The Taliban have officially renamed the former American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) as the Afghan International Islamic University and announced plans to relocate and expand the institution in Kabul.
According to Mohammad Kamal Afghan, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, 1,000 acres of land have been allocated in the Deh Sabz district of Kabul for the university’s new campus.
Speaking on Tuesday to state-run television, he said the request for land was made by the Ministry of Higher Education and approved by Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Due to the unavailability of a single, contiguous plot of land, the allocated area will be distributed across several locations, he added.
Kamal Afghan described the new institution as a “highly specialised” university that will offer graduate and doctoral programmes, with plans for further development and expansion in the years ahead.
Prior to the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the American University of Afghanistan was widely regarded as one of the country’s top academic institutions, known for its liberal arts curriculum and ties to Western universities. The Kabul campus was shut down following the fall of the Afghan government, with operations subsequently relocated to Doha, Qatar. Many students were transferred to regional institutions to complete their studies.
Despite its academic reputation, the university had long been a target of Taliban attacks. The group carried out multiple deadly assaults on the campus and abducted foreign faculty members in high-profile incidents.
