Page 20

and activities of national commissions, the effect of industrialisation in social life, elementary education in Asia, under- standing and appreciation of East/West cultural values, and recommendations for the U.N.E.S.C.O. future programmes. Afghanistan was represented at this conference by Mr. Toryalay Itemadi. Afghan Educational Delegation in America: Upon the invitation of the United States Information Service a group of six educational and editorial staff of the Ministry of Education visited various states where they inspected educational facilities for six weeks. Afghan Cultural Delegation to Iraq: A group of four university professors and writers visited cultural and educa- tional institutes in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi Government in May, 1960. Afghan Education Delegation to the Soviet Union: In May, 1960, a delegation led by Dr. Popal, Minister of Education, visited various educational, scientific and cultural institutes in the Soviet Union. Members of the delegation were two important officials of the Ministry of Education and the Dean of the Faculty of Science of Kabul University. Scholarships and Fellowships: Another important task of the Depart- ment of Foreign Relations is to make arrangements for Afghans to go abroad and study on scholarships and fellowships awarded by United Nations Specialised Agencies and a few countries with which Afghanistan has signed agreements on exchange of students. During the fourth year of the Plan many more students were sent abroad on scholarships and fellow- ships and twelve foreign scholars were given facilities for research in Afghanistan by the Department of Foreign Relations. HISTORICAL SOCIETY Although a large number of books prepared by the Afghan Historical Society Students of Kabul Technical School working on new tools. supplies for vocational and technical schools, international exchange of teachers and students, and the future development of vocational and technical education. The First International Congress of Turkish and Islamic Art: Sponsored by the Ankara University, congress was convened in October, 1959. Dr. Mohammed Anas represented Afghanistan. Two lectures were given at the congress, one by Prof. Tochi of Italy on Afghan Art during the Ghaznavid era: and the second by Dr. Mohammed Anas on Maulana Jalaluddin and his rôle in Islamic countries. The material published about the Ja'am Minaret and art during the Ghaznavid era attracted the attention of well known historians of art who were attending the congress. Seminar on East/West Understanding: During its 10th International Confer- ence U.N.E.S.C.O. decided that an Inter- national Seminar should be arranged in New Zealand in 1960. This seminar was attended by 27 member states and several international organisations and discussed ways and means of bringing East and West closer together in order to avoid misunderstandings which tend to result in war. Afghanistan was represented in this seminar by Mr. Gholam Ali Ayeen. The Second U.N.E.S.C.O. Regional Conference: Co-sponsored by the national U.N.E.S.C.O. Commission of the Philip- pine Government and U.N.E.S.C.O., this conference was convened in January, 1960, for the countries of the South/East Asia region with observers from the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands. The conference discussed the structure, duties 17