Dr. Yusuf Badri, the son of Sheikh Babiker, managed the university for many years. He always emphasized that he wanted to transform his students into changemakers. His son, Dr. Gasim Badri is the current president. His sister Dr. Balghis Badri got her PhD in the 70ies from the UK and established the Women Studies unit at Ahfad. This became the Babiker Badri Scientific Association for Womens' Studies. The aims of this association are to encourage research on the status of Sudanese Women and to seek effective application of the research findings.
Since its inception, AUW has been a pioneer in higher education in Sudan. Students come from all regions of Sudan and several neighboring countries. They are enrolled in one of five faculties. These are the School of Family Sciences, the School of Psychology and Preschool of Education, the English Language Training Centre, and the School of Organization Management. Conform its tradition as a pioneer in women’s s education, the university is maintained exclusively for women, also the curriculum is designed to meet the needs of women in Sudan, with emphasis on preparing women to assume responsible roles in building a modern nation. Areas of emphasis for example include instruction in the fields of environmental education, reproductive health, female circumcision, and early childhood education, community medicine, and office management. At the same time, the university maintains its longstanding commitment to helping improve conditions in rural areas.
The university remains the country’s only private non-profit institution for higher education. AUW is one of the two universities in Sudan using English as the medium of instruction. This is why many expat teachers could contribute to the curriculum and work at the university, students and teachers had easy access to foreign universities. Also, it was easier, therefore, to apply for scholarships and react to calls for proposals by UNFPA and UNDP, and other donors for instance GIZ and the Netherlands Embassy in Khartoum. The English language of instruction made it possible for female students from South Sudan to attend the university.
The Rural Extension program
The AUW managed to provide a number of scholarships for girls from South Sudan each year, sometimes added with donor contributions, among others the Netherlands Embassy. They lived during their study time in a boarding house on the campus. Most of the Southern students studied at the Rural Extension unit. The methodology of the Rural Extension program is a result of a research project, financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and carried out by Jose van Hussen and Marion Rookhuizen during the end of the 70ties. They involved Ahfad students during this research. The university program, later mentioned Rural Extension and Population Education Program, became a compulsory course for all third-year students including an extensive period of practical experience in rural areas. An important element is the annual field trip, a compulsory element in each student’s curriculum. For some of the generally well-off Ahfad students, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the first time away from home and a trip outside Khartoum and Omdurman to the countryside. This serves as an introduction to issues on how people survive in poor conditions. In particular themes like reproductive health, family planning, female circumcision was important issues during the field trips. All focused on women’s health using teaching methods as role-plays, songs, and presentations.
Achievements
One of the themes, eradication of female circumcision, became an action point for Ahfad. The action achieved that ministers publicly stated that they didn't circumcise their daughters. The university has pioneered more in the development of new areas of instruction. AUW was the first institution in Sudan to develop a program in the field of family sciences.
Following AUW’s success in this field, the University of Khartoum developed a similar program. Also, the development of a curriculum for early childhood and special education and the program of women’s studies were unique in the country. The Mustafa Abu Ella Chair for Women’s studies was established to analyze issues affecting women in Sudan and other countries in the Third World. Also, the university started a compulsory one-year course of women’s studies for all students. The University got support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs from a number of suppletion experts for among others Women Studies, Nutrition, and Education Sciences. This resulted in improved curricula and tests, study skills trainings for students, and improved teaching skills of lecturers.
And finally in the establishment in 1996 of the Teachers’ Research Resource Unit. In 1994 the University started a School of Medicine and a Community Health Centre in collaboration with Maastricht University, financially supported by the Netherlands. The curriculum was based on the problem-based learning method, initiated in the Netherlands by Maastricht University. The curriculum had a strong focus on community medicine and family health and included already from the first study year orientation on real-life situations. The students learned from the families they visited and the consults in the health center.
At the center of the university campus is an impressive library located, fully donated by the Netherlands. Besides a respectable collection of books, there are study rooms for staff and students, and meeting and workshop rooms.
International Activities
Relationships with many other universities are maintained such as the American University of Beirut, the University of Baghdad, University in Oman, Cardiff, Manchester and Bristol University in the UK, and in the USA Iowa State, Pittsburgh, and Cornell University. AUW engages in programs featuring the exchange of faculty staff and students, joint research, and other cooperative activities. In this way, Dr Belgish Badri participated in research by the Institute of Social Studies about the history of women organizations in the 80ties. Ahfad also organizes international conferences such as about family law in Islamic countries. International communication takes place through the publication of Ahfad Journal: Women and Change, a journal devoted to consideration of issues of concern to women in Sudan and other developing countries. Finally, AUW is a member of the Association of African Universities.
The Netherlands supported Ahfad University with the following suppletion experts:
Corry Slot - Women Studies; Nicolien Wassenaar – Nutrition; Ria Scheele – Nutrition; Annemieke Hoogenboom - Women Studies; Ella de Voogd 1992 - 1995 - Educational Expert; Josje van der Linden 1996 - 2001 - Educational Expert; Abdallah Al Harith 1997 – 2002 - Microbiology
Written by Ella de Voogd, with contributions of Jose van Hussen and Josje van der Linden