Nearly 110 professors with advanced degrees fired from Herat University
By Matin Mehrab
The Taliban has fired dozens of professors with master’s and Ph.D degrees from Herat University, says former university officials.
“Since the Taliban came to power, they have fired 108 university professors from Herat university,” says Abdullah Fayez, the former chancellor of Herat University.
Among those fired are 30 women professors, many studying abroad on scholarships, according to Fayez.
Most of the professors were fired because they do not carry the Taliban worldview and the women professors were fired because they are women, adds Fayez.
Before the Taliban took over, Herat University had nearly 500 professors, including 113 female professors.
A professor at the university’s faculty of communication, who spoke under pseudonym Hamid Rahimi, is among those fired by the new Taliban administration. “All the professors were hired through the departments, and, for whatever reason, the department should have a say about the hiring and firing of the professors. The Taliban have decided [to fire the professors] without consulting the departments and without taking into considerations the needs and opinion of students and faculty,” explains Rahimi, adding that the Taliban’s decision to fire the professors is a violation of the Ministry of Higher Education’s law.
Zan Times’ request for an interview with Abdul Aziz Nomani, the Taliban-appointed president of Herat University, was not answered.
Adela Kabiri is one of the female professors who was fired. She is one of the first graduates of the journalism department at Herat University, where she worked for the past 16 years. “If the Taliban did not allow me to return to teaching, I will continue to work with social and civic activities for the growth and capacity-building of women and raising awareness for the prosperity of society,” she said.
Kabiri who is aboard on scholarship, believes the decision by the Taliban will weaken the scientific credentials and academic integrity of Afghanistan’s institutions of higher education.
After taking control of the country, the Taliban have increasingly imposed restrictions on higher education in the country and dismissed a large number of professors throughout the country.
Farhad Aryai is a pseudonym for a former professor of economics at the state university in northern Badakhshan province. After the reopening of the universities, he went to Badakhshan University several times to resume his teaching. However, the Taliban did not allow him to continue because his father had worked with the security forces of the previous regime. Now, the economics professor is making a living as a shopkeeper in the country.
“Despite the fact that the Ministry of Higher Education is in dire need of qualified and experienced professors, most qualified academic cadres have been fired by the Taliban,” says Mujibullah Mehran, professor of law and political science at Balkh University in northern Afghanistan who also spoke under pseudonym.
According to him, although some professors have left the country voluntarily, the main reason for the dismissal of many professors is the direct interference of the Taliban intelligence department in the universities. Several experienced professors at Balkh University were fired because of past anti-Taliban comments. As a result, a large number of university academic staff have been forced to leave Afghanistan. According to reports, nearly 300 professors holding master’s or Ph.D. degrees at only three universities have left the country.
