Female students to be included as Afghan universities open up

The administration plans to reopen public universities for both boys and girls soon, according to the Higher Education Minister, who did not indicate a specific date.

The universities have been closed since the Islamic Emirate took authority.

Minister of Higher Education Abdul Baqi Haqqani told a press conference on Wednesday that male and female students would be separated in classes.

"The Afghans will learn in the coming days that the Islamic Emirate will reopen the public universities," he said.

He attributed the delay on the economic downturn and the unavailability of separate classes for male and female students.

The government, according to Haqqani, will establish an international university.

"We also intend to construct a global university." Shariah, medical, agricultural, and engineering programmes will be offered at the university. In these four fields, master's and doctoral degrees will be available," he stated.

Since the Islamic Emirate closed the universities, some public university students say they have been living in fear for the past six months.

Private universities and higher education institutions that follow the new gender model have reopened, according to the Ministry of Higher Education.

Male and female university students would be taught in separate classes, according to interim Minister Abdul Baqi Haqani, who also stressed that only female professors will be allowed to teach females' lectures.

Combined classes, according to Haqani, are not permitted in universities. "Some colleges are permitted to employ different buildings for ladies, to teach them separately," he explained. However, because some colleges do not have buildings, they are able to vary class times."