Nadeem: Varsities must follow Islamic, global standards

KABUL (Pajhwok): The higher education minister has underlined the need for aligning Afghanistan’s university system with Islamic principles and global standards.

In a statement, the press office of the governor’s house of Herat province said the international conference on quality assurance in higher education was held in Herat city with the participation of Shaikh Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the minister of higher education, Governor Shaikh Maulvi Islamjar, as well as officials and professors of various universities across the country.

It said professors and researchers from 10 countries, including Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, and several others, attended the conference and exchanged academic experiences on ways to improve the quality of higher education.

The statement quoted Nadeem as saying: “The academic system in universities must be harmonized with Islamic standards and, at the same time, with global benchmarks so that Afghan students are able to learn modern sciences at the international level.”

He urged professors and researchers to carry out their studies and scientific activities in line with the Quran and Sunnah while considering Sharia principles.

Meanwhile, Maulvi Islamjar described improving the quality of higher education in the country as vital and said it required serious attention.

He welcomed the growth of universities in the province and emphasized Afghanistan and Herat were rapidly moving toward development and industrialization.

The scientific conference was aimed at strengthening international academic cooperation, exchanging experiences, and creating opportunities for improving the quality of higher education in the country, the statement added.

hz/ma