Universities in Sudan

Sudan, or officially the Republic of Sudan, is a large Arab nation in North Africa that is also considered part of the Middle East.  The country has a total geographic area of roughly 728,000 square miles, and shares borders with Egypt in the north, the Red Sea in the northeast, Ethiopia and Eritrea in the east, South Sudan in the south, the Central African Republic in the southwest, Chad in the west, and Libya in the northwest.  The estimated population of Sudan, a population comprised of a combination of indigenous inhabitants of the Nile Valley, is 30.8 million, most of whom are descendants of migrants from the Arabian Peninsula.  From a religious standpoint, the majority of the population adheres to Islam, a product of Arabization that has become common throughout the Arab world.  The official languages of Sudan are Arabic and English, the former spoken colloquially by the majority of the population, and the latter used for official business within the government and in international commerce.  Sudan’s capital city is Khartoum, while the largest city in the country is Omdurman. 

Higher Education in Sudan

Higher education in Sudan is overseen and regulated by the national Ministry of Education, which is responsible for formulating educational policy and developing the national curriculum.  Education is free for all Sudanese students throughout secondary school and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 13—the years that comprise a student’s primary education.  Eight years of primary school are followed by a three-year secondary school program.  Students that complete their secondary education, earning a diploma, are then eligible to apply for admission into higher education institutions.  The language of instruction at all levels in Sudan is Arabic, although English is widely taught as a second language.

Higher education in Sudan is provided by 19 universities and numerous technical institutions.  Students that are accepted at the university level can pursue undergraduate (Bachelor) and graduate (Master’s) degrees in a variety of academic fields, including mathematics, social sciences, Arabic, English, biology, business, medicine and the law, among others.  Students must first earn either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree before being considered for graduate studies.
Technical institutions in Sudan focus primarily on technical and vocational education and training, with the goal of preparing students to enter the workforce upon graduation in a career field important to the Sudanese economy.  Program at these institutes typically span 2-3 years depending on the field, at the conclusion of which students earn a certificate of proficiency or license.

The Sudanese higher education system faces many challenges.  Years of civil war, which ended in South Sudan seceding from the country, have taken their toll, and many schools and universities have been badly damaged or burned.  Additionally, the enrollment rate in the country’s primary schools is only about 46 percent, even lower for secondary school, which means only a small percentage of students are even eligible for higher education.  The system is hampered further by the requirement that all males perform military service prior to furthering their education, and because poverty is rampant in the country, especially in rural areas located far from the country’s higher education institutions, there is a great disparity in access between the wealthy and poor.  Together these factors translate to a higher education system that is not well attended, and a country whose adult literacy rate is only about 60 percent.