Sudanese Universities: The Gains of the Higher Education Revolution and the Challenges of Returning Home

Dr Al-Haitham Al-Kindi Yousif
Over the past few weeks, agencies have noticeably increased advertisements offering Sudanese students opportunities to gain admission to universities abroad. This development matters because it coincides with the Ministry of Higher Education’s announcement that universities will be required to return to Sudan and resume their functions within the country.
It is well known that the war has cast a negative shadow over universities. It has displaced students and their families, forcing them to move to other parts of the country or seek refuge in neighbouring states. As a result, most universities moved their operations outside Sudan, particularly to countries that received large numbers of Sudanese refugees, such as Egypt, where many Sudanese universities established centres. A similar situation emerged in Saudi Arabia, while some universities relocated their centres to countries in East Africa.
This takes us back to the early 1990s, when what became known as the Higher Education Revolution was launched. It aimed to expand access to university education, broaden its geographical reach and establish universities across the various states. Professor Ibrahim Ahmed Omar, then Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, was its principal architect. He increased the number of students admitted to Sudanese universities from no more than 6,000 annually, when total university enrolment stood at around 22,000 students. Within a few years, the number had risen to 200,000.
Many students who were unable to secure university places would discontinue their education and enter either self-employment or government service. Families with greater financial means, meanwhile, would send their children abroad for university education, with Egypt, India and Eastern European countries among the usual destinations. Only a relatively small number of students received government scholarships or grants offered to Sudan by other countries.
The number of Sudanese students studying abroad was estimated at between 20,000 and 30,000. The Higher Education Revolution brought most of them back to the country and absorbed them into the newly established universities. Universities were opened in every state, opportunities at existing universities were expanded, and the private sector was also allowed to provide higher education services. As a result, by the time the war broke out in April 2023, nearly 750,000 students were enrolled in universities, around 70 per cent of whom were studying at public universities.
However, the gap between that earlier period and today’s reality has highlighted numerous challenges to bringing universities back to Sudan. One major difficulty is that many students are still outside the country. Large numbers of citizens remain abroad because their homes were damaged, their household possessions were lost through looting by the militia and the environment it created, which allowed criminal gangs to seize what remained of people’s property. Many have also lost their sources of income, while the cost of living in Sudan has risen significantly compared with the countries where they are currently residing. The destruction and looting have also affected universities, many of which have been systematically targeted by the militia, meaning that a suitable educational environment is no longer available for a large number of institutions.
University lecturers, like other citizens, have sought refuge abroad, and many have found employment in their host countries. This makes their return more difficult, particularly when their new salaries are compared with those offered by Sudanese universities, which scarcely cover living expenses for more than a few days. Meanwhile, many students have enrolled in other universities in countries where their Sudanese institutions have not established centres.
Overcoming these challenges requires integrated action by universities in cooperation with other state institutions to create an environment conducive to the return of refugees. Universities must repair facilities damaged by conflict, while roads and surrounding infrastructure must also be rehabilitated. They should also revitalise their role in scientific research, which can help address reconstruction challenges and support the development of alternative energy projects, as well as social research that can help repair the social fabric damaged by the war.
A realistic salary structure should also be introduced to help attract lecturers back. It need not necessarily match what is available in labour markets outside Sudan, but it should at least provide a reasonable degree of economic security. I am confident that university lecturers, as they have always done, will return in order to pay their debt to the homeland.
The decision to restore the educational process within Sudan should not focus solely on rebuilding physical infrastructure. It should also benefit from the experience of electronic and distance learning, which the circumstances of displacement and refuge have made necessary, particularly in theoretical subjects. Combining digital solutions with the reconstruction of lecture halls and laboratories is the most realistic way to ensure academic continuity for students whose security or economic circumstances prevent them from returning immediately. This would guarantee educational continuity until recovery is complete.
Ultimately, the Ministry of Higher Education and Sudanese universities stand at a critical juncture that requires moving beyond top-down decisions toward a carefully considered return strategy. Success in restoring our educational institutions should not be measured merely by the gradual closure of overseas centres, but also by our ability to provide security and dignity for all parties involved in the educational process, including students and lecturers, and to address material deficiencies.
Without confronting these challenges, the decision to return risks squandering the gains achieved through decades of academic expansion and progress.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=17249