Taliban Higher Education Minister’s Trip to Iran: Concerns and Hopes

DID Press: Afghan academic community emphasized that it does not seek symbolic memoranda of understanding without enforcement guarantees from the Taliban delegation; rather, it expects tangible outcomes that bring fundamental, positive changes to the country’s higher education system, particularly reopening universities to girls and women.

Neda Mohammad Nadim, acting Minister of Higher Education of the Taliban government, traveled to Tehran on Saturday, December 6, leading a scholarly delegation at the official invitation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This marks the first official visit by a senior Taliban education official to Iran since the group’s return to power, aimed at expanding academic relations, exchanging expertise, and strengthening research collaboration.

Iran has long been a primary destination for Afghan scholars and students, offering hundreds of scholarships annually across various academic levels. Tens of thousands of Afghan youths currently study in Iranian universities, and many of Afghanistan’s leading professors and researchers are products of the Iranian education system, highlighting the vast potential for bilateral scientific cooperation.

However, this potential can only be realized through transparent, binding agreements with enforceable guarantees. The Afghan academic community expects the visit to deliver substantial outcomes that lead to meaningful reform, especially ensuring access to higher education for female students.

The visit occurs amid significant contradictions: while the Taliban minister speaks of “improving higher education quality,” his government’s policies have barred half of society from academic participation and severely undermined Afghanistan’s global academic standing. Changes to curricula and the exclusion of girls from universities have not only stalled educational development but also forced thousands of families to migrate to Iran for their daughters’ education.

Historical academic ties between Iran and Afghanistan show that successful collaboration depends on adherence to educational justice and inclusivity. Over the past four decades, Iran’s unconditional acceptance of Afghan students has served as a successful model—one that could now exert pressure on the Taliban to reform discriminatory education policies.

If the visit results in binding, transparent agreements, it could become a turning point for revitalizing higher education in Afghanistan and pave the way for sustainable scientific, research, and cultural collaboration between the neighboring countries—efforts that extend beyond diplomatic protocol to genuine knowledge transfer and capacity building.

By Ahmad zaki Navisa – DID Press Agency