Israeli researchers from Bar-Ilan University, the Open University of Israel and Ariel University visit the University of Hargeisa for academic collaboration and biodiversity research in Somaliland
HARGEISA, Somaliland — Aug. 28, 2026 — The University of Hargeisa has hosted a delegation of Israeli university researchers last week for discussions on academic cooperation and joint research, signaling an expansion of Somaliland’s international partnerships in higher education and biodiversity science.
The delegation was led by Prof. Zohar Amar of Bar-Ilan University and included Dr. Yaron Serri of the Open University of Israel and Elron Zabatani of Ariel University. University of Hargeisa President Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Sulub welcomed the researchers, with Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Fuad Abdi Obsiye also attending the meeting.
The discussions centered on opportunities for academic and scientific collaboration, including joint research projects, knowledge exchange and broader institutional partnerships.
University officials described the engagement as part of efforts to deepen international research relationships and create new opportunities for scholars and students.
Research takes scholars into Somaliland’s field sites
The Israeli researchers also worked with the University of Hargeisa Biodiversity Center, conducting field research in several parts of Somaliland.
Their research examined traditional medicinal practices and ethnopharmacological knowledge — the study of how communities use plants and other natural resources for medicinal purposes. The researchers also examined related markets and the diversity and geographic distribution of incense-producing plants.
The fieldwork places Somaliland’s traditional ecological knowledge and botanical resources within a broader scientific research framework. It also offers opportunities to document knowledge that has traditionally been transmitted through local communities and generations.
Incense-producing plants are particularly significant to Somaliland and the wider Horn of Africa, where frankincense and other aromatic resins have long played economic, cultural and commercial roles.
Academic cooperation follows wider Somaliland-Israel ties
The university engagement comes amid expanding relations between Somaliland and Israel, with cooperation increasingly extending beyond diplomacy and into education, research and scientific exchange.
For the University of Hargeisa, partnerships with foreign institutions can provide access to specialized expertise, research networks and collaborative projects while increasing the international profile of Somaliland’s academic institutions.
The participation of researchers from three Israeli universities also broadens the potential scope of future cooperation, particularly in fields involving biodiversity, ethnobotany, traditional medicine and environmental research.
The visit is expected to provide a foundation for further academic exchanges and collaborative research between the University of Hargeisa and the participating Israeli institutions.
University officials said the engagement represents an important step toward expanding international research partnerships and strengthening collaborative biodiversity research.
For Somaliland, where much of the country’s biodiversity and traditional ecological knowledge remains comparatively underdocumented in international scientific literature, such partnerships could help connect local expertise and field research with wider academic networks.
