Current and Future Trends of Engineering Education in South Sudan

By Ater Yuot R. Amogpai

Before 1990, there was only University of Juba in South Sudan with Colleges of Medicine, Natural 

Resources and Environmental Studies, Economic and Social Studies, Education and Rural Development. College of Engineering and Architecture was established by 1997 when university was operating in Khartoum. As a new established college, it has been benefiting from the University of Khartoum and Sudan University of Science and Technology. Thus, Students used to attend their lectures, labs experiments, workshops and libraries at these universities. It was not an easy task but the college managed to sustain and graduated professional engineers who in turn proved their performances in different engineering practices.

In 2011, the University has to move back to Juba after 20 years operational in Khartoum. The university returned to juba but with additional colleges such as College of Engineering and Architecture, College of Industrial Sciences, College of Arts, College of Management Science, College of Law, and College of Music and Drama. The existence university infrastructures in Juba could not accommodate all these colleges and therefore staff and students have to narrow themselves into small spaces to perform their duties.

There are several challenges facing the School of Engineering and Architecture, and that includes, lack of competent teaching staff, fully equipped library with digital and online presence. Limited ICT and laboratories, little resources for school to innovate, limited research capabilities among others. When I joined the Department of Electrical Engineering in January 2012, there was only one permanent staff, Dr. Martino Head of the Department. He used to teach Control Systems courses and I started teaching Power Systems courses. Communications and related other courses have to be outsourced. The same issue happened with Departments of Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Architecture.

University of Juba is the only South Sudanese higher institution offers engineering education in the country. In 2017, I was short listed by the University of Rumbek of Science and Technology to outline the project of engineering education at the university. Unfortunately, the project did not kick off due to delay approval from the ministry of higher education.

Engineering students at the University of Juba struggle a lot to perform their labs and workshops duties. One of the requirements for engineering students to fulfill their graduation is to pass labs and workshop exercises. In fact, it is a teaching family of engineering who really tendering to offer a minimal requirement of engineering education with limited resources in hands. Just envisage, a student who graduated without labs and workshops exercises what engineering skills he or she acquires?

Though, it is a huge efforts but not difficult for those newly graduated engineers to practice a little knowledge they acquired at university. University is a self-learning and research institution, teaching comprises of only 25% and the rest of 75% is left for the student efforts. However, if labs and workshops are missed then engineering student is mandated to complete the rest of 50% through research and self-learning.

For better engineering education equivalents to other world engineering educations all supportive teaching methods must be made available. Labs, workshops, strong internet service and standard libraries connected to other world universities libraries should be first made ready. Memorandum of understanding with regional and international universities on engineering education should be signed.

Currently, one of the most challenging factors facing school of Engineering and Architecture is financial capacity. Lack of competent staff could be one of a negative aspects of financial constraints. A staff may find another source of income since salaries are not enough and systematically not deliver on time. If the staff is given the minimum incentives, they will be motivated and the University projects will not stall. Developing Masters and PhD programs would not only generate money, but intensify research capabilities of the school. Short courses or workshops for individuals, NGOs, private sector and government institutions add a value on school stuff. Diploma programs can as well be part of the school of Engineering and Architecture plan program.