Challenges and Opportunities – Community College Development in Afghanistan: Serving Students and Gender Equity

Abstract

Community college development in Afghanistan is explored, along with a 2-year institute in Kabul that is developed as a model for community college education, specifically. The government of Afghanistan is promoting the establishment and expansion of technical, vocational, and 2-year tertiary education as no such form of education existed prior to 2006. Some of the challenges and areas of need for community college development are examined. Results show significant needs in the area of faculty development, technology, curriculum, and pedagogy and gender parity in education. Some of the significant challenges facing community college development in Afghanistan are limited funding, lack of infrastructure, insufficient resources, and the absence of an established quality assurance system. In addition, there are more mundane challenges such as the lack of standards and processes that would allow for the transfer of credits among institutions. Solving these challenges is vital to the long-term stability and economic redevelopment of the war-torn county.