Taliban Renames American University of Afghanistan

The newly appointed Taliban Minister of Higher Education, Mawlawi Neda Mohammad Nadim stated that the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) name has been changed to the Afghan International University (AIU).

In his speech to university students in Balkh during his visit to the northern province, the Taliban Minister of Higher Education—who had previously served as the Taliban governor for Kabul—announced that AUAF has been renamed AIU, which will only offer postgraduate programs.

The AUAF was established in 2006 as the country’s first private liberal arts university with internationally standardized academic programs and standards.

AUAF provides an MBA program, four undergraduate degree programs, pre-college training (Academy), and training for continuing education and career development, the Professional Development Institute (PDI) program.

The AUAF shut down in Afghanistan in August of last year when the Taliban took control of the country. Students were sent to Bard College in the US, the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), and the American University of Iraq Sulaimani (AUIS), said Omar Sadr, a former professor of the AUAF.

The Balkh students’ exam was delayed on Saturday, November 19, so they could attend the Taliban official’s address, local media reported.

The publicly accessible videotapes show that university students from Balkh were forcibly hauled to Mawlawi Neda Mohammad Nadim’s speech spot sparking displeasure among students.

Previously, many female students of a private university in Kabul were brought to attend the former Minister of Higher Education, Mawlawi Abdul Baqi’s speech, where he called women “Naqis-ul-Aql,” which refers to the inferiority of intellect.

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