Departments

Department of Miniature

This department was established and started its activities in 2003 into the frame of Faculty of Fine Arts-Herat University. Passing the time, the department has reached many steps toward the betterment of the quality of Herat Miniature. At present, the department of Miniature includes of 9 Lecturers which 5 of them are males and 4 females.

Scientific goals

Based on the definitions from the arts which are written by philosophers during the centuries, art is a ladder toward complementary of spirit and mind of the human. It has put positive effects on all dimension of individuals and communities.

Art has always been the expresser of man’s emotions and feelings, either happiness or sorrows to be shared with the others.

Art is the only common language of the nations and civilizations around the word. Art has always been able to express the level of thoughts which are reached in every society. Based on this subject, communities are considered and assessed according to its art and culture.

Herat like other societies has gotten art and has been famous for its art especially Miniature. As long as the history says, Herat has gotten high culture and civilizations and this reality is a part of Herat’s Identity.

Herat as the center of art and literature has been the origin of Eastern Painting which is known by the name of Miniature. This city is famous for its Miniature and has presented great Master of Miniature (Ostad Kamaluddin Behzad) to the world. In order to continue this kind of valuable cultural heritage, there is a real need to train artists to keep and protect this valuable eastern and Islamic art.

To study and research art, it is the best option to create educational centers in that area in which that art has been growth, developed and put effect on other arts around. Of course, it may have better result to encourage this Islamic and theosophical art in its root environment, which is a theosophy center.

Lack of such a department was felt by the scholars and artist in all over Herat, so the faculty of Fine Arts attempted to establish Department of Miniature to avoid losing this great heritage with training new generation of Miniaturists. Nowadays, international organization of NNESCO is working hard to save cultural heritage of the world, and this is one of the goal for establishment of Miniature Department.

As an origin of Miniature growth and development in Afghanistan, this department has designed short and long term plans which can lead it to reach the position that had in the past, especially in Timurid era. The department of Miniature will not only work on this, but it also plans to take into attention all other traditional and main arts of Afghanistan.

Educational Goals

Some of the Miniature Department’s programs are as following:

• Teaching Afghanistan’s traditional and main arts
• Research and studying on rural arts
• Rehabilitation of the arts which are about to be forgotten
• Documentation and filing of information about the monuments and memorials buildings which are about to ruin and be forgotten.
• Launching exhibitions, workshops and informative journeys to upraise the level of students’ mind and motivation
• Holding scientific and artistic conferences
• Uprising the level of education to approach international standards

Curriculum for B. A. Students was designed for 4 years. It was designed by Mr. Tawfiq Rahmani and Mr. Gh. Hazart Hassass in 2001. During a joint conference with Kabul University's Professors in 2014, the curriculum was approved. This curriculum includes 144 credits and the subjects include both theory and practical.

Department of Graphic

Under the license of Ministry of Higher Education, the department of Graphic was established and started its activities in 2011. Presently, there are 7 lectures in the departments who are holding the scientific positions of Pohandoy, Pohanmal, Pohanyar and Pohyalay.

Since establishment, this department has put efforts to approach a criterial quality in teaching and instruction the students to be match the academic standards.

worldwide System of Credit and curriculum approved by the ministry of Higher education has been implemented at this department.

Considering short time passed since its establishment, this department has done many activities such as holding several individual and group exhibitions. First round of graphic graduates has been presented to the society in 2014. There are a professional library, a workshop for hand printing, a computer lab and classrooms for theory and practical lessons.

Lectures of this department are members of University Scientific Council, Faculty Scientific Council, Research Committee, Discipline Committee and commission for Launching exhibitions.

Every year, new students are attracted through University Entrance Exam and especial exam for Behzad Professional Institute, held by Ministry of Higher education.

Scientific Goals

• effort on quality and quantity improvement of Graphic Art teaching (artistic and industrial graphic) for students, according to national and international criteria
• Presenting scientific and artistic achievements and introduction of their applicable fields in the country level
• Training of professional staff according to international criteria and Afghanistan’s society
• Improvement and betterment of the department position in the country level
• Creating relationship with Graphic departments outside the country
• Establishment of photography, animation and caricature tendencies into the frame of department
• creating a more professional work field

Curriculum

curriculum approved by the Ministry of Higher Education is implemented in this department. The subjects which are in the curriculum include both practical and theory, and are divided into 5 categories: Professional, Basic, Optional, University Wide and Monograph.

Educational Goals

• Launching biannual exhibitions by teachers and students of department (once every two years)
• To prepare criterial Teaching Policy Plans
• Holding scientific conferences
• Arranging of instructive journeys to improve the level of students’ minds and motivation
• Research and study on Modern Arts to upgrade the level of education and to reach international criteria