Bamyan University witnessed the graduation of 760 students across its 34 faculties. On the day of their graduation celebration last week, these students expressed pessimism about their future. They claim that despite completing their undergraduate studies, the ideological policies of the Taliban have created an environment where there is no workplace and prioritization for graduates in governance.
Students from various disciplines at Bamyan University celebrated their graduation last week. Despite their happiness about completing their studies, they express concern about their uncertain future.
Mohammad Alam, one of the graduates of Bamyan University, says, “I am glad to have completed an academic phase, but there is no hope for the future to be able to use my specialized field.”
He attributes his disillusionment to the prioritization of the Taliban regime toward religious schools and individuals associated with this group. This student adds, “All job priorities are currently given to those who have studied in religious schools or at least have a basic certification from a religious school under the name of Mujahid.”
Faizullah, another graduate from Bamyan University, expresses no hope for the future to utilize his academic field in the development of his country. He adds, “If no changes come in the government, we have no hope of using our academic field because there is no employment for us in specialized fields, and all job priorities are for those who claim to have participated in jihad in past years.”
While celebrating their graduation, Bamyan University graduates look toward the future with a sense of despair and hopelessness. They emphasize that even in the private sector, there are no favorable job opportunities for them.
These students add that many experienced and specialized professors have left the universities, and instead, individuals affiliated with the Taliban, often religious scholars, have been employed.
Azizullah Radfar, a Bamyan student, states, “We witness that in specialized sectors where professors used to teach at the Ph.D. and master’s levels, in the last two years, mullahs have been employed in their place.”
Mr. Radfar adds, “In our mathematics department, we had a Ph.D. professor, but currently, a mullah has been hired in his place who cannot even add or multiply two-digit numbers. Similarly, in the archaeology department, professors with Ph.D. qualifications were teaching, but now, a mullah has been employed who has no understanding of what archaeology is. With this trend, what will be the future of students and universities?”
Bamyan University graduates express concern about their future, stating that despite enduring countless challenges and hardships in their education, they now have no hope for the future and inclusion in the country’s job market. They add that in all government institutions, rather than prioritizing and giving importance to the specialized fields of graduates, preference is given to militants and Taliban members of religious schools. According to these students, the Taliban do not value individuals with expertise and an academic background who do not conform to their ideology.
Recent graduates of Bamyan University state that in the past two years, approximately 40 mullahs have been appointed as professors at the university. Mohammad Matin, a Bamyan University graduate, explains that in the administrative and staff positions of the university, 40 Taliban-affiliated mullahs have been hired who possess only basic literacy skills.
Mr. Matin further adds that in most departments, instead of experienced and specialized managers, mullahs and religious scholars have been appointed, leaving recent graduates with no hope of employment in administrative and occupational positions.
Bamyan University graduates express concern about the uncertain future and the perceived insignificance of academics under Taliban rule. In the latest development, Nader Mohammad Nadeem, the acting head of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Taliban, has ordered the purging of all books from the libraries of universities from the Republic era and replacing them with the book “Seerat.”
It is worth noting that the Taliban had previously prohibited the teaching of Ja’fari jurisprudence at Bamyan University, replacing it with Hanafi jurisprudence.
