Universities across the country closed in mid-August, when the Taliban took control Lecturer shortage sparks alarm after hundreds fled amid last year’s takeover KABUL: Universities in Kabul and several other cities reopened for both men and women students on Saturday after a six-month closure following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Universities across the country closed in mid-August, when Afghanistan’s Western-backed administration collapsed as the Taliban took control. In warmer provinces — Laghman, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nimroz, Farah and Helmand — they reopened earlier this month. In colder regions, including Kabul, Badakhshan, Paktia, and Ghazni, classes resumed on Saturday. Students will now have intensive courses to make up for the time lost during the long break. “The students will attend three weeks of accelerated classes before they write final exams to promote to next year,” Mudir Jan Kotwal, acting director at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education, told Arab News. Both students and lecturers welcomed the reopening, saying that attendance on the first day was higher than expected and women students are also back, despite earlier concerns that their enrollment would significantly drop. “Most of our female students came back to classes today,” Mohammad Arif, a professor at the biology department of the Kabul University, told Arab News. “In the coming days, the level of attendance will increase,” he said, adding that many students are yet to return to the campus from other provinces. Another Kabul University professor, Zia-ul-Islam said it was a “moment of rejoice to see our male and female students come back to classes.” Lectures have, however, been segregated. Female students attend classes in the morning, while their male colleagues go to the university in the afternoon. They are taught by the same lecturers. Women say they are happy to be back to the campus, but remain concerned about the future of their education and work opportunities. “I am so excited to finally be back at my university,” Tahmina, a Kabul University student, told Arab News. “We don’t know what will happen next year. The Taliban say their leaders will decide what to do next year.” Marjan, a student at Badakhshan University, said it will be difficult to catch up. “It feels like we are starting university again,” she said, adding: “We lost so much time.” But there is another challenge looming over the Afghan education sector: a shortage of university lecturers, as hundreds of them have left Afghanistan after the Taliban assumed power. “It’s important to incentivize them to return. Some may be willing to come back if conditions inside the country and higher education improve,” Haroun Rahimi, an assistant professor at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, told Arab News. But he added that most of those who had left would not be back. “That’s why those vacancies need to be filled,” he said. “The recruitment process must be transparent and merit-based.”