Sudan higher education exams resume

Several faculties at the University of Khartoum have resumed student exams starting Saturday. Exams were held at designated centres in River Nile, El Gezira, and El Gedaref states, and at the Sudanese Cultural Centre in Cairo for Sudanese students currently residing in Egypt. Higher education in Sudan is facing pressing challenges as some campuses have been plundered, and others reportedly being used by the army as military barracks.

On Saturday, exams for the Faculties of Engineering, Economics and Social Studies, and Arts at the University of Khartoum resumed at designated centres in Atbara in River Nile state, Wad Madani in El Gezira), El Gedaref, and the Sudanese Cultural Centre in Cairo, Egypt.

Ali Abdelrahman, the Secretary of Scientific Affairs at the University of Khartoum, stated that exams will continue uninterrupted until September. He also mentioned that the university administration will address the circumstances of students who were unable to sit for the exams “at a later time”.

Exams took place at various locations, including the main campus of the University of El Gezira in Wad Madani, the Institute of Endemic Diseases at the University of El Gedaref, Nile Valley University in Atbara, and the Sudanese Cultural Centre in Cairo. The Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Sudan and the Ambassador of Sudan in Cairo provided support for the exams.

On July 19, the Council of Deans of the University of Khartoum approved a proposal to resume e-learning in several faculties across nine Sudanese universities.

Mohamed Adam, a researcher at Sudan’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, spoke to Al Fanar Media about the severe challenges faced by higher education in Sudan due to the ongoing war. He pointed out that several universities, including “the University of Khartoum, El Nilein University, the Sudan University of Science and Technology in Khartoum, and the Ahfad University for Women in Omdurman”, have been plundered, with some campuses allegedly being used by the army as military barracks.