Many private varsities run unlicensed faculties, branches

KABUL (Pajhwok): Pajhwok Afghan News findings show some faculties and branches of 40 private higher educational institutes are operating without obtaining licenses from the government.

Institutes and faculties that operate without licenses:

Documents obtained by Pajhwok show that all faculties of Islamic University, online education program of Karwan University, administration and commerce, and doctorate in international relations of Karwan University, master’s program of Mashaal University and doctorate program of Jamia Mustafa Iran-Kabul University and Islamic Azad University are operating without licenses.

Universities with unlicensed faculties:

According to documents of the Ministry of Higher Education, the law and political science faculty of Afghan Pamir Higher Education Institute, law and political science faculty, education and computer science faculty of Peshgam Higher Education Institute, computer science faculty of Mashaal University, education and training faculty of Mariam University and therapeutic faculty of Shifa Higher Education Institute operate without licenses.

The evidence shows parts of Rah-e-Sadat Higher Education Institute, Maiwand Higher Education Institute, Rabia-i-Balkhi University, Rana University, Bayan Higher Education Institute and Maihan Higher Education Institute in Balkh province also operate without licenses.

Afghanistan Higher Education Institute, Gawharshad Higher Education Institute, Edrak Higher Education Institute and Imam Mohammad Shibani Higher Education Institute are other institutes that some of their faculties have no license.

Institutes with branches without licenses:

According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Maiwand, SayedJamaluddin Afghan, ToloAftab, Hiwad and Kabura institutes, and RabiaBalkhi and Mariam universities have opened branches in parts of Kabul without receiving licenses from the Higher Education Ministry.

Ibn-e-Sina, Katib and Dunya universities, and Jamhuriat, Ghazi Amanullah Khan, ToloAftab, Barlas, Turkistan, Edrak and Afghan Swiss institutes have opened branches in Kabul and provinces with no licenses.

Luqman Hakim and Farabi are two other higher educational institutes which are not registered with the Ministry of Higher Education and operate without licenses.

Responses from private higher education institutes and universities:

Islamic University officials in Kabul say they are currently working to get a license from the Ministry of Higher Education.

The press office of the university told Pajhwok that they had the right to accept admission forms from students based on a letter they have received from MoHE.

Mohammad Omar, an official of Mashaal University in Kabul, also said that they were working to obtain license from MoHE.

However, vice chancellor of Mariam University, MirwaisPashton, said that the university was registered with MoHE and had a valid license.

He said their university’s branch in Arzan Qimat area of Kabul was active since a decade and had graduated a large number of students so far.

Pashton said that all their students graduated from the university’s branch had received their certificates from MoHE.

Views of students:

Khalid Totakhel, a graduate from Mariam University, said that he was assured of certificate by the university when he started his education there.

He said he and all his classmates had received their certificates from the university, and verified by the MoHE.

Khalid Safi, a student of Mashaal University, said they did not ask about the license of the university and its computer science faculty when they started education there.

He said that the university had assured them that its computer science faculty had a valid license. Safi said that he still did not know whether the faculty had a license or not.

Abdul Salam Eshaqzai, a graduate from Bakhtar University, said that he received his bachelor’s degree in finance and banking from the university a year ago, but he did not receive his certificate so far.

He added that he had several times referred to the university and MoHE, but his problem remained.

“MoHE now told us that the finance and banking departments of the university is not registered with them and has been cancelled,” he added.

However, Bakhtar University’s deputy head, Dr. Wahid Rokhan, said that there was no problem with the finance and banking department of economy faculty in the university and it was registered with MoHE. He said they would solve problems of all students if any in two weeks.

Mohammad Karim, spokesman of Private Universities Union, acknowledged the problem and said that some universities had license issues. However, he did not provide further details.

Views of MoHE:

The Ministry of Higher Education has confirmed problems in the mentioned universities and institutes and said that some universities and institutes in the country were operating without licenses.

Hamid Obaidi, spokesman of MoHE, told Pajhwok that they had several times ordered these universities and institutes not to enroll students in their unlicensed centers.

He said that the ministry has shared a plan with the Cabinet to stop unlicensed activities of universities and institutes. Students would not be damaged in this process, he added.

About the students studying in such universities, he said that the ministry would handle the problem because it was not their fault.

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