Khartoum: Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ahmed Modawi Musa affirmed that Sudan is moving steadily toward modernizing its higher education system, relying on effective regional partnerships that contribute to supporting digital transformation and improving research quality and its linkage to national development needs.
According to Sudan News Agency, this came during his meeting with the Director of Information Technology at the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, Engineer Walid Mohamed Al-Mubarak, and Infrastructure Officer Engineer Samir Badr-Eddin, on the sidelines of a capacity-building and knowledge transfer program hosted recently by the Africa International University in Khartoum.
The minister praised fruitful cooperation with the federation, describing it as a successful model of regional integration in higher education development. The meeting reviewed outcomes of an advanced training program focusing on research governance, classification of higher education institutions, artificial intelligence applications in scientific research and publishing, development of digital infrastructure for smart universities, and the use of AI in clinical trials.
The minister noted that these areas represent key pillars of the ministry's plan to modernize the sector, stressing the importance of investing in modern technologies to build competitive institutions regionally and internationally. The meeting also reviewed strategic digital projects, including the development of the Sudanese research and education network, which involves establishing geographically distributed data centers to enhance digital sovereignty and ensure continuity of academic and research services.
It also discussed the wireless higher education network project implemented in cooperation with Zain Telecommunications Company, aimed at providing low-cost internet services and connecting universities through an integrated internal network. The two sides also discussed activating the 'eduroam' service in Sudanese universities, a global service enabling secure internet access for students and researchers in participating institutions worldwide using their university credentials.
The Minister stressed the importance of introducing specialized tracks such as artificial intelligence in higher education institutions to prepare qualified national cadres capable of keeping pace with rapid technological changes. The meeting revealed preparations for an upcoming meeting with the Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation to coordinate efforts and align digital transformation plans with the national strategy.
Both sides emphasized the importance of continued coordination and expanding training and knowledge transfer cooperation to support the development and competitiveness of higher education in Sudan.