By Hassan Adan
Somalia is opening new scholarship opportunities to Sudanese students, reviving a decades-old educational relationship in which Sudan provided a lifeline to generations of Somali students during years of conflict and institutional collapse at home.
SIMAD University has announced scholarship opportunities for Sudanese students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, highlighting the longstanding educational and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The initiative comes a day after Sudan’s ambassador to Somalia, Abdulrahman Khalil Ahmed Abakr Afandi, visited SIMAD University’s campus in Mogadishu’s Zoobe area, where he met the university’s Rector, Dr. Abdikarim Mohaidin Ahmed.
The visit focused on strengthening academic cooperation and deepening ties between Somalia and Sudan, adding a diplomatic dimension to SIMAD’s decision to open new educational opportunities to Sudanese students.
Ambassador Abdulrahman has held a series of meetings with Somali officials in recent months focused on strengthening the historical relationship between Mogadishu and Khartoum and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry has described Sudan as a “brotherly” country and stressed the importance of strengthening historical relations between the two states.
The latest scholarships come at a particularly significant moment for Sudan, where the war that began in April 2023 has severely disrupted education and displaced millions of people.
For Somalia, the initiative also carries a historical dimension.
During Somalia’s prolonged civil conflict and the collapse of state institutions, Sudan became one of the most important destinations for Somali students seeking to continue their education.
Sudanese universities opened their doors to generations of Somali students, many of whom later returned home and contributed to the country’s public administration, education, health, business and other sectors.
In December 2025,Somalia Governmemt Welcomed the first group of Sudanese students in Mogadishu under a scholarship programme funded by the Federal Government of Somalia.
The students were admitted to the Somali National University, marking what officials described as a new chapter in educational cooperation between the two countries.
“Sudan is a country that can never be forgotten. During difficult times, they opened the doors of their universities to our students, and today we are honoured to be part of supporting the new generation of Sudan,”Minister Farah said during the welcoming ceremony.
The programme represented a symbolic reversal of the traditional flow of educational support.
For decades, Somali students travelled to Sudan for university education; today, Somalia is opening its own higher-education institutions to Sudanese students facing disruption at home.
The educational relationship between the two countries has been strengthened by geographical proximity, cultural links and the long-standing availability of Arabic-language higher education in Sudan.
Somali academics and professionals who studied in Sudan have contributed to the development of institutions in Somalia, while the two countries have maintained broader diplomatic, cultural and political ties over decades.
SIMAD’s latest initiative builds on the Federal Government’s scholarship programme and places the university within a broader effort to maintain educational links between the two countries.
For Sudanese students affected by the conflict, scholarships in Somalia could provide an opportunity to continue their studies while their country’s higher-education system faces major disruption.
In recent diplomatic engagements, Somali officials have reaffirmed support for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and stability, while seeking to expand bilateral cooperation.
The exchange marks more than a scholarship programme. It represents a continuation of a decades-old educational bond — and a new chapter in the relationship between Mogadishu and Khartoum.
