The Truth Behind the Scene | Dr. Ibrahim Shaqlawi Sakina, Zeinab and Tuqa: When the Meaning of Success Changes
Between Professor Sakina Mohamed Yagi, journalist Zeinab Mohamed Saleh, and student Tuqa Al-Nour, a portrait of Sudanese women emerges across three different generations. Their experiences intersect in ambition and excellence, while also revealing shifts in the relationship between individuals and institutions, and in the criteria by which success is measured.
The selection of Professor Sakina Mohamed Yagi, a professor of plant biology at the University of Khartoum, among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2026, represents recognition of a distinguished national research career in studying the chemical and biological properties of Sudanese plants. This achievement not only honors a scientist who has accumulated knowledge and contributed to international scientific output, but also raises an important development question: How can Sudan transform the excellence of its scientists into sustainable development projects that utilize its natural resources and serve the economy, health, and agriculture? The true value of science does not end with international recognition; it begins when that recognition translates into a lasting national impact.
On a different path comes the experience of journalist Zeinab Mohamed Saleh, who won the 2026 Knight International Journalism Award last June in recognition of her fieldwork and coverage of the war, the humanitarian crisis, and violations, particularly in Darfur.
Success is often measured by the ability to reach the facts and convey people’s suffering in an environment where professional safety standards are deteriorating, resources are shrinking, and the risks of journalistic work are increasing. Her work has gone beyond the boundaries of news coverage to document what civilians are enduring, making journalism, in wartime, part of the struggle for dignity and truth, and for protecting collective memory from oblivion and misinformation.
Between Sakina, who represents the accumulation of knowledge, and Zeinab, who tests her profession under the pressure of war, emerges Tuqa Al-Nour Mohamed, who ranked first in Sudan’s 2026 Secondary School Certificate Examination with a score of 97.7%. She chose to study medicine at the University of Medical Sciences and Technology instead of the University of Khartoum. Her decision sparked widespread debate that goes beyond her personal right to choose and raises an important question: Is the historical standing of universities alone still sufficient to determine where top-performing students pursue their education?
For many years, the University of Khartoum has remained in the Sudanese imagination a symbol of academic excellence and scientific and social prestige. Its standing has rested on a distinguished history of producing leaders, scientists, and professionals. However, the war and the disruption and instability that have affected higher education institutions have imposed a different reality, in which the continuity of classes, the academic environment, the availability of laboratories, and practical training have become factors no less important than historical reputation. Some private universities have continued their activities outside Sudan, while public universities have faced delays and complications. Yet this alone is not enough to determine whether one institution is superior to another. Quality is also measured by academic accreditation, teaching competence, and the reliability of training.
Tuqa’s choice does not mean that the University of Khartoum is in decline, nor does it constitute a condemnation of its history. Rather, it reveals a shift worth examining. The new generation may not inherit the choices of previous generations unchanged; instead, it reassesses them according to its needs, opportunities, and the cost of waiting. Here, the pragmatism of reality may be evident, as the ability to provide consistent and effective education takes precedence over the assumption that a prestigious name is always the natural choice. Universities do not lose their standing when students make different choices, but they are required to renew the reasons for public confidence in them, especially when the circumstances that established their standing begin to change.
What unites these three women is neither their belonging to the same generation nor the similarity of their circumstances. Rather, each reveals an aspect of the relationship between Sudanese women, opportunities for achievement, and the limitations imposed by their surrounding environments. Sakina reminds us that scientific excellence requires institutions willing to invest in it. Zeinab demonstrates the value of professionalism when truth comes under fire. Tuqa raises the question of whether educational institutions can keep pace with a generation that evaluates its choices according to their practical outcomes.
Here, the three stories converge in meaning. Sakina reveals that knowledge needs a state willing to invest in it; Zeinab shows that truth needs a society that protects those who convey it; and Tuqa reveals that trust in universities is no longer granted through inheritance, but must be renewed through their ability to respond to reality. These are three elements of a single equation: producing knowledge, protecting awareness, and building the future. If any one of these elements fails, individual achievements may remain possible, but transforming them into a renaissance becomes more difficult.
According to #TheTruthBehindTheScene, changing criteria for success places institutions under the responsibility of renewing the reasons for public confidence in them. Sakina reveals the value of knowledge, Zeinab highlights the responsibility of protecting truth, and Tuqa reflects changing criteria for choice. Together, they pose one question: Can our institutions transform individual potential into a sustainable national force? History confers standing, but performance preserves it. When the meaning of success changes, renewal becomes a condition for the future, not a luxury for institutions.
May you remain in good health and well-being.
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Sudandial@gmai.com