Excellence, Access and Impact: Leading Health Professions Education, Research and Care in Somalia

Al Hayat Medical University has entered its second decade with one ambition: to become Somalia’s leading specialised academic health university.

Our Strategic Plan 2026–2031 sets out how we will get there. It was developed with our faculties, staff, students and partners, approved by the Board of Trustees, and aligned with the standards of the National Commission for Higher Education.

Five years. Nine pillars. Measurable targets.

What we will achieve by 2031

• Graduates of choice — exit examinations in every clinical programme, and our MBBS benchmarked against international standards.
• A leading academic health centre — a teaching hospital and teaching clinics known for quality care and excellent clinical training.
• Research with impact — a national reference research institute, a Health Innovation Hub, and research that informs health policy.
• Advanced health education — three master’s programmes, and 1,000 health workers trained each year.
• Access for talent — one in five students on a scholarship, honouring the commitment on which this University was founded.
• A modern, green campus — our own campus, a Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre, solar power and digital services.
• Global connections — exchange programmes, joint degrees and international students.
• A great place to work — 40% of our academic staff holding a doctorate.

Our nine pillars

1. Academic Excellence, Programmes and Accreditation
2. Academic Staff Excellence and Workplace Culture
3. Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies
4. Student Access, Success and Experience
5. Campus Development, Digital Transformation and Sustainability
6. Governance, Accountability and Institutional Effectiveness
7. Financial Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation
8. Community Engagement, Partnerships and Internationalisation
9. Teaching Hospital and Clinical Services Excellence

Holding ourselves to account
Every faculty and directorate reports quarterly. The Board receives an annual performance report. The Plan is independently reviewed at mid-term and at its close.

We publish this Plan because a university that asks its students to meet high standards should be willing to be measured against its own.