Puntland State University (PSU) has its roots entrenched from the patriotic and humanitarian joint efforts of KAALO (local NGO) and Diakonia of Sweden that has been instrumental in providing the much needed financial support, physical structures and equipment. Kaalo was started with the aim of improving the livelihood of the Somali people through the provision of basic needs in sustainable and environmentally sound approach.

One way to achieve this mandate is through the promotion of higher education in Puntland. Towards this end, the idea of Puntland State University was borne. The provision of higher Education in Puntland started with a women training institute (Garowe School of Management) where a one – year certificate program in basic arithmetic’s, simple bookkeeping, Office practice, Computer literacy, English communication skills and management courses were offered.

Sixty women graduated after the one-year program and have currently found formal placements in various Employment bodies in Puntland such as local and international N.G.O.S, Government and the private sector with some furthering their education. Encouraged by the success of Garowe school of management, and the expressed need for higher education, particularly girls education in Puntland and the entire Somalia, Kaalo Relief and Development Agency, along with other stakeholders, transformed the school into a two- year college with programs in management, Accounting, In formation Technology, and English language renaming it the Puntland Community College (PCC).

Kaalo, with PCC at its waking moments, successfully organized a fund raising and community mobilization to construct the PCC Premises, purchase generator, land for expansion (40m by 80m), library books and furniture. At the college, sixty-five students graduated with an impressive gender parity of 34 females and 31 males. Eighty five percent of these were the internally displaced peoples (IDPs)- the price of the continuing civil disorder in Somalia. Most of these graduates are currently working with the Government, Aid Agencies and or the Private sector, while others have gone for further Education.

After careful assessment of the then curriculum, policy and operation systems, a consultancy team of academicians in Higher Education Curriculum Development from USIU- Nairobi, under the funding of UNDP, proposed PCC to offer programs leading to Diploma [1-2 years], Associate Degrees [2 years] and Bachelors Degrees [4 years] in the field of Business Administration, Public Administration, and Information Technology while renaming the institution to Puntland State University [PSU].

The consultancy team did propose mechanisms and strategies to be implemented towards improving the academic policies, non-academic policies and the human resource management.

A five year comprehensive strategic plan (currently under implementation) prepared by full consultative and participatory methodology put forward recommendations for PSU to capitalize efficiently, effectively, and economically in its immense potential by expanding gradually its academic and extra-curricula programs to cover more essential priority areas for knowledge, skills, and attitude development countrywide, as it has a competitive advantage over other institutions in the state.

The institution keeps growing as a new batch of students is enrolled every year in the month of October for the University and the Pre-University level program, which aims to prepare and offer an opportunity to those students not fully qualified for University entrance examination. Currently the institution’s student population is two hundred; this is however bound to increase with subsequent enrollments.

Being the fastest growing institution of higher learning in Puntland, its location in Garowe (the Capital of Puntland state), establishment of functional Government operations and the emergent peace and stability in the greater Somalia, PSU boosts of well equipped IT center with pending installation of VSAT for distance learning facility, highly dedicated and qualified faculty, well developed meeting facilities (multipurpose hall) and other vital physical structures including learner friendly lecture halls that makes capacity building programs a thriving reality.

PSU is the most preferred destination for short-term certificate programs in Computer literacy, Basic business management and entrepreneurship skills, Governance and Democracy, Financial planning and management to mention but a few. The institution is ideal for capacity building programs as seen by the preference of such bodies as, the Government, International Community and Local N.G.O.s (Care International, Save the Children, UNDP, U.N.Habitat, UNESCO, OCHA, DPRD, HADMA UNCHR and UNICEF) and the private sector to hold meetings, seminars and workshops there.