Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Nine private higher-education institutions in Afghanistan have had their operating licences suspended or revoked over alleged “ghost students,” administrative deficiencies and violations of academic requirements.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education, controlled by the Taliban, announced Sunday that the licences of seven institutions had been suspended for one year, while two others had their licences permanently revoked following an inspection and assessment conducted during the spring semester of the 1405 Afghanistan solar year.
The institutions whose activities have been suspended for one year are Barlas University in Jawzjan, Rah-e Saadat and Turkistan universities in Balkh, Azhar and Barna universities in Badakhshan, Rashad University in Faryab and Payam University in Kabul.
The ministry said the licences of Kohanduz University in Kunduz and Khana-e Danish University in Takhar had been permanently revoked.
According to the ministry, inspections found cases in which institutions allegedly maintained “ghost students,” failed to keep proper attendance records, admitted students who had been barred from education to final examinations and lacked required administrative and academic structures.
The ministry also cited inadequate laboratory equipment for medical students, failure to teach the curriculum approved by the ministry and insufficient opportunities for medical students to complete practical training in hospitals.
The ministry said some institutions had scheduled classes but classrooms were found to have no students attending.
The latest action comes amid wider pressure on Afghanistan’s higher-education sector, which has undergone major changes since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Restrictions on women and girls have had a particularly significant impact on universities and private higher-education institutions.
UNESCO has reported that the exclusion of women and girls from higher education has posed a major threat to the private higher-education sector. Female students and instructors have been forced to leave institutions, while private universities lost about 28% of their income after restrictions on women’s higher education took effect. UNESCO also reported that 31% of private universities were at risk of closure because of financial difficulties.
The decline in female participation has been accompanied by a broader contraction in higher education. According to UNESCO figures cited by international media, female university enrolment had fallen to zero by 2024, while overall male enrolment also declined significantly.
The authorities have also introduced tighter controls over university curricula and academic life, while international organisations have repeatedly called for Afghan girls and women to be allowed to return to secondary schools and universities.
More than 120 private higher-education institutions are operating across 34 Afghanistan provinces, according to the Ministry of Higher Education. A significant proportion of these institutions provide medical education.
The latest licensing decisions could add further pressure to an already weakened higher-education sector, although the ministry says the measures are aimed at addressing academic, administrative and regulatory violations.