Higher Education Institutions in Sudan: Challenges of War and Post-War

Abstract

This paper addresses the negative effects of the current war in Sudan and the post-war environment on the overall conditions of higher education in Sudan. It explores factors such as educational expenditures, infrastructure, university enrollment, and higher institutes. There are two main reasons for this examination. First, the war is likely to hinder the accumulation of human capital and economic development by destroying the education system, infrastructure, and losing teachers and staff. Second, there is a possibility of facing a shortage of funds allocated for both higher and general education due to the exceptional post-war circumstances.

Utilizing available higher education data in Sudan and my close monitoring of the ongoing war's impact on higher education, supplemented by numerous interviews conducted with professors, students, and employees affected by the war, some of which were conducted via phone, particularly with key informants. This paper aims to document the major effects of the war on the overall higher education process in Sudan. Simultaneously, it seeks to identify the potential challenges that this educational process is likely to face after the war ends and stability returns.

The paper draws preliminary conclusions indicating strong support for the idea that war is destructive to Sudan's higher education system and its fundamental structures, evidenced by reduced available expenditures, lower rates of enrollment in secondary schools and universities, and increased migration of teachers and staff. The results also suggest the notion of reducing available funds for higher education during and after the war may be attractive to the incoming government, placing an additional burden on government higher education institutions.

These findings underscore the importance of introducing structural reforms to Sudan's higher education institution and involving the private education sector in post-war recovery efforts.