A Centralized Purse versus Local Autonomy: Establishing Fiscal Independence and Transparency in Post-Conflict Higher Education Institutions in Afghanistan

• In Event: Roundtable Session (Monday II)
  In Refereed Round-Table Session: Laying the foundation for resilient higher education systems in post-conflict environments: the case of Afghanistan

Proposal

A Centralized Purse versus Local Autonomy: Establishing Fiscal Independence and Transparency in Post-Conflict Higher Education Institutions in Afghanistan (Joseph Berger, UMass)

As Afghanistan’s higher education system gradually expanded during the post-Taliban era, the issue of university autonomy became central to the dialogue on building the resilience and efficiency of the higher education system. The higher education system in Afghanistan has traditionally been highly centralized, and the government exerts tight controls over public universities regarding financial autonomy and academic freedom. Although touting that “Education is the right of all citizens of Afghanistan[,]”Article 43 of the country’s constitution also prevents public higher education institutions from collecting and spending revenues through various means, including improved student enrollment and associated fees (admissions, etc.). The single treasury account system forces universities to deposit all revenues into a central account managed by the Ministry of Finance, which then uses its own discretion to send the money back to the universities. This situation has made universities reliant on the Ministry of Finance for basic financial needs and academic decision-making. To help promote the resiliency of the university management system, USDWP assisted the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) with developing policy frameworks and working papers to promote more financial independence and autonomy at the MoHE and at universities. This presentation will focus on USDWP’s success stories and lessons learned in laying the foundation for financial management resilience at select public universities in Afghanistan.

Author

• Joseph B Berger, University of Massachusetts Boston