Higher Education in Afghanistan:
Achievements, Challenges & Strategic
Plan
Prof. M Osman Babury, DM for Academic Affairs
Overview of Higher Education in
Afghanistan
The
education system was totally destroyed
because of decades of wars
Buildings severely damaged and many in
disrepair
Shortage of skilled faculties and staff
Curriculum in need of revision
Limited IT infrastructure
Overview of Higher Education in
Afghanistan
Ill-equipped
libraries and labs
Lack of suitable learning
resources
Limited number of female students
Limited foreign language skills
Research, non-existent
Main Achievements
I. Academic:
1.HRD
- PGE
- Development of Master’s degree programs
- Continuous development and upgrading of academic ranks
- Recruiting new academic staff
2. Revision of Curriculum and Curriculum Development
- National needs
- Professional requirements
- Implementation of credit system
Main Achievements
3. Establishment of the entrance exams directorate
- Application of new legal framework
- Rationalization of the system
- Transparency
4. Establishment of the educational development working
groups:
- Research and publication
- Curriculum development and credit system
Main Achievements
5. Establishing partnerships
Major activities:
- Raise the quality of the faculty through Masters
programs and short term courses
- Reform the curriculum of the Bachelors programs
- Improve teaching methodology
- Increase access to information technology and library
resources
- Equip the laboratories
- Rehabilitate the physical infrastructure
Main Achievements
6. Approving Quality Assurance Mechanism
- Criteria
- Bylaw
- Matrix
Main Achievements
II.





Governance :
Admin Reform
Revision of the departments ToR :
- Planning & Policy
- QA & Accreditation
- Coordination of Academic Affairs
New regulation / legal frameworks:
- More autonomy to universities through
- Rationalization of bureaucracy
- Quality improvements
- Meritocracy, Transparency & Accountibility
1. HE Law
2. Revision of regulations and bylaws
3. Approving new bylaws
Respecting principles and regulations
HEMIS
Main Achievements
III. Infrastructure & assets
 Expansion of infrastructure and assets:
1. 47 construction projects are being implemented
2. Construction of 76 new teaching buildings
3. Provision of lab and teaching materials
 Access to Higher Education:
1. 24 Public Higher Education Institutes
2. 33 Private Higher Education Institutes
 Silk Road Project
 AFREN
Vision for Higher Education
A high quality public and private higher
education system that responds to
Afghanistan’s growth and development
needs, improves public well-being, respects
traditions, incorporates modern scientific
knowledge, is well managed, and
internationally recognized.
Challenges
 Quality of higher education
 Access to higher education
 Financial constraints
( Constitutional Mandate: Part of Article 43 “The state is
obliged to devise and implement effective programs for a
balanced expansion of education all over Afghanistan” )
 Governance
Partnerships
 Way to improve the situation
 Lessons learned
 Strong points
 Weak points
 Need orientation
THANK YOU