Afghanistan’s Higher Education: Progress Undone

Afghanistan's Higher Education: Progress Undone - Aziz Mohibbi

The higher education system in Afghanistan underwent significant progress between 2001 and 2021, marked by increased enrollment, including 110,000 female students, and improvements in both public and private institutions. However, following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, this progress has been largely reversed. Women are now banned from secondary and higher education, female lecturers are excluded, and male professors have fled the country in large numbers. Combined, this led to a decline in the quality of education. 

The Taliban’s policies emphasize religious studies, replacing modern and liberal subjects. And, they have introduced under-qualified lecturers from religious schools into universities. Meanwhile, private universities struggle with drastically reduced enrollments, forcing some to close or shift to online operations. The broader impact includes a loss of access to education for both genders due to economic and security challenges, alongside a growing conservative agenda in the curriculum. Currently, many Afghan academics and professionals who fled to neighboring countries face unemployment or underemployment, unable to continue their work in higher education. Together, these shifts represent a profound regression in Afghanistan’s educational and societal development.

This video is part of the Center’s series on Higher Education. The series fosters cooperation between universities and other institutions of learning through the exchange of ideas, expertise, and best practices.

Speaker Biography

Aziz Mohibbi, an agriculture and environmental engineer, earned his PhD from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan, in 2018. Formerly the chancellor of Bamyan University in Afghanistan, he implemented various initiatives, notably prioritizing the training and employment of female academics. He served as the deputy dean at the Agriculture School, Kabul University. He currently is an IIE-SRF fellow, jointly hosted by Maynooth University and Trinity College Dublin. 

With previous roles at Kabul University and the UN Environment Program in Afghanistan, Mohibbi has also worked as a consultant for the Environment and Natural Resource Commission of the Afghanistan Parliament. His focus lies in higher education development, particularly supporting women and individuals facing educational barriers in Afghanistan. He is writing about Afghanistan’s higher education and conducting research. As the higher education advisor to Sustainable Smiles, he is dedicated to advancing education, especially for women. His current research at Maynooth University focuses on peatland changes over time and the impact of oil prices on peat cutting.

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