Taliban Pressure on Private Universities in Afghanistan Raises Shutdown Fears
Increased pressure from the Taliban authorities on a number of private universities in Afghanistan has heightened concerns that these educational institutions could be shut down, leaving thousands of students in limbo. According to information from sources, the pressure has intensified in recent months and has included scrutiny of the ownership and shares of some universities.
Sources say Taliban officials have visited several private universities, including Taj University in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, and have questioned them about the ownership structure and shares of these institutions. According to owners of some higher education institutes, this process has gone beyond routine inspections and has created fresh concerns among the administrators of these centres.
A reliable source, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said the shareholders of the university linked to him were held for about two hours in the building of the Taliban administration’s Ministry of Justice. According to the source, they were told that to continue operating, they must either hand the university over to this ministry or stop its activities.
The same source added that some people who had previously been politically active in Afghanistan’s former government and had invested in higher education were told to transfer their university licences to individuals close to the Taliban administration. According to him, the owners of these universities do not agree to sell their licences.
Private universities have formed an important part of Afghanistan’s higher education sector over the past two decades, providing opportunities for thousands of students in different provinces. Any restriction or halt to the activities of these institutions could further limit access to higher education for many young people.
