General news.

Bedri, Nafisa Mohamed

A team from Ohio University in the USA and Bayero University visited Ahfad University for Women (AUW) for two weeks in January, 2010. The team worked in a joint project on Maternal Health with AUW Faculty. The team included Prof Steve Howard, Director of African Studies and the Institute for the African Child; Dr. Ismail El-Mahdi, Associate Director, Instructional Technology & Design; Dr. Jane Broecker, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ohio University. As a follow up for this team visit, a second team including Mr. Zelalem Haile, Coordinator, African Health Initiative and Dr. Nancy Stevens, Director, Patient Centered Continuum, Ohio University and Dr. Isa Sadeek from the Faculty of Medicine, Beyro University in Kano, Nigeria also visited AUW for the finalization of the joint proposal. During his visit, Prof Steve Howard gave a talk to AUW Faculty on writing publishable papers.

The Institute of Women, Gender and Development Studies, as part of its joint project; the EduLink/IMMIS Program on African Migration and Gender in Global Context-Implementing Migration Studies with Makerere University in Kampala (Uganda), Mbarara University, Uganda, together with the University of Oldenburg, Germany held a partners meeting in January, 2010. The meeting was attended by Dr. Lydia Potts, from Oldenburg University, Department of Social Sciences and the Main Coordinator of the said program. The visit focused on setting the plan for the coming duration of the project which includes a research conference in Uganda in the summer.

To enhance the role of AUW graduates, the Alumni office has carried out several meetings and formed a committee from AUW graduates, which held a forum on the 15th of April attended by over 25 graduates from AUW. This is one of a series of activities the Alumni office and Graduates Committee want to carry out to engage the AUW alumni more in AUW programs.

Professor Thomas George gave a lecture on "Biological agents" and their role in "fish mutation" for the AUW Faculty and post graduate students in the Human Nutrition program. Prof George is a Professor of aquaculture and President, Global Aquaculture Consultants (GAC). He is recognized internationally as a consultant by United Nations Organizations (FAO. WHO, UNDP), Canada (CIDA, IDRC) and Arab Organizations (AFC, AOAD). He has had been on missions to many countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Prof Thomas has written many technical reports for international organizations and published scientific papers in international journals and published in 1996 the first paper in Canada on tilapia as a potential culture species. This lecture is one of a series of lectures Professor George has been doing in Sudanese Universities.

A team from Bergen University College visited AUW in March as part of the exiting partnership between the two Universities on the development of the Physiotherapy Program in AUW. The team included Ms. Elin Kvaale, Head of International Office; Mildrid Haugland, Head, Physiotherapy Department; Graziella Van den Bergh and Merete Andersen from the Physiotherapy Department, Bergen University College. During their visit, the team held several meetings with the President of the University, Faculty from the Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences and held some visits to the centers where the students hold their placements.

As part of the continuous partnership between AUW and the American University Beirut, Professor Kassim Shaaban, Faculty of Arts and Sciences has visited the AUW and held several meetings with the President of the University, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, First Year Program Director, Ahfad Institute of Languages and the University Registrar.

Mr. Andoh O. Mensah, the Principal Country Program Officer for the African Development Bank, Sudan Country Office visited AUW and discussed with the International and External Relations Office the potential collaboration and partnership with the AUW. The AUW Al-Hafeed Library has designated a special section for the publications of the African Development Bank that can be of interest for the AUW Faculty and students as the start of the collaboration between the two institutions.

A high profile delegate from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) carried out a review of Higher education and research in the Sudan and as part of their visit to the country, they visited AUW and held a meeting with the University Administration and Faculty members on the existing AUW links and joint programs with Norwegian Institutions.