Sudanese Universities Information Network

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SudREN is Sudan’s national network that connects research and education institutions. It started in 2004 as the Sudanese Virtual Library (SUVL) under the Ministry of Higher Education to improve access to academic content for 30 public universities. The project used a frame relay network with a central server at the University of Khartoum and offered access to more than 250,000 digital records plus global platforms like Hinari, AGORA, and Oxford University Press.

In 2009, governance moved to the Association of Sudanese Universities (ASU), a body for all universities and research institutions. A memorandum of understanding was signed by 30 ASU member universities to establish SUIN as a legal independent entity. In 2010 SUIN was licensed as an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

To align with other African networks, SUIN was renamed SudREN. The project was supported by the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC). SudREN connected 12 universities between 2008 and 2009 with 15 Mbps of shared internet access via a Network Operation Center at the University of Khartoum, and in 2011 it upgraded to 155 Mbps STM-1 through Sudatel.

Today, SudREN provides broadband connectivity for Sudan’s research and education institutions and links with other regional and global networks. Its goals include increasing knowledge sharing, promoting collaboration in research, education and development, and pooling resources to share software and e-services while lowering costs.