Tarik Hassane’s university have issued a statement regarding his arrest during “anti-terror” raids in London last week.
“The University of Medical Sciences and Technology is a private university established in 1996 as the Academy of Medical Sciences and Technology (see UMST website at www.umstedu.com). It is an international university attracting students from a wider base outside Sudan, including Europe, America, Canada, Arab and African countries. Its main attraction is the media of communication in English and of multiracial, multi-religious nature and high academic discipline with complete academic and speech freedom. The multiracial, multi-religious nature of the university is reflected on its Board of Trustee.
Because of very strict academic disciplines students are followed-up closely and absenteeism from schooling is monitored by a computer-based programme. Students IDs carry a bar-code which registers the student’s class attendance. Each student who absents her/himself from studies in more than 15% in any one subject is debarred from sitting the exams. The exams are held every 2 ½ months.
The university’s intake in medicine/dentistry/pharmacy is mainly from foreign students. Those who hold foreign entry qualifications are more than 60%. Our public relation department takes the responsibility of registering the foreign students in the Sudanese authority for exit and re-entry visa. So we keep a very close contact of our students.
Tarik was interviewed on 01 August 2013 and has fulfilled the pre-requisites to be a student in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences and Technology on 01 September 2013. He completed his first year with an attendance of over 85% and passed all subjects and was promoted to the second year.
He started his second year on 06 September 2014; his attendance was 100% until he was handed his passport by the Public Relation Officer on Tuesday morning 30th of September 2014. As the university used to arrange exit visa through the public relation office to all foreign students. He left Sudan on Tuesday 30 September 2014 by Egypt Air. He even attended his morning lecture at 8:00-10:00 a.m. the same day.
Our records about Tarik Hassane indicate that he is a British Student of a Saudi Arabia father and Moroccan mother origin. He joined the university with a good entry record on 01 August 2013. He spent one academic year which ended in July 2014.
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During this year his class attendance has been over 85%. He went into summer vacation which ended on 6/9/2014.
His passport was in the custody of the Public Relation Officer, Mr Galal. The student took his passport on Tuesday 30 September 2014 at 10:00 a.m. as the university will close for the Eid holiday on Thursday 02 October 2014.
We believe he left Sudan on Tuesday 30 September 2014 midday. He did his own arrangements for travel.
Tarik lives in Omdurman city within Khartoum state with a Sudanese colleague. Through records and consulting with his group of colleague (of 10 students) who confirm that Tarik is polite, peaceful, well-respected, a devout Muslim and shares no inclination to violence.
He, according to his colleagues deplores violence and is critical about terrorism. He is a friend of a Sudanese family who lives with them and he was brought up with them in London.
All those who know him think he is a reasonable guy and were surprised with the accusation.”
Dr Ahmed Babiker
Dean, Students Affairs
University of Medical Sciences & Technology
11 October 2014
