Global calls to protect Afghan academics from Taliban

A piece by Pola Lem for Research Professional News covering calls to protect academics in Afghanistan.

Dozens of governments and humanitarian groups, alongside hundreds of academics, have called for international support to be provided to students and researchers in Afghanistan—especially female scholars, whose future has been thrown into uncertainty after the deeply conservative Taliban seized control of the country this month.

Less than a week after the start of a withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban took control of city after city, conquering the capital Kabul on 15 August. The return to Taliban rule after 20 years of US occupation has overturned life for hundreds of thousands of Afghans. For academics and students, it has meant not only disruptions to learning, teaching and research, but also fear for their safety.

Read more here.