Sudanese Women Scientists Find New Connections to Keep Research Alive Amid Conflict

The UNESCO Sudan Office facilitated participation from Khartoum and Alexandria, bringing Sudanese stakeholders into discussions about mentorship, research cooperation and the support women scientists need to continue their work.

For Sudanese women scientists, conflict and displacement have made staying connected to research institutions, resources and fellow researchers increasingly difficult. Opportunities to exchange ideas and build partnerships carry particular importance when the professional networks that support a scientific career have been disrupted.

A two-day event held on 12–13 October 2026 offered a space to renew those connections. The UNESCO Sudan Office facilitated participation from Khartoum and Alexandria, bringing Sudanese stakeholders into discussions about mentorship, research cooperation and the support women scientists need to continue their work.

Opening doors through mentorship

Organised in collaboration with the UNESCO Cairo Office and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), the hybrid event took place under the Arab Women in Science Platform, bringing together participants and partners from across the region.

The gathering celebrated the achievements of the first Arab Women in Science (AWSci) Co-Mentorship Programme and recognised the volunteer mentors who contributed their time and expertise. It also launched the programme's second cycle for 2026–2027, creating another opportunity for participants to build professional relationships and explore scientific cooperation.

The first day gave particular attention to Sudanese women scientists and the challenges affecting their careers. Participants shared professional experiences and discussed how mentorship, networking and research partnerships could help them maintain and develop their work despite disrupted access to institutions and resources.

These connections offer researchers a way to exchange expertise and stay involved in scientific discussions when opportunities within their own institutions have become harder to access. The event brought new participants and partners into that conversation, opening up possibilities for professional development across the region.

Building a network shaped by Sudanese researchers

Discussions also explored closer research cooperation between Sudan and Egypt, including opportunities for women researchers in both countries to share expertise and develop professional connections.

One proposal emerging from the discussions was the establishment of a Sudanese Women Scientists Working Group linked to UNESCO's international scientific platforms. The group has been envisaged as a space where researchers could exchange knowledge, identify shared priorities and explore opportunities to work together.

For scientists whose careers have been affected by displacement, such a network could help maintain contact with colleagues and provide a place to discuss common research interests. Its proposed links with regional and international scientific communities would broaden access to mentorship and cooperation beyond individual institutions.

The working group remains a proposed outcome of the discussions. Its development would give Sudanese women researchers another means of shaping the partnerships and professional support most relevant to their circumstances.

Keeping women's expertise central to recovery

Sudan's scientific recovery will depend in part on researchers being able to sustain their work and contribute their expertise to rebuilding institutions. Women scientists have an important role in restoring research capacity and developing responses to the country's development challenges.

UNESCO Sudan is working with the UNESCO Cairo Office, AASTMT and national stakeholders to expand opportunities for Sudanese women scientists to remain involved in the wider scientific community. The effort connects support for individual research careers with the broader need to preserve and rebuild the country's scientific capacity.

The Arab Women in Science Platform provides a route for this work through mentorship, professional networks and regional partnerships. The new co-mentorship cycle and the proposed Sudanese working group offer opportunities to build on the October discussions, helping women researchers maintain relationships, share knowledge and contribute to a stronger, more inclusive scientific community in Sudan.