Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry

Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry is the largest university in Guinea. It is located in the Dixinn Commune area of Conakry, the capital city of Guinea. Many people call it the University of Conakry.

The university is important for education in Guinea. It offers many subjects for students to study and helps prepare them for jobs and more learning.

The university is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser, a leader from Egypt. This name shows the strong link between Guinea and other countries that value education and progress.

History

The Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry started in 1962 as the Institut Polytechnique de Conakry. It was the first higher education school in Guinea, with help from the Soviet Union. This happened when the country was growing after it became independent. In 1970, the school was renamed the Institut Polytechnique Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry (IPGAN), after the famous Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1989, it was renamed again to the Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry.

In 1965, another school called the École supérieure d'administration joined the Institut Polytechnique. By 2007, the university had a computer network with a fiber optic backbone and 1,000 computers for staff. The United States Agency for International Development helped set up this network and the internet connection. Each faculty has a computer lab, but there are more users than computers. The university also offers online courses. In 2002, the university changed its rules by stopping its entrance exam.

Faculties

Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry has 13 schools and faculties. One is the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry. It has separate departments for each area. There is also a Faculty of Sciences. It has departments for biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

The university includes a Centre for Study and Environmental Research. It also has a Computing Centre and a Polytechnic Institute. The Polytechnic Institute has departments such as electrical engineering, civil engineering, and computer engineering.

In 2015, Guinea and the Institut Pasteur signed an agreement to create the Institut Pasteur of Guinea. It will operate as an independent department of the university. The university also houses the Herbier National De Guinée, Guinea’s national herbarium.

Notable alumni

A well-known graduate of Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry is Fatoumata Barry. She became Guinea's first woman architect.