Founded in 1994, the University of Gadarif sits on the north-western edge of town and has grown into one of the most important institutions in eastern Sudan. Its faculties of agriculture, veterinary science, and natural resources reflect the city's economy — the university trains the engineers, agronomists, and animal-health specialists who keep the farms and herds of the Butana running.
The campus itself is modest and dusty in the off-season, but worth a stop if you want to meet students and chat over tea. English is widely spoken among the staff and graduate students, and they are usually happy to talk about life in Gedaref and what is grown where on the plains.