Sudan Approves E-Learning and Blended Education Regulations.

The President of the National Council for Higher Education and Scientific Research issued Decision No. 138 of 2026, approving the 2026 Regulations for E-Learning and Blended Learning. The decision was signed on 12 September 2026 and stipulated that it would come into effect from the date of signature. Accordingly, the regulations became effective on that date, providing e-learning and blended learning with an officially recognized legal and regulatory foundation within Sudanese higher education institutions.

At its core, the decision establishes a formal framework governing the use of modern technologies in delivering university programmes and courses. E-learning relies on digital platforms and media to provide lectures, academic content, communication and assessment, either synchronously in real time or asynchronously, allowing students to access learning materials at times convenient to them. Blended learning combines attendance in classrooms and laboratories with e-learning, according to the nature of the programme, course requirements and applicable quality standards.

The real significance of the decision lies in the fact that it does not treat e-learning merely as a temporary solution to war or university closures. Instead, it recognizes it as an integral part of the higher education system. This represents an important transformation, as university education is no longer restricted to a single model requiring professors and students to meet in a particular classroom at a fixed time. Knowledge is now accessible through digital platforms, electronic libraries and virtual classrooms. It has also become possible to benefit from professors and experts inside and outside Sudan and to reach students wherever they may be.

From this perspective, the decision can rightly be described as historic in the development of Sudanese higher education. It moves e-learning from a stage of necessity and individual initiatives to one of formal recognition and regulation. It also shifts the use of digital applications from scattered institutional practices towards an educational system governed by clear rules and standards. Moreover, it aligns Sudanese higher education with the global technological transformation taking place in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital libraries, learning platforms, electronic content management and online examinations.

The issuance of this decision does not mean that Sudan’s experience with e-learning is beginning from scratch. It was preceded by important initiatives led by several universities. National University–Sudan was among the pioneering institutions in this field. It actively participated in and presented academic papers at several editions of the eLearning Africa Conference, held in Windhoek, Namibia (2013); Kampala, Uganda (2014); Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2015); Cairo, Egypt (2016); Port Louis, Mauritius (2017); Kigali, Rwanda (2018); and Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (2019). Drawing on the knowledge and experience gained through these engagements, the University adopted e-learning systems in 2017, established an educational platform and developed the tools required to deliver lectures, provide access to academic content, communicate with students and monitor the educational process remotely.

The importance of this early initiative became evident in the years that followed. From the political unrest that began in 2018, through the events following the political change in 2019, the closure of universities during the COVID-19 pandemic and, finally, the war launched by the militia in April 2023, National University was able to use its digital infrastructure—including its learning platform, digital library and student email system—to continue operating without suspending its academic programmes.

This enabled students to continue their studies and helped faculty members and administrators perform their duties despite periods when regular attendance at the University’s premises was not possible. In building its capacity and developing its e-learning experience, the University also engaged experts from Germany, the United Kingdom and India, as well as experts from the African Development Bank. This contributed to strengthening its technological infrastructure and developing the skills of its staff.

The path was not easy. As National University adopted e-learning, it faced considerable resistance and criticism, and even ridicule from some who did not, at the time, appreciate the importance of digital transformation or understand the future direction of education. Nevertheless, the University pursued its project with determination. Successive crises proved the soundness and foresight of its vision, and what was once ridiculed has now become a nationally approved direction under this historic decision.

National University’s experience provides practical evidence that investment in e-learning is not a technological luxury. It is an investment in institutional continuity and resilience during crises. A university with an effective platform, a digital library, trained personnel and well-organized educational content can move more quickly from face-to-face instruction to e-learning or blended learning when circumstances require it. By contrast, an institution that waits for a crisis before beginning to build its digital systems is likely to encounter greater difficulties and may be forced to suspend its studies for extended periods.

This is where the significance of Decision No. 138 becomes particularly clear. It transforms pioneering experiences undertaken by individual universities into an organized national direction from which all higher education institutions can benefit. It also creates an opportunity to draw on the expertise of universities that entered this field early, including National University, when preparing implementation guidelines, training faculty members and designing digital platforms and courses.

The importance of the decision is even greater under Sudan’s current circumstances. The 2023 war displaced large numbers of students and professors both inside and outside Sudan. University buildings, laboratories and libraries were damaged, and many students were unable to reach their institutions regularly. During this period, e-learning helped several universities continue teaching, but questions remained concerning recognition, regulations, examinations and quality assurance. The new decision provides universities with a regulatory foundation on which they can build, instead of relying on temporary arrangements that vary from one institution to another.

The decision also creates wider opportunities for Sudanese students living abroad, working people who cannot attend classes daily, residents of remote areas and those whose health or social circumstances prevent them from attending classrooms regularly. It may also help Sudanese universities expand their programmes, attract students from other countries and benefit from Sudanese academics living around the world, provided that academic quality and recognition are maintained.

However, important as the regulations are, their issuance represents the beginning of the journey rather than its conclusion. Successful e-learning requires adequate technological infrastructure, reliable electricity and internet services, trusted platforms, digital libraries, protection of student data and effective systems for verifying identity and preventing cheating and plagiarism. It also requires training for faculty members, students and administrative staff, as well as the transformation of conventional courses into content specifically designed for digital learning—not merely transferring a traditional lecture from the classroom to a telephone or computer screen.

The digital divide among students must also be addressed. Not all students can afford suitable devices or the cost of internet access, while the quality of connectivity varies between cities, states and areas of displacement. The implementation of the decision should therefore be accompanied by policies to support students, provide affordable educational internet services, establish digital centres at universities and in the states, and make learning materials downloadable so that they can be studied without continuous internet access.

The decision should not be understood as a call to abolish face-to-face education. Medical, engineering, scientific and other programmes require laboratories, clinical training and fieldwork. Blended learning therefore represents the most practical option for many programmes because it combines the flexibility of technology with the importance of direct interaction and practical application.

Decision No. 138, signed on 12 September 2026 and effective from the date of signature, is an important and courageous step that is consistent with global developments in education and with Sudan’s needs during the war and post-war periods. If it is properly implemented and supported by adequate infrastructure, training and quality assurance, it could become a genuine turning point in the history of Sudanese higher education. It could help universities move beyond merely responding to crises towards building a modern and flexible educational system capable of reaching students inside and outside Sudan and keeping pace with a world in which technology has become inseparable from education, knowledge and work.

SARC congratules the entire National University–Sudan community—its leadership, faculty members, students and staff—in appreciation of their pioneering initiatives and sustained efforts in modernization and development, a journey that has now culminated in this historic decision.