Port sudan: The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Mohamed Hassan Dahab, has stated that there were major challenges facing scientific research at Sudanese universities and centers.
According to Sudan News Agency, Professor Dahab pointed out that the war waged by the rebel militia has severely damaged research operations, in addition to the issue of funding being one of the impediments to work, leading to the weakening of scientific research in some universities and centers.
A workshop on artificial intelligence and its impact on scientific research was launched at the Red Sea University in Port Sudan, with the attendance of the Secretary-General of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, Abdul Majeed Bin Amara, and a number of experts and specialists, along with the participation of university professors and students.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research called on researchers and university professors to communicate with the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils to take advantage of available opportunities in scientific research. He asserted the importance of the workshop in the fields of artificial intelligence and scientific research, and its necessity for the advancement, development, and renaissance of the country. He noted that all countries have made progress through the outcomes of scientific research.
Professor Dahab said that they have begun to take major steps in this regard, given the available capabilities. He pointed to several agreements with the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, describing the relationship as advanced in the fields of scientific research.
For his part, Abdul-Majeed Bin Amara, Secretary-General of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, said that the workshop came within the framework of the return of life and stability to Sudan and its recovery from the effects of the war. He added that Sudanese universities have resisted and continued to pursue scientific research and studies throughout the war, and that they have created spaces for communication between them and students through the continuation of studies despite the surrounding circumstances. He considered this a form of resistance, calling on Sudanese universities to take advantage of the available opportunities, especially that Sudan has greatly benefited the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils and saved it from collapse during the Iraq War in the early 1990s.
Bin Amara stated that he was honored to be one of the first representatives of organizations to participate in a forum in Sudan since the outbreak of the war. He added that scientific research will not cease in any country experiencing tensions or wars, and that the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils covers all expenses for Sudanese researchers.
Professor Abdel-Gadir Badawi, Vice-Chancellor of the Red Sea University, stressed the importance of the workshop and the papers presented during it, stating that it is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, and the Red Sea University. He pointed to the importance of artificial intelligence and the developments accompanying scientific research, adding that the workshop is a foundational milestone for playing a purposeful and constructive role in the pursuit of science and knowledge.
Abdel-Gadir highlighted the requirements for using artificial intelligence in scientific research and publishing, and its benefits in developing universities and curricula. He emphasized that the university level is not built on tradition, but rather on scientific development, keeping up with new developments, promoting research, and linking it to local communities.
He explained that the workshop’s outcomes will receive their full attention and follow-up in implementing the recommendation.
It’s worth mentioning that the two working papers covered artificial intelligence in scientific research, presented by Professor Ahmed Hassan Fahal, and another titled “Fifth-Generation Universities: Opportunities, Business, and Ambition,” presented by Engineer Walid Mohammed Al Mubarak.