma Corporation, an international development firm, through USAID-funded projects supports the adoption and implementation of market-based accounting practices to foster enterprise efficiency, economic growth, and regional economic integration. Pragma’s activities in this area include training in International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), technical assistance to government regulatory bodies,and assistance in translating and publishing supporting technical materials. In addition, Pragma conducts training, testing, and certification of professional accountants in the areas of financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, finance, tax law, and management information systems (MIS), and assists professional accounting associations in the adoption of charters and bylaws that meet international standards for governance and professional ethics.