Mrs. Mazahir M. A. Salih, paid a visit to Sudan University of Science and Technology, where a meeting was held, chaired by Prof. Awad Saad Hassan, vice chancellor of the university. The meeting included Prof. Mahdi Abbas Saad Shakak, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university, Dr. Elfatih Ahmed Hassan, the University Principal, Prof. Caroline Edward Ayad khilla, the Secretary of Scientific Affairs, Dr. Siddig Haji Ali, representative of the River Nile State government, Dr. AbdelWahhab Mohamed AbdelWahhab, representative of the farmers of El-Zaidab Agricultural Project, Prof Mamoun Dawlebeit, the agricultural expert and technology trustee of the Sudanese American Friendship Association (SAFA), who is a graduate of Iowa State University (ISU). The meeting was attended by and a number of college deans and professors, and Mrs. Sawsan Ramadan Nadim Nicholas, representative of the Nicholas family, which is of American origin.
Vice Chancellor's Speech
Addressing the opening of the meeting, Prof Awad Saad Hassan, the vice chancellor, welcomed the attendees explaining that the university receives today a dear and distinguished guest, Mrs. Mazahir Mohamad Ali Salih, Iowa City Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem, in a visit that is considered historic. Mazahir Salih graduated from Sudan University of Science and Technology, Department of Civil Engineering.
Prof. Awad expressed his pride in her elegant and distinguished presence at the university, congratulating her on her victory in the elections and getting appointed as Mayor Pro Tem Iowa city, and considered it a pride for Sudan and the country’s kandakes, which reflects her success and distinction as the first Sudanese Muslim woman to hold an elected position in the United States of America.
Professor Awad also added that in light of the glorious December revolution and in light of the openness to the first and advanced world, it was necessary for us as a university to look for creating and establishing smart relationships and partnerships with the United States of America, and therefore the initiative was to rehabilitate El-Zaidab agricultural project in the River Nile State. This project was founded and established by the American scientist Leigh Smith John Hunt, who was dean of the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University (ISU) and later he became the president of the university.
Representative of the River Nile Government
Dr. Siddiq Al-Hajj Ali Suleiman, representative of the River Nile Government, director of the State Radio and Television Corporation, stressed and praised the fact that SUST truly represents the whole of Sudan and welcomed the university’s initiative to rehabilitate El-Zaidab agricultural project, offering an invitation to visit the state and review the project.
Farmers Representative
Dr. Abdelwahhab Mohamed Abdelwahab, representative of the farmers of El-Zaidab project, stressed that El-Zaidab area is rich and contains a large number of projects, but it lacks modern technical methods in agriculture and animal care, in addition to the problems of marketing products and the lack of optimal exploitation of the buildings of El-Zaidab project. Furthermore, he announced their readiness for any cooperation with the administration of Sudan University for development of the area, in coordination with the government of the River Nile State, and stressed the readiness of the people of the state
SAFA Representative
Prof Mamoun Dawlebeit also explained that El-Zidab project is the first project and model for irrigated agriculture since 1904, which made it a reference for the development of agriculture in Sudan. He empasized the necessity of controlling the Sudanese agricultural business in the world and its requirements, in addition to working on improving Sudanese production and marketing it to find global acceptance. He described the Sudanese American Friendship Association as an independent association that includes a group of young people with the presence of the private sector, who believe in the guarantee of achievement.
Prof. Tamador Elkhansa Elnour
Prof. Tamador Elkhansa Elnour Angara Basheir, Dean of the College of Animal Production Science and Technology presented the plan of the college of Agricultural Studies, college of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Animal Production Science and Technology - the plan of Sudan University project to benefit from the buildings of El-Zaidab Agricultural Project, which is to establish a center for cooperation between the Universities of Sudan and Iowa to exploit the available resources and lands to meet the world’s need in providing food and the increasing demand for agricultural products and to utilize knowledge of modern agricultural technologies available in the two universities to develop agriculture and follow quality, in addition to enriching the scientific research aspect, contributing to the marketing of products, providing social services to farmers, and paying special attention to women and youth in the project for their great role in achieving this achievement.
Manager of SUST Radio Administration
Dr. Abbas Ahmed Al-Hajj, Director of Sudan University Radio, presented a film about El-Zaidab project as the first project in Sudan in the year 1904. The film reflected the vast areas of the project and its containing of a 10-acre gin that became a wreck. Dr. Abbas emphasized the possibility of rehabilitating the project and attaching fruit factories to the region's richness in the many types of fruits that cannot find marketing, in order to promote the region and its people.
Final Comments ...
It should be noted that at the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Maryam Abbas, manager of External Relations, gave an introductory presentation on the University of Sudan and its inclusion of twenty-five colleges and more than 70,000 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the end, the university presented souvenirs to the guests.