Universities and colleges
Gollis University, Hargeisa
Gollis University is a private, non-profit university in Hargeisa, founded in 2004 by Dr Saeed Ahmed Hassan. It opened to students in 2005 with 40 criminal justice and 40 civil engineering students, reached 706 students by the end of 2007, and now has campuses across Somaliland and in Garoowe.
In short
Gollis University (GU) is a privately owned, non-profit university in Hargeisa, Somaliland (Wikipedia). It takes its name from the Golis Mountains, near which it stands (same source).
How it started
Dr Saeed Ahmed Hassan founded Gollis in 2004 as a non-profit institution (Wikipedia). It opened to students in 2005 and was upgraded to a university within 10 months (same source).
The first intake was 40 criminal justice students and 40 civil engineering students. By the end of 2007 it had 706 students (same source).
Graduations
At its 17th graduation, at the Hargeisa campus in October 2018, 784 students graduated, with President Musa Bihi Abdi as chief guest (Somaliland Standard, 4 October 2018). The chancellor spoke about how the university had grown and said many past graduates were using their education (same source).
Wikipedia names Saeed Mohamed Ahmed as president and Dr Saeed A. H. Ibrahim as chairman (Wikipedia).
Campuses
The university lists these campuses (Wikipedia):
- Hargeisa (main campus)
- Berbera
- Burco (Burao)
- Ceerigaabo (Erigavo)
- Laascaanood (Las Anod)
- Buuhoodle
- Garoowe, in Puntland
What it teaches
Bachelor's degrees come from these faculties (Wikipedia):
- Engineering: civil, telecommunication, electrical, computer and industrial engineering
- Information and Communication Technology
- Management and Economics: business management, accounting and finance, economics, business IT
- Geology and Water Resources
- Agriculture, and Veterinary Medicine
- Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: medicine, public health, nutrition, clinical laboratory, anaesthesia, clinical officers
- Social and Behavioural Science: development studies, social science, political science and international relations
- Law; Islamic Studies and Sharia; Education; Applied Statistics
Master's degrees: Business Administration (MBA), Management, and Public Health (same source).
Money and research
Student fees, about $500 per student per semester, are the university's main income (Wikipedia).
The Gollis University Research Institute (GURI) runs research across faculties and works with other universities, NGOs and international bodies (same source).
Read more
Sources
- Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Somaliland Standard, 4 October 2018 · somalilandstandard.com
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Where this matters
Same era
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- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Somali universities one by one: SNU, Hargeisa, Amoud, Mogadishu, SIMAD, Benadir and Puntland StateProfiles of Somalia's and Somaliland's main universities: when each was founded, who runs it, where its campuses are, what it teaches and how many students it has.
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- University of Burao (Jaamacadda Burco)The University of Burao in Burco, Togdheer: founded 2004, its faculties, campus, branches and how it is governed.
- Kismayo University (Jaamacadda Kismaayo)Kismayo University in Kismaayo, Lower Juba: founded 2005, its campus, faculties, governance, memberships and partners.
- Admas University in Hargeisa and GarooweAdmas University's campuses in Hargeisa (2006) and Garoowe (2014): how they started, programmes, students, graduates and accreditation.