Barwaaqo University is the only all-female boarding university in Somaliland. It was founded with the aim of helping Somali women to become professionals who would drive development throughout the country.
Founded in 2017, Barwaaqo University is located just outside Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, a breakaway, self-governing region of Somalia. It offers two BEd degrees: one in English studies and the other specialising in Montessori education. Students can also enrol in a BA in English for international communication. The university’s aim is to prepare its small cohort of undergraduates to teach in primary-school classrooms across the country.
The university campus comprises around 87 acres, and is divided into a student and a faculty quadrangle. There is also a community school and a mosque.
Students live on campus, with up to four students sharing each dorm room. Societies include Islamic Club and Maths Club, as well as running and basketball teams. There is also a strong emphasis on community service: the Barwaaqo Gives Back programme invites students to spend their university vacations volunteering in a school.
