Taliban Dismisses Dozens of Kabul University Staff, Sparking Fears of Academic Collapse

Taliban Dismisses Dozens of Kabul University Staff, Sparking Fears of Academic Collapse
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The Taliban has dismissed 23 staff members from Kabul Technical University, including 10 professors and 13 administrative employees, without providing official justification—prompting widespread concern among academic circles. The abrupt move, seen by observers as part of a broader effort to suppress intellectual independence, follows similar mass dismissals in other provinces, including Khost and Paktia earlier this year.

Since returning to power, the Taliban has initiated what it calls “administrative purification,” aimed at removing individuals associated with the previous government. The newly appointed university president also warned faculty that future promotions will depend on “output,” widely interpreted as alignment with the regime’s ideological stance rather than academic merit.

Analysts warn the policy could lead to a systematic collapse of higher education in Afghanistan, forcing many qualified academics to leave the country. Critics say the crackdown is undermining educational integrity and accelerating a brain drain from the nation’s academic institutions.