The Vice Chancellor of Upper Nile University, Prof. Marial Awou Yol, passed away on Thursday night in New Delhi in India, the Embassy of South Sudan in India announced on Friday.
The cause of death was not mentioned.
“Late Prof. Dr. Marial Awou Yol, Vice Chancellor of Upper Nile University and spouse of Ambassador Victoria Samuel Aru, Head of Mission, passed away last night in New Delhi, India,” the embassy said in a statement Friday.
University of Juba Vice Chancellor Prof. John Apuruot Akec, a close friend to the late Prof. Marial Awou confirmed the demise of the latter to Radio Tamazuj, describing the deceased as one of the best economists.
“He is one of the best economists in the country, he has taught economics and was also one of the most qualified economists. He was the deputy minister of finance in Sudan and then he came here (South Sudan) after independence in 2013 and he was a deputy minister of finance here,” Prof. Akec said. “He (Prof. Awou) and Kosti Manibe managed the economy in a very difficult time. They were able to stabilize the dollar by putting in place measures. He was a scientist and a friend of mine. We were colleagues at the University of Juba and he also taught me economics at the University of Juba.”
“He was an able economist and this is a great loss for the country,” he added.
Prof. Akec revealed that the late Prof. Awou has been battling ill health for long and used to often travel to Khartoum, Sudan, for medication.
Prof. Awou has served as Vice Chancellor of Upper Nile University since January 2019 until his time of death on Friday in India.
In 2009, he was appointed as the state minister of finance at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy in the Government of Sudan.
Following the secession of South Sudan, he was appointed deputy finance minister in the first post-independence Government of South Sudan.
After graduating from the Gezira University in Sudan with a Bachelor of Science degree (Honors, Division II upper) in 1984, he joined the University of Juba as a teaching assistant in the Department of Economics, College of Social and Economic Studies.
In 1990, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to undertake studies leading to the award of a Master of Arts degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in May 1992.
He then returned to Sudan and resumed teaching as a lecturer in the same college.
In December 1997, he received a government-funded scholarship to undertake a course of study leading to a Ph.D. in economics at the University Putra Malaysia (UPM).
In February 2002, he was awarded a Ph.D. in economics. Upon his return to the University of Juba in May 2002, he was appointed an Assistant Professor in economics. In July 2003, he joined Putra University Malaysia as a contract lecturer in economics.
After spending six years in Malaysia, Prof. Awou joined the World Bank as a senior consultant in monetary and exchange rate policies in May 2009 and was placed at the Central Bank of Sudan.