In a State of Free Fall: The Resilience of Private Universities in Afghanistan Amidst the Post-Military Neoliberal Regime of Survival

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Higher Education in Times of Crises: Institutional Responses and Resilience During and After Conflict

Proposal

Abstract
In the aftermath of 9/11, Afghanistan became the epicenter of what has been termed 'Military Neoliberalism.' The early 2000s saw the country compelled to adopt a market economy, colloquially called "bazar e azar," or the 'market of torment' (Fishstein & Amiryar, 2015, p. 383). Under military occupation, the newly established government aggressively pursued a privatization agenda, divesting state assets and encouraging private enterprises, including those in higher education. This hyper-privatization extended to educational resources, as evidenced by transferring the Kabul University Agriculture Faculty’s learning farm—a property of one of Afghanistan's largest and oldest public universities—to the newly established American University of Afghanistan. Between 2001 and 2017, the number of private universities and higher education institutions in Afghanistan grew from 1 to 144, while the number of public universities increased from 6 to 39. This study investigates the proliferation of private universities from 2001 through 2021 and examines their survival strategies following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. Utilizing Schwartz’s (2011) theoretical framework of Military Neoliberalism and employing the Integrative Framework of Organizational Resilience (Deniz et al., 2012), this research analyzes the strategies and methodologies private universities adopt to navigate the multifaceted crises they face. The findings reveal the challenges and strengths of private universities in maintaining the provision of quality higher education amidst shrinking budgets, significant declines in student enrollment, faculty attrition, and increasingly restrictive government policies on academic freedom. Afghanistan's case exemplifies private university leaders' formidable commitment to adapt, sustain relative autonomy, and ensure operational continuity. While private universities have demonstrated a higher resilience than public institutions, which have increasingly come under state control, their continued existence is precarious. Without state support and solidarity from international universities and organizations, the space for private universities to operate will likely diminish, leading to closures and a loss of their potential to provide access to higher education in the face of ongoing emergencies.

Author

• Nangyalai Attal, UMass Amherst