The Afghanistan Research Group (ARG) is an informal association of scholars, writers, diplomats and of aid and development
experts who have worked or still work in or on Afghanistan.
Purpose and aims of ARG are the advancement of scientific research and knowledge on Afghanistan,
public information on that country, cooperation with Afghans and Afghanistan in the fields of science,
education, research and information (e.g. the former Afghan-German university partnerships),
collaboration with the specialized documentation centres on Afghanistan in Peshawar and Kabul, Bochum, and Bubendorf (Switzerland)
and publications of research results.
Die ARG was founded in February 1966 by Prof. Dr. Willy Kraus and Prof. Dr. Carl Rathjens during a co-ordination
meeting at the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg. The fist chairman was Prof. Dr. Willy Kraus, Bochum.
The ARG is not officially registered, it has neither a constitution nor a budget. The ARG (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Afghanistan)
is based in Germany, but membership is not linked to any nationality. The ARG is also not linked to any political, religious,
or ethnic group. Today AGA has 230 members in 12 countries. Everybody who is interested in Afghanistan in a scientific or in
another professional way is invited to join us.
Die wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Afghanistan ist eine lose Interessengemeinschaft von Wissenschaftlern, Publizisten,
Diplomaten und Fachleuten der Hilfs- und Entwicklungs- zusammenarbeit, die den Informationsaustausch über das Land
interdisziplinär fördern möchten.
The structural elements of ARG are: