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Assessing the Impact of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan’s universities
By Omid Sharafat*, translated into English by Rustam Seerat.
Since their return to power more than two years ago, the Taliban have transformed society by nullifying Afghanistan’s constitution and utilizing force to impose its directives without care for citizens’ consent or discontent. In particular, higher education and universities, which should remain safe from such external coercive interventions, have suffered extensive Taliban ideological and political intervention. This article discusses those impacts of Taliban rule.
Since the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2021, extensive restrictions have been imposed on both public and private universities, including the following developments:
- Prohibition of female education
On December 21, 2022, the Taliban Ministry of Higher Education sent a letter to all private and public universities announcing the prohibition of women’s education in universities. On January 28, 2023, a separate letter was sent to private universities stating that females were not allowed to participate in university entrance exams and that those institutions would face consequences for any violations of this directive. Furthermore, female professors and staff were not permitted…
