The Nihal European University in Sudan

The research and teaching to be implemented in the Humanities Faculty of the Nihal European University in Sudan should be based on ideals of interdisciplinary, practical training and international and intercultural relations in accordance with the general principles of the university. Interdisciplinarity should be guaranteed by means of cross-disciplinary events such as mutual colloquia that extend across departmental boundaries.

Students should be provided with the opportunity to pursue their own interests and competencies as well as the option of specializing within a particular degree programme. In this way the Nihal European University in Sudan will accommodate the multiple demands of the workplace in Sudan and beyond.

Because of the international character of the Nihal European University in Sudan special value will be placed upon international cooperation in research and teaching. We will thus strive for an intensive exchange of students on the basis of partnerships with universities in Europe and other regions. Appropriate forms of exchange will include study abroad for one or two semesters (especially in studying foreign languages), the completion of thesis projects abroad as well as undertaking practicums abroad with university advising on location. Clearly a basic prerequisite for the success of such programmes is the mutual recognition of courses and examinations on the basis of bilateral agreements (if at all possible).

Multilingualism should be promoted especially in the area of teaching. Courses should therefore be offered in different languages in the individual departments, most practically in the area of core electives. Above all such courses should be offered in recognized second languages of the Nihal European University in Sudan or in the appropriate foreign language when offered in the foreign-language degree programmes.

An essential component of all degree programmes will be a six-to-eight week practicum. Nonetheless in the linguistics degree programmes students should also take advantage of opportunities to study abroad or to spend time living among the ethnic groups to be studied. In this case particularly students should experience other cultures as closely as possible learning to live among them in a practical way, since forming friendships with members of other cultures represents the first step in acquiring cultural-pluralistic tolerance.