The University of Kordofan (Arabic: ?????????? ???????????? ) (informally Kordofan University) is one of the largest universities in Sudan located in El-Obeid 560 km to the southwest of Khartoum. It was founded in 1990 and is recognized as one of the top universities in Sudan. It features several institutes, academic units and research centres, including the Institute of Gum Arabic Research and Desertification Studies, the Centre for Intermediate Technology in Agriculture and a Deanship for Scientific Research and Postgraduate Studies. It is a member of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World.