Taliban’s Governance Paradox: Driving Out Experts While Seeking Foreign Expertise
DID Press: Taliban’s recent appeal to Turkey for university professors and medical specialists has highlighted a growing contradiction in Afghanistan’s governance model: seeking foreign expertise while policies implemented by the authorities have contributed to the weakening of the country’s own scientific, educational, and healthcare workforce.
The request by Neda Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban’s acting Minister of Higher Education, during a meeting with the Turkish ambassador for support in rebuilding and equipping educational and medical facilities — including Kabul’s Aliabad Hospital — has drawn attention to the widening gap between Afghanistan’s urgent need for skilled professionals and the ongoing departure of domestic experts.
The central challenge extends beyond restrictions on women’s education and employment. Critics argue that broader social and professional limitations have created an environment that has accelerated the migration of skilled Afghans, particularly female doctors, nurses, and academics who spent years building professional careers.
As a result, many qualified professionals have left the country, while those who remain increasingly seek opportunities abroad, creating serious shortages in universities, hospitals, and public institutions.
International organizations have repeatedly warned that restrictions on women’s education and employment could leave Afghanistan facing severe shortages of female professionals in key sectors, particularly healthcare and education, in the coming years.
The impact is especially significant in the health sector, where the absence of female medical workers could limit access to essential services for millions of Afghan women and children. Observers argue that sending a limited number of foreign specialists cannot permanently replace the loss of thousands of experienced Afghan professionals.
The Taliban’s request for educational and medical cooperation from countries such as Turkey has also raised questions about the sustainability of relying on external expertise while domestic human capital continues to decline. Analysts note that Turkey’s own education and healthcare systems rely heavily on broad participation of women professionals.
Ultimately, experts argue that long-term recovery of Afghanistan’s education and healthcare sectors depends not only on international assistance but also on creating conditions that allow Afghan specialists to remain, return, and contribute to national development.
By Sayed Baqer Waezi – DID News Agency