The present study aims to identify the internal factors influencing the process of state–nation building in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2022, based on the perspectives of university professors and international relations experts. This research was conducted through in-depth interviews with 15 university professors and international relations specialists. The study is grounded in a conceptual theoretical framework that integrates concepts such as fragile state, social constructivism, elite circulation, and mosaic society. Using thematic analysis, the research identifies the most significant internal factors affecting the state–nation building process in Afghanistan from the viewpoint of academic experts and international relations scholars. The central question of the study is: which elements and components do university professors and international relations experts consider the most important internal factors in state–nation building in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2022? According to the findings, participants generally highlighted four major themes: the rapid growth of media, the formation of an electoral system, the social and political participation of women, and the emergence of civil society over the past two decades as key internal factors in the state–nation building process. However, respondents also noted that all these influential factors faced significant challenges, including a fragile state, lack of rule of law, administrative corruption, and dependence on foreign support. The results indicate that during the two decades of the republican system, the process of state–nation building was undermined and ultimately failed due to the intensification and .