South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has directed the government to begin the process of establishing a specialised university focusing on defence, security and strategic studies in the capital, Juba.
In a presidential directive broadcast on Wednesday evening by state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), Kiir instructed the National Council for Higher Education, through the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, to initiate the formal approval and incorporation of the proposed national defense university.
The institution is intended to provide academic instruction, conduct scientific research and undertake community outreach, with specialised programmes in defence, security, strategic studies, science and technology, and hazard management.
According to the directive, the university will also seek to strengthen the professional capabilities and operational readiness of South Sudan’s armed forces.
The institution still requires statutory approval and accreditation from the National Council for Higher Education. The higher education ministry and the university’s interim administration are expected to submit an institutional plan, academic curricula and details of its infrastructure capacity for assessment.
The directive also calls for the appointment of interim administrative leadership and the preparation of a university charter for submission to the higher education council.
Kiir, who is also expected to serve as the university’s chancellor, ordered the Ministry of Finance and Planning to provide an immediate start-up grant and allocate a recurring operational budget for the institution.
The directive does not specify the amount of funding required, the projected cost of establishing the campus or when the university is expected to begin operations.
The government has also been directed to coordinate land allocation, security clearance and infrastructure preparations in Juba. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in coordination with the higher education ministry, is expected to engage international development partners and bilateral education programmes to seek funding for campus development.
The proposed institution comes as South Sudan continues efforts to expand its higher education sector. The establishment of another public university raises questions about the government’s financing priorities, the resources available to existing institutions and how the proposed university will fit into the country’s current higher education system.
The directive does not clarify whether the university will train exclusively military and security personnel or also admit civilian students. Details of its admission requirements, academic programmes, staffing and expected opening date were not immediately available.
The directive cites Article 29 of South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution, which provides for the promotion and expansion of access to higher education, and the Higher Education Act 2012, which outlines the roles of the president and the National Council for Higher Education.
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