AGB stars and the cosmic dust cycle

Theoretical and observational studies of dust condensed in outflows from AGB stars have substantially advanced the understanding of the dust mixture from individual stars. This detailed information incorporated into models of the lifecycle of interstellar grains allows us to evaluate the contribution of AGB stellar populations to the galactic dust budget, their role in the dust production in galaxies of various morphological types. I will highlight some questions of galactic evolution that can be answered by these models in combination with modern infrared observations. I will also present models of dust evolution in an inhomogeneous, multi-phase ISM that shed light on the dust mass growth in clouds, an important dust formation mechanism in evolved galaxies.