Activities and Events
Virtual Alumni Networking Event Sudan in March 2021
© DAAD Cairo
“Digitalisation of Higher Education: Challenges and Potential Implementation”
In Sudan as well as globally, the need for digitalisation in teaching and science has increased in order to enable the relevant stakeholders to continue teaching and doing research even under the constraints of the pandemic. In addition to all the restrictions and obstacles, the current situation offers various opportunities to test new forms of knowledge transfer on a large scale. The expansion and development of digitalisation promises untapped potential and opportunities, such as the creation of new forms of exchange and corresponding study programmes with integrated digital components. However, at the same time, there are various challenges to be overcome.
As an experienced intermediary institution, the DAAD conducted the Alumni networking event on 17th and 18th March 2021 by implementing once again its motto “Change by Exchange”: Over 50 Sudanese Alumni were offered the opportunity to exchange experiences and information regarding the scope of implementing digitalisation in Higher Education, as well as on developing the current status-quo. This conference invited Sudanese Alumni on a short journey through different aspects of digitalization issues, such as an introduction to possible digitalisation strategies, potential funding, opportunities through cooperation and networking, the use of concrete tools for digital implementation as well as best-practice examples.
The digital event was opened with enriching welcoming words by H.E. Thomas Terstegen, the German Ambassador to Sudan, Prof. Dr Fadwa Abdel Rahman Ali Taha, Vice Chancellor of the Khartoum University, Ms. Isabell Mering, Director of the DAAD Regional Office Cairo, and by Dr Hayder Abdelgader, DAAD Alumni Association Sudan (DAAS) Representative in Central Sudan.
Ms. Dagmar Willems (DAAD Headquarters Bonn – Senior Desk Officer, Section Digitalisation) held afterwards a lecture on “Digitalisation in Higher Education and relevant DAAD Funding Opportunities” and gave an overview of DAAD funding opportunities on this topic as well as on the role of “Digitalisation” within the DAAD’s strategic goals.
Following, Dr Hussam Hamrawi (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Member of Digitalisation Committee) presented on the topic “Current Status quo of Digitalisation in Higher
Education in Sudan” and gave precious insights into the organisational structure of higher education institutions in Sudan, as well as into current thoughts on a digitalisation strategy of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Sudan. He also gave an outlook including the current challenges on the topic as a Member of the Digitalisation Committee.
To get a closer insight into practical implementation and approaches for potential procedures as well as opportunities for cooperation, best-practice examples from projects on digitalisation topics have been presented: Mr. Merlin Kull (University of Applied Sciences Kehl – Project Coordinator DIGI-FACE) and Prof. Dr. Paul Webb (Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth (South Africa) – Coordinator Africa DIGI-FACE) from the DIGI-Face Initiative (Digital Initiative for African Centres of Excellence) shared their experiences of implementing a Digitalisation Platform in Higher Education for the Centres of African Excellence. Lastly mentioned, are centres in African universities, which intend to improve the quality of education, increase the universities research capacities, and thus enable future decision-makers in Africa to be trained in line with international standards.
Followed by this very enriching contribution to the digital event, Dr. Gracian Chimwaza (Executive Director of ITOCA), Ms. Mercy Moyo (Senior Programme Officer of ITOCA) and Dr Pamela Marinda (University of Zambia) representatives of ITOCA (Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa) rounded off the first day of the digital event with a presentation on “Availability of Digitisation Platforms and Programmes in Research and Teaching”.
On 18th March 2021, the second day of the virtual Alumni event, a subsequent professionally supervised workshop held by Ms. Yasmin Youssef (Ain-Shams University, CEO & Co-Founder of Eduminds-Consulting and DKA Trainer) offered Alumni and Alumnae the opportunity to apply the topic on the own environment with focus on the development of an own digitalisation strategy.