Higher Education in Afghanistan has witnessed incredible growth over the past 20 years. An estimated 350,000 to 400,000 Afghans currently study various programs in public and private institutions of higher education.

While access, and to some degree, quality of higher education services has improved progressively, the dramatic development leap in higher education has not materialized in the country. Gross enrollment in higher education in Afghanistan, according to UNESCO, stands at a dismal below 15%. More importantly, quality-related issues plague the vast majority of higher education institutions, further exacerbated by a deficient regulatory apparatus.

To enable a pathway towards systemic reform of higher education, it begins with reforming the higher education law towards a progressive and responsive higher education sector where public universities are let loose from the shackles of the Ministry of Higher Education, and private universities are regulated to be the engine of growth and innovation. A fundamental reimagination of higher education in Afghanistan is needed to align quality and standard parameters with global norms, ensure robust regulatory performance, and improve service delivery to students.

As part of the University's commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG4: Quality Education and to contribute to higher education sector development, Kardan University is launching the Center for Higher Education Development (CHED), which harnesses Kardan University resources, knowledge, and networks to advance higher education developmental priorities in Afghanistan. Through research activities, innovation programming, and expertise focused on higher education reform and development, CHED will be a catalyst for advancing critical higher education development priorities through locally driven solutions.

To improve higher education standards in the country, important systemic reforms are needed. These reforms need champions and advocates from the stakeholder community that comprises the higher education sector. The Center for Higher Education Development at Kardan University will serve as a champion and advocate for higher education reform and Afghanistan advancement.

As a knowledge-based platform, CHED will serve the regulator, universities, industry, and students through activities and interventions to bring about the country's fundamental reimagination. Investing in CHED is an attempt to better leverage Kardan University’s sector development efforts to achieve higher impact and enable the University to contribute more substantially to higher education reform and development in the country.

To enable and advance a progressive development agenda in the higher education sector that advances students' interest above entrenched bureaucracies, CHED will roll out highly imaginative and market-led sustainable approaches to achieve a higher development impact. Strategies that focus on generating the most value from public and private spending on higher education. Through a phased rollout in concert with other stakeholders, CHED will work to advance the following program areas:

Research and Knowledge

Through research and knowledge dissemination, CHED will serve as the knowledge partner to regulators and the higher education community. CHED will work with the private sector, public sector, and industry to facilitate research projects targeted at the higher education sector.

Higher Education Innovation

CHED will advance critical innovation in higher education targeted at policy, regulation, and value chain development. CHED will work with many partners to roll out events and platforms that bring together researchers, policymakers, and industry to showcase their latest products, services, and innovations.

Technical Advisory

CHED will mobilize a critical mass of experts, including scholars, professors, and researchers, to serve as a competency center. CHED will fill the higher education sector gap by serving as an intellectual hub adopting and implementing best practices aimed at higher education sector development.

In the long term, CHED will serve as a community and resource base, provide thought leadership and technical advisory and training to uplift capabilities aimed at improving practices and standards in the higher education sector. Through broad-based collaborations among various stakeholders that comprise the sector, CHED will serve as a resourceful partner to regulators, universities, and students.

To read more about sustainability initiatives at Kardan University, please visit www.kardan.edu.af/sustainability