GOSS Approves University of Western Equatoria

15 June 2011

Yambio — The University of Western Equatoria, which was promised by the president of Sudan, Omer Hassan Al-Bashir during the fifth anniversary of the CPA celebration in Yambio, on Jan 19th 2011 is officially approved by GOSS Ministry of Higher Education.

The state minister of Education Adel Senderi held a meeting with the minister of Agriculture to discuss a request by the vice-chancellor of the University of Western Equatoria to see how to assist with the establishment of the university in the state.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, he said the request was to “secure administrative blocks for the university campus”. He revealed that the university will start with three faculties of Medicine, Agriculture and Education.

The minister pointed out that, probably the university will be opened in 2012 academic year after the establishment of the administrative block.

The five national southern universities are not opened due to lack of accommodation funds for both students and lecturers from the north. However Adel said the latest information is that, the University of Malakal and Rumbek will be opened in August 2011 while Juba University will be opened in September 2011.

Adel acknowledged that with the faculty of education in the university it will boost the acquisition of enough teachers which is the major challenge leading to low quality of education in the state.

The Minister said after the establishment of the university 80% of the admission will be for the students in the state thereafter they will admit from other states. He under lined that such measure will reduce the cost of transport and accommodation for our students to outside universities for the students in the state.

The state minister of Agriculture Charles Yore said, his ministry will give the administrative block in the former Yambio institute of agriculture for temporary use.

He further said the establishment of the university is going to be a salvation to the state because the state will be able to train local agriculturalist nearby.

“Those who have no university education in agriculture will get them here it will improve their skills, in addition to that there will be community outreach program to train communities around to give them knowledge on how to improve their lively hood,” he disclosed.

He said, it will provide employment opportunities in the state, as the university will have the farm which will require tractors drivers, and technicians.

Yore said, the science based university will encourage the students to focus high on science subjects.

“The opening of the university will attract investors because most investors lack technical people on ground in their fields,” he said.

The minister called upon the communities of the state to avail land for the permanent construction of the university if time comes.

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