Nida Mohammed Nadim, the Acting Minister of Higher Education, on November 14, 2023 stated in his speech that the education in Afghanistan is too Westernized, and does not reflect Afghan and Islamic values and culture.

As reported by the media source, he later prevented around 500 students from traveling abroad to Russia for scholarships, stating to the female students that you are going as a muslim but returning as a communist. The students, who had been accepted to Russian universities and had waited for about six months to receive their student visas, are now facing obstacles due to the Ministry's intervention.

Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Acting Minister of Higher Education, expressed concern over the faith of these students, telling them that they would go to Russia as Muslims but return as communists.

The statement and actions by Acting Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim reflect an ideologically driven obstruction of academic mobility and international educational opportunity, particularly targeting female students. By framing foreign education as a threat to Islamic identity and Afghan values, the Taliban further isolate Afghan students from global academic exchange and critical learning experiences. The prevention of approximately 500 students from pursuing scholarships abroad—under the unsubstantiated claim of ideological transformation—reveals a deep mistrust of external education and a prioritization of ideological conformity over intellectual development.

Students report that an official at the Russian Embassy in Kabul informed them that the Taliban Ministry of Higher Education is now requiring all scholarship recipients to complete an "ideological exam" before receiving their passports and visas. Around 100 undergraduate students currently in Kabul have been asked to report to the Ministry for this process.