Somaliland: Chancellor of Hargeisa University Quits His Post

HARGEISA(SomalilandPress)–The Chancellor of Hargeisa University professor Muse Adan Ahmed has resigned from his post citing personal reasons in a press conference held in the university, Professor Muse speaking to the press today in his office revealed his intentions to quit from his post and that he had as of yesterday submitted his letter of resignation to the Minister of Education and High Learning Hon Zamzam Abdi Adan, the professor is quitting from the post which he had held for the past
five months.
Professor Muse said, in the last few weeks reports of the University administration and students at the institution been at logger heads over the decision to increase tuition fee has been featured in the
media almost on a daily basis. On the other hand Professor Muse said he was shocked to hear from the
media of a committee appointed to look into students grievances by the Ministers of Education and Interior without even consulting the University administration which to my opinion deemed improper and
unequivocal resolution.
The resignation of the chancellor came amid the recent appointment of a committee tasked to look into the grievances of students and as well as the decision which prompted the university administration to
increase of the tuition fee in the first place, the reason to appoint the committee was to ease tensions at the institute and also to avert a proposed strike by students.
Since inception in the year 2000, six of the planned faculties were made operational, and are at different levels of development. It is universally recognized that education offers the best means for individual advancement and as the key to national development. Before the start of the civil war in 1988 in Somalia, education was available only to a small urban minority. Since the war, even this limited opportunity almost vanished as the whole educational system collapsed. Schools were destroyed, books, equipment and furniture were looted, and the only university in the country was left in ruins. There is a colossal demand for higher education outlets. 63% of high school graduates for the academic year 2002-2003 did not find a place
in the existing university systems or in any other tertiary level education. In addition to the number of students waiting for places in the university, a spillover from earlier Secondary school graduations,
there is the projected increase of high school graduates in the coming years to contend with.
There exists, however, a number of constraining factors that do not enhance the development process of the University, which include; among others: That the University was formed on community initiative
and that there were no sufficient funds to achieve the stated objectives. This is further illustrated by the fact that only 50% of the university premises have been rehabilitated.
The university lacks the basic and essential inputs like text-books, library building and books, laboratory buildings and laboratory equipment and chemical materials, the required qualified lecturers are not available locally, and the university could ill-afford recruiting lecturers from abroad. Essential equipment is in short supply and also, mostly not available locally. An array of small but essential things, that without them the quality of education is jeopardized, need be covered. Lack of sufficient computers, and the lack of or dearth of software is a stifling problem.
Despite these challenges, the University attained appreciable achievement; first of which is that it is operating in the right direction to achieve its mission. Same as other universities in the contemporary world.
Somalilandpress
Biggest English-Somali news portal
Monday, April 9, 2012