Herat Governor Warns Universities: Adapt or Fail

DID Press: Mawlawi Islamjar, the Taliban-appointed governor of Herat, issued a stern warning that if universities fail to modernize their education systems and produce skilled graduates aligned with current labor market needs, they will face failure.

The Herat governor’s press office released an audio message from Islamjar on Tuesday, April 7. In the message, he criticized the academic system, stating that expecting graduates to simply fill government positions is unrealistic. “Our annual student output may exceed 10,000, including public universities. Yet we have space for only 100 positions. How can we accommodate 10,000?” he asked.

Islamjar emphasized that true success comes when students are capable in technical and professional fields such as agriculture, industry, and commerce. Highlighting the lack of skilled personnel in sectors like mining and manufacturing, he added: “We export raw materials and import finished products at much higher costs. We export untrained workers and import skilled ones.”

He stressed the country’s urgent need for trained professionals and questioned where and how they would be prepared: in religious schools or universities? He further noted the lack of commitment to agriculture, livestock, and industry.

Islamjar concluded by calling on universities to properly develop and educate their students to meet the nation’s practical and professional demands.