An open letter to Prof. John Akech, Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba in South Sudan
“I would rather discover one cause than be king of Persia,” Democritus, c. 460 – c. 370 BC
By Dut Augustino Agei, Oslo University, Norway
Monday, January 20, 2020 (PW) —On behalf of our national university, the University of Juba, I would like to have some deliberations that I believe if they are given attentions, they might take our Country into a different levels of other countries in the world. South Sudan moving lane from being a third world into at least, first world or second world of Africa carry the element of university offers. Economically, new South Sudan according to us needs best economist that can reforms our national economy and who at same time be developmental advisories on how state resources should be use for the benefit of every common South Sudanese!
Similarly, State of South Sudan too, needs other professions that can make new South Sudan to be known internationally in anything else different from civil wars and successions into modernity and this can be in the examples of lawyers, diplomats, engineers, medical practitioners, amongst other disciplines that carry home based educational systems. Sir, I love learning using other countries examples in relations to South Sudan. This can be in the attribution of getting to know what made other countries to be first worlds and other countries to be third worlds and what I found is that education made the two worlds. One of the African country nearby and within east and central Africa is the former Tanganyika and under the University of Dar as Salaam by then the leadership of Professor Issa Shvji.
Under him, historians mentioned it that ‘…when socialism ideologies almost collapsed the United Tanganyika national economy, the University of Dara Salam took the initiative in reshaping the policies that enabled Tanganyika to be more acceptable in the world by introducing mixes economy at the University.’’ As a results, within midst nineteen sixties, Tanganyika made a moves into tertiary economy with thanks be to University Vice Chancellor Professor Issa Shvji. Sometime state may not be right but when the national institution put in the rights procedures ‘the state redemptions might result, currently and before, Tanzania relations with the worlds were difficult and upon involvement of the national University, the University of Dar as salaams, the narrative changed. Also by Tanzania lacking any political disorder are around the benevolent of the state University.
When we think of motherland South Sudan, the stability may not be, whether we are politically rights to jumpstarts educating our masses about our societal prosperity. Unlike anybody else in the world. The South East Asians communities borrowed lack of political lives in favour of better-ness outside Governments and as a results the whole Asians tigers take the leads in Asian world due to good policies of university educations! In South East Asians communities. What people studies at the Universities are the modern ideas about what the society can produced bests within their environments. Asians Universities only pick what the society have in confusions for instants divinity after introducing it in the academia, thus should be returned acceptable for betterments of all Hindus communities both at the nationals all the way upto villages just to imagine the rich South Sudan resources and diversity.’’
I am sure Professor, you must be asking in returns, what about South Sudanese environments within the facts that my letter may not be credible, every university must have some thinks tanks and these are the people of know how in every states parameters, whether are we struggling between being the first or the last world in as far as the emancipations of South Sudanese educations systems are concerned. According to South East Asians Universities most of the experts invested their talents in research in relations to first worlds, semi periphery and African thirds world states and most of the conclusions are drawn from the fact that state university have a role to play in the progress of the Country in term of modern thinking.
Therefore Juba University should borrows some ideas internationally and in particular Asians states and was there such a views before, South Sudan would have been at a different levels should the University of Juba make a point of contacting the world class universities as well as international organizations. This can be by investing in research, attaining international seminars as well as educational tours abroad and conferences by making presentations to international communities about donations of library, laboratory and even students exchange programs with other Universities worldwide. I have suggestion that, there are universities in the world that seeks partnership with young Africans scholars that cannot accesses the world class education and more importantly the university of Juba educators that are least known in the rest of the world.
In conclusion, the suggestions are that, the betterment of South Sudanese communities are in the category of the higher learning systems. According to states that have a records of being a first world nations carry the history of viable research that enable a country to identify the strengths and weaknesses both in the presents and in the pasts in forge of better future and that can only be found under the university of higher learning institutions. Should University of Juba and its leaderships play substantial roles in equipping our national University, chances are high for South Sudan to finds the destiny within our own environments. This will also avoid masses seeking better services from outside the Country simply because the fulfillments will only be met within South Sudan under the University of Juba and plus.’’
In summary, unlike other African Countries, the prosperity of any given society have everything and all things to do with what the university may offers to the society, state institutions of the higher learning shape society ideas and as results destiny may emerge the case of Timbuktu University in Mali, University of Ghana, Musinde Muliro University of science and technology that offers literature, Artistry, cultures, technology, ideology and pacifism. I therefore feel should university of Juba leaderships gave the attentions to the ongoing world, South Sudan would have change the narrative of being a country that carry less recognitions in the world to be mentions in anything else not the brinks of famine and backwardness but of the positive thinking of contributions in the ongoing global world where regionals grouping are thinking currently of regional currencies the case of twelve west Africans common currencies of ‘ eco, the acceptability of East Africans currencies of ‘Afro, among other latest modern thinking. I therefore rest my case of being a person who only love to see South Sudan in the history of Tash mahal in the Indian sub continent.
Taj mahal that everybody cited and associated with in term of development was a love that a person has toward his life partner. In suggestion the rich individual had asked anything memorable about his dying partner and the response was the building of Taj mahal that the best engineers constructed to the joy of the world. The educators who designed Taj Mahal was killed attempting not to be heir anymore by anybody to design another tash mall monument in the entire Asian continent and perhaps world. Those are the cases we want to hear in relations to South Sudan no matter our country backgrounds.
Dut Augustino Agei is a former Tonj Youth leader as well as the Administrator of the upcoming online website South Sudan foreign relations politics and diplomacy, fellow of Oslo University, Norwegians institute of peace studies and public laws. He can be reached via his email address: Admin <dutagostino@yahoo.com>
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Very true brother Garang John, we stand tall to liberated this country for better future but still remain unclear for the generation of today and generation after us. The education system we have in South Sudan will never gain improvement in the light of dark situation of copy and past from our neighbors. The country have lost ownership from our leaders and citizens. If need is desired to have good education system where profession is knowledge base let bring back our kids and families around the world to make education investment achievable in South Sudan.