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Khartoum’s Most Prized Possessions: UNIVERSITY OF KHARTOUM

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UofK is not only the largest and oldest public University in the whole of Sudan but also a highly-ranked academic institution throughout Africa. 

The University of Khartoum was established in 1902 under the name of Gordon Memorial College. However, in 1956, when Sudan gained its independence, it was renamed UofK. The university has a rich history and is notable for having Sudan’s first medical school, The Kitchener School Of Medicine, which opened in 1924.

Due to the active participation of UofK students in the pro-democracy demonstrations that followed the military coup d’état in 1989, the university has shut down on several occasions.

Buildings and Architecture 

The University of Khartoum is known for its divine architecture! 

In addition to the small libraries found in each faculty, the University of Khartoum Library or “Main Library” is extremely famous. It is one of the oldest and biggest in all of Africa!  

Furthermore, with the funding of Sir Henry Wellcome, the first outdated library regarding bacteriology was established in 1905 in the heart of campus!

The University consists of six campuses 

  1. The Central Campus in Central Khartoum 
  2. The Medical Campus in the North of Central Khartoum 
  3. The agriculture and veterinary departments in North Khartoum, Shambat 
  4. The Faculty of Education Campus at Omdurman 
  5. The Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science in South Khartoum, Soba (Soba Hospital) 
  6. The Management Studies campus in Central Khartoum 

The architecture of UofK’s campuses is extraordinarily profound! The details of every building would leave you speechless. Pictures won’t do it justice, but s’النور علي shots of UofK’s details is the closest anyone can get. 

The University even hosted its very own TEDX events

The first ever UofK TEDX was posted online in 2013! The event was an independently organised TEDx event.

The University of Khartoum plays a great role in building and qualifying most Sudanese leaders!

After Sudan gained its independence, the University of Khartoum appointed Sudanese nationals with exceptional qualifications, including Dr. Nasr El Hag Ali, Professor Muddathir Tingari, and Prof. Elnazeer Dafalla. 

The university played a significant role in the education and training of Sudanese leaders, among them Abdalla Hamdok. Hamdok started his career as a public administrator and eventually became the 15th Prime Minister of Sudan.

Some more fun facts!

  • A section of the University’s library serves as the National Library of Sudan! This library was also a freedom of expression establishment; from the library, many revolutions began to bring down unjust governments. 
  • 55% of the student body has always been females! 
  • Ahmed AlQurashi Taha, May his soul rest in peace, was a member of the largest “college of science” class in UofK history. At the time (1963), these 251 students were competing to enter UofK’s medical college, which was the only medical college in Khartoum. 
  • The University taught many courses including a plethora of languages, such as: English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, German and even Russian.

UofK was not only a university, it was where students went to be themselves. It was a place where they felt most at home.

 

It recently celebrated its anniversary – so we’re celebrating this prized possession today!

For more on Khartoum’s most prized possessions, make sure you follow our Instagram page and check out the latest ones here! 

 

 

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