Public universities will soon reopen after recruitment is completed at the universities, the Ministry of Culture and Information said on Wednesday.

Officials at the ministry further said that the government has initiated an approach that will keep the doors of universities open. This comes as schools must face new dictates, such as the segregation of male and female students.

“The approach has been provided and efforts are underway for new recruitment so lessons will resume after that hiring,” said Jawad Sargar, a member of the Culture Commission.

After the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan’s public universities have remain closed across the country, as the Taliban called for the segregation of genders in classrooms.

Abdullah, a student at Kabul University this year, said: “I kept studying despite some economical problems. Now, I face an uncertain future."

Sabera Saayedi is in her last year of studying journalism, and she is calling for the urgent resumption of lessons at the universities. She said: “Universities stopped many times--due to COVID-19 and then the government collapse--students are getting exhausted.”

In the meantime, former officials of the ministry of higher education said the issue of the segregated education system at the universities has postponed the reopening of universities.

Hamed Obaidi, former spokesperson of the ministry of higher education, said: “Universities remained closed due to diverse opinions on segregation ...”

Private universities opened about one month ago in Afghanistan.

Based on available numbers, there are 32 state universities across Afghanistan.