Livestock is the backbone of the nation’s
economy. About 50-60% of the population are classified as
pastoralists, and another 20% as agro-pastoralists. The
1997 official government statistics estimates total livestock
population in the country at around 23.5 million heads.
Yet there are only about three dozen qualified veterinarians
in the whole country, which means a doctor/stock ratio of
about 1: 653,000, and there are no training institutions
(apart from a middle level technical institute recently
opened in Sheikh), or research facilities to support this
vital sector. The aim of this department is to prepare qualified
professionals in the field of animal health and husbandry
and to carry out much needed research in this very important
area.
2. Department of Education
Education is the key to any nation’s
future. No development can take place without an educated,
and skilled workforce. According to the Ministry of Education
statistics (see appendix 1) a total of 106,480 students
are enrolled in both public and private schools in the current
Scholastic Year 2003/4. The number of teachers serving is
2,590, out of which only 241 have university degrees. This
means a teacher/student ratio of 1:41, and a graduate teacher/student
ratio of only1:442. Both ratios are extremely low and unacceptable.
Even if we want to achieve a very modest target of graduate
teacher/student ratio of 1:100 (i.e one graduate teacher
for every three classes), we would need to train 824 teachers
just to meet our immediate need. The reason why there is
such a small number of graduate teachers is that the only
college, Lafoole (Somali National University) which trained
teachers has been closed for the past 13 years due to the
civil war. The aim of the department of education is to
fill this gap and produce the qualified teachers we need
for today and tomorrow.
3. Department of Business and
Finance
The private business sector is the mainstay
of the economy. It has become all the more important in
the past fourteen years. It is now the sole or the main
provider of vital services such as communication, air transport,
electricity, and banking which were dominated by public
sector monopolies before. But in spite of its phenomenal
success, it faces many challenges including a chronic shortage
of skilled people. The Department is set up to assist the
sector overcome these difficulties.
It aims to:
1. Prepare a new corps of professionals in
business and finance
2. Nurture entrepreneurship
3. Play a leading role in the development of financial institutions
4. Carry out business research
5. Provide technical support to the business community
6. Organise business seminars and conferences and exhibitions
in collaboration with business associations and chambers
of commerce
4. Department of Continuing
Education and Community Development
The university aims to benefit not only young
secondary school graduates who want to pursue professional
careers, but also the community at large through the provision
of flexible training and technical support to.
a) Private sector entrepreneurs
and employees
b) Public sector workers
c) Voluntary sector staff and volunteers, as well as the
d) Unemployed
