Afghanistan Center at Kabul University (ACKU)
The Afghanistan Center at Kabul University (ACKU) was founded in 1998 by Nancy Dupree with the goal of collecting, preserving, and sharing Afghanistan’s cultural and historical heritage. The center was established under the guiding vision of “nation-building through information sharing.”
Today, ACKU is one of the largest research and archival centers related to Afghanistan in the region. It holds an extensive collection of valuable historical and cultural materials, a significant portion of which has been digitized in print, audio, and visual formats. The core objectives of ACKU are to promote literacy, support academic work, and provide research and scholarly training.
Currently, ACKU operates through three main programs:
1. Library and Digital Archive
2. ABLE
3. Research and Communications
Programs:
1. Library and Digital Archive
The Digital Library and Archive is one of ACKU’s most important programs. In this section, technical staff collect, catalog, scan, and digitize documents, which are then made available to local and international users through online platforms. ACKU also provides a computer-equipped reading room with internet access for students, as well as a dedicated research room for professors and researchers.
Each year, more than 40,000 visitors use the physical facilities of ACKU, while over three million local and international users access its digital resources online.
Websites:
Afghanistan Legislations Database:
One of ACKU’s most significant resources is the Afghanistan - the Law Database. After years of continuous effort, legislative documents have been collected and made publicly accessible through this digital platform. The database is designed with advanced search features and includes all Afghan legislative documents, such as laws, regulations, decrees, bylaws, and both enforced and repealed legal texts.
Users can search and access documents in Dari, Pashto, and English, making this comprehensive legal resource easily available to legal professionals, researchers, and the general public.
Photo Collections
ACKU’s photo collections cover the period from 1880 to the early 2000s. These photographs were originally collected as slides and later digitized, cataloged, and archived in the ACKU database. The online photo galleries are designed as research tools, providing access to rare and unique historical and cultural images.
Each gallery and image includes a short description explaining its content and historical significance, supporting research on Afghanistan’s history and cultural landscape. To date, more than 7,000 slides have been digitized and cataloged and are available online.
www.ackuimages.photoshelter.com
2. ABLE Program
The ABLE Program is ACKU’s cultural and educational initiative, focusing on book publishing, library establishment, and the promotion of reading culture. One of its main missions is the printing and distribution of educational support books for children and adolescents.
With more than two decades of experience, the program has made a significant impact. Since 1996, it has established 288 libraries in 34 provinces and has published and distributed over 450 book titles in national and local languages.
In addition, the ABLE Program has launched a special online platform for children’s books aimed at Afghan communities living abroad. Through this platform, users can access children’s literature—especially stories and poetry—in their native languages.
Our evaluations show that over 1.5 million people use ABLE-supported libraries across the country each year. The program also contributes to adult literacy by publishing books for adults who were unable to access formal education, achieving notable results in this area.
www.acku.edu.af/able
3. Research and Communications
ACKU provides a supportive environment for research by training local scholars in research methodology, critical analysis, and academic writing. Facilitating research activities and promoting academic work are among ACKU’s core goals.
To achieve this, ACKU offers research facilities and organizes seminars and workshops on research methods. University professors, researchers, students, teachers, and other interested individuals are encouraged to use these resources and benefit from ACKU’s research capacity.
ACKU also actively collaborates with national and international research institutions on joint research projects. Additional activities include public speaking courses, the establishment of ACKU information corners—especially at universities in Kabul and the provinces—and training on how to use ACKU’s collections through websites and online platforms. These initiatives are implemented in cooperation with academic institutions and partner organizations.