South Sudan Education Amid Conflict and Recovery
In a country where repeated conflict has interrupted schooling and reduced professional capacity, Professor Dr. Isaac Ayii Ayii is often cited as a case study in resilience and institution-building. He is the founder of Ayii University, which emerged from the Juba Institute of Health Sciences (Eye Radio).
Isaac Ayii Ayii’s Early Life and Disrupted Schooling
Born on March 23, 1983, Isaac Ayii Ayii’s childhood unfolded against a backdrop of instability. According to Eye Radio, he joined the SPLA/M in Ethiopia in 1989 at age seven, under his father’s care, and his education stretched across South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
Academic Milestones in Science Education
Eye Radio reports that Ayii completed O-Level at St. Mary’s Seminary, Kocoa, with a first grade. He then attended St. Joseph’s College Layibi in Gulu, Uganda, completing A-Level with principal passes in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics, a pathway that later shaped his health focus.
Medical Training and Public Health Qualifications
His professional training began with a Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Public Health from Maridi Health Sciences Institute (Eye Radio). He later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Education from Makerere University in Uganda, aligning clinical practice with a long-term interest in training health workers.
Specialisation and Policy Studies in Juba
He obtained a Higher Diploma in Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgery from Mulago Health Institute, positioning himself as both practitioner and trainer (Eye Radio). He then earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Juba, linking health priorities to governance realities.
International Studies in Medical Education
Eye Radio states that Ayii later completed a Master of Public Health and a PhD in Medical Education at Atlantic International University in the United States. The same account notes additional training in entrepreneurship, business administration, and law, reflecting a concern for sustainability and compliance.
Juba Institute of Health Sciences: A Local Response
In 2014, he founded the Juba Institute of Health Sciences with limited resources and a small student intake (Eye Radio). The institution focused on practical, community-oriented health training at a time of acute workforce gaps, and it later graduated large numbers of health professionals.
Ayii University in Juba: From Institute to Multidisciplinary Campus
Eye Radio describes Ayii University as evolving from JIHS into a multidisciplinary private university in Juba, offering programmes in health sciences, education, public policy, and professional studies. The profile presents it as a locally founded initiative led by a South Sudanese academic.
Health Systems Commentary and Capacity Building
Beyond administration, Ayii is portrayed as a medical educationist, policy analyst, and public commentator engaged in debates on health systems and education reform (Eye Radio). The same source says his interventions often stress strengthening local capacity rather than overreliance on external expertise.
Human Capital as the Central Legacy
In Eye Radio’s framing, Ayii’s story mirrors South Sudan’s wider search for stability, while his institutions are presented as practical answers to weak health systems and limited higher education. The article argues that his main impact is human capital trained locally for service in communities.