Letter from the President of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS)
Dear Colleagues,
I write to you at a critical juncture for Sudan, as our nation’s higher education and research institutions confront existential threats from the escalating conflict. The war has destroyed campuses and displaced countless students, educators, and researchers. Universities and research Centres—once pillars of innovation and hope—now lie in ruins, their faculty and students scattered across Sudan and neighbouring countries.
In response, SNAS has spearheaded advocacy campaigns to raise global awareness of the dire challenges facing Sudanese researchers and students. We urgently seek support from governments and international organisations to integrate displaced scholars into the global scientific community until hostilities cease and our institutions can be restored.
In September 2023, SNAS issued appeals to international academies, universities, and research institutes, urging them to host at-risk and refugee scientists, researchers, and postgraduate students. We are profoundly grateful to those who have already extended solidarity during this crisis.
The war’s toll on our academic infrastructure is catastrophic. A comprehensive assessment is urgently needed to evaluate the extent of destruction to universities and research Centres. This evaluation will inform both immediate relief efforts and long-term strategies to rebuild more effectively and sustainably. Our vision includes modern laboratories, state-of-the-art communication systems, and a renewed focus on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Rebuilding Sudan’s academic landscape will demand robust international collaboration. As I emphasised in the attached November 2023 Nature article, financial institutions and leading global universities should unite to support this endeavour. Such partnerships will be pivotal to restoring and advancing our educational ecosystem.
Beyond advocacy, SNAS continues to navigate immense challenges in sustaining its operations. Despite these hardships, our Executive Committee remains steadfast, prioritising policy development and support for displaced researchers and students. Recently, the committee resolved to publish a consensus report on the future role of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Sudan, funded by the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC). This report will be finalised in the coming weeks.
Additionally, we are planning a UNESCO-funded training workshop on inquiry-based science education (IBSE) for displaced secondary school teachers in Cairo. This initiative underscores our continued commitment to empowering educators with tools to nurture scientific curiosity, even in adversity.
The Executive Committee is also intensifying efforts to reconnect with all SNAS members, updating their contact details and understanding their current circumstances and future aspirations.
Finally, I am delighted to welcome Professor Nimir Elbashair as our new Secretary General. His dynamic leadership has revitalised our operations—including organising Executive Committee meetings, redesigning digital platforms and upgrading the SNAS website. Professor Nimir recently represented SNAS at the African Science Academies Annual Meeting (AMASA 2024) and NASAC’s General Assembly in Algeria. There, he highlighted SNAS’s initiatives and the war’s devastating impact on Sudanese education and research. His efforts culminated in the NASAC consensus statement urging universities and research institutions worldwide to host displaced Sudanese scholars during this crisis.
Warm regards,
Professor Mohamed H. A. Hassan
President, Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS)
