Members of National Council for Higher Education posed for a photo after the launch of the meeting in Juba on Monday, 27th Nov 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio)

The National Council for Higher Education meeting commenced on Monday for the first time in seven years.

The Council’s 6th meeting was launched by Vice President for Services Cluster Hussein Abdelbagi.

It is a policy making body mandated to set laws, rules and regulations to guide and administer the operation of higher education institutions in South Sudan.

Abdelbagi said the council is crucial in ensuring quality curriculum for higher institutions based on international acceptable levels of education.

The body was reconstituted by President Salva Kiir, who also the chancellor of public universities, in 2021.

Addressing the 6^th ordinary session of the council in Juba, Vice President Abdelbagi directed the council members to ensure high education curriculums meet international standards.

“It must ensure the alignment of our higher education system to universal comprehension more particularly, the science, engineering, languages and other related academic disciplines.”

“As this important body is formally instituted today, I would like to call upon the council to immediately embark on their duties as formation of this council is long overdue.”

For his part, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Gabriel Changson Chan says….

“I consider this day as an important day for this meeting to take place after a respite of seven years. It will also be the first meeting after the reconstitution of this August council by the chancellor in 2021.”

“As the highest policy making body on issues pertinent to higher education in the country, the council is tasked with setting laws, rules and regulations to guide and administer the operation of higher education institutions in the country.”