News and Events

IUIU PLEDGES EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO MUSLIMS IN SOUTH SUDAN

• 27th April, 2021 12:00am

The Rector of Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Professor Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda has said that the Islamic University in Uganda is prepared to collaborate with Muslims of South Sudan to improve on the Islamic  education sector.
 
Professor Gyagenda made the remarks in early April 2021 during a high-profile meeting with the Mufti of South Sudan Sheikh Abdullah Baraj at the main campus Mbale.
 
Sheikh Abdullah Baraj accompanied by a team from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) was on a courtesy visit to the institution.

 The IUIU rector Assoc.Prof. Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda( right) chair a meeting with a team from south Sudan headed by the South Sudan Supreme Mufti Sheikh Abdullah Baraj (second from the right) recently during his visit to IUIU.

Professor Gyagenda says the Islamic University in Uganda is ready to support Muslims in South Sudan especially in the field of education by training their teachers in Islamic education and formulation of secondary school thanawi curriculum.
 
“We shall sit with the office of the South Sudan Mufti and the Muslim education department to see how IUIU can come in to help especially in matters of education by sharing curriculum which we have been using for the last 15 years. We can also train their teachers for secondary school education. We can also train their teachers of theological schools using our curriculum,” IUIU Rector says.
 
Professor Gyagenda says the first step in this arrangement will be to visit South Sudan’s capital, Juba to actualize the cordial relationship.
 
“We will make arrangements and have our team visit Juba after the holy month of Ramadhan to start these kinds of cooperation through signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and coming up with action plan on how to carry out these activities,” he says.
 
According to Professor Gyagenda, the relationship will enable IUIU to share skills with Muslims in South Sudan.
 
The Supreme Mufti of South Sudan Sheikh Abdullah Baraj who acknowledged the need for better Muslim education in the world’s youngest country stated that IUIU’s cooperation will be a big step in changing the ‘status quo.
 
“We want this great and renowned Islamic university to help Muslims in South Sudan in the area of Muslim education because we are not doing well. I believe IUIU has great Muslim experts and scholars who will help not only train our teachers but also share and develop better curriculum to be adopted both in our secondary and higher institution of learning levels,” sheikh Baraj added.
 
The Supreme Mufti also mentioned the possibility of setting up an Islamic university in South Sudan with the help of IUIU.
 
Mufti Baraj came to Uganda following last year’s invitation by Uganda’s Mufti of Uganda His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje who had earlier visited South Sudan to enhance the relationship of Muslims between the two countries.