Reviving the Higher Education Ties Between Somalia and Italy

Mogadishu (PP Editorial) — The scholarships that the Italian government has awarded to graduates of Somali universities mark a new era in reviving the higher education ties between Somalia and Italy. Italy played an important role in enhancing the institutional development of the pre-1991 Somali National University, particularly the departments that used Italian as the medium of instruction. It was an open secret in the mid-1980s and afterwards that departments using English as the medium of instruction lagged behind in standards compared to those using Italian as the language of instruction.

The teaching of Italian for a year before students began their university education was a key differentiator. Students carrying their libro bianco to the former campus of the Somali National University, near Casa Italia in central Mogadishu, was a common sight. This language programme, along with Italian language classes at Il Centro Culturale Italiano near Radio Mogadishu, ensured that students attained a high level of proficiency in Italian for academic purposes. The much-lauded assessment system of oral and written examinations, dreaded by many students, was as highly regarded as the Oxbridge tutorials.

The cooperation between Somalia and Italy in higher education produced capable graduates in various fields. It would be beneficial to reintroduce the option of using Italian as a medium of instruction at some universities in Somalia to address the execrable standards in departments that currently use English as the medium of instruction. Earlier this year, SIMAD University and Luiss University formed an “academic collaboration that included joint research initiatives, knowledge exchange, and dual degree programmes.”

Before 1991, all departments of the Somali National University were located in Mogadishu, with the exception of the College of Education and the Department of Agriculture. For the higher education cooperation between Somalia and Italy to succeed, the Federal Government of Somalia and the Italian Government can explore ways to allow universities in Federal Member States to benefit from scholarship and collaboration opportunities.

© Puntland Post, 2024