اخبار سوريا اليوم – وطن نيوز
سوريا اليوم – اخبار سوريا عاجل
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-07-17 10:43:00
Muhammad Al-Hilal Reforming higher education in Syria is no longer an academic matter for universities alone, but rather has become a national issue directly linked to the future of the state and its ability to rise again. Universities are not only institutions that grant degrees, but they are also the place where the doctor who will work in the hospitals of Deir ez-Zor or Latakia, the engineer who will participate in the reconstruction of Aleppo and the Damascus countryside, the teacher who will rebuild the Syrian school, the researcher who will provide solutions to the problems of water, energy, agriculture, and the economy, and the administrator who will manage state institutions efficiently, are prepared. From these classrooms and laboratories, ideas emerge that later turn into public policies and development projects that serve society. At this stage in which Syria faces the challenges of reconstruction and restoring growth, building roads, bridges and hospitals is no longer sufficient unless it is accompanied by building people capable of planning, implementing and managing them, which is the role that universities assume before any other institution. Therefore, higher education reform should be viewed as one of the most important national reconstruction projects, because the university is not just an educational institution, but rather the real factory of competencies that will lead Syria in the coming decades. The experiences of many countries have proven that rebuilding universities does not come after reconstruction, but rather goes in parallel with it, because the university is the one that prepares the competencies that will lead the reconstruction process itself. Therefore, investing in higher education is not additional government spending, but rather a long-term investment in the future of the country. But the development of Syrian universities should not be limited to renovating buildings or opening new colleges, but rather begins with reforming the way they are managed. Administrative centralization and lengthy procedures still limit the ability of universities to respond quickly to the needs of society and the labor market. It is illogical for Al-Furat or Hama University to wait months to update a study plan, launch a training program, or enter into a partnership with a local institution. Therefore, universities need deliberate academic and administrative independence, combined with transparency and accountability, and giving them greater flexibility in decision-making. The selection of those in charge of running universities and their administrative departments should be based on competence, achievement and leadership vision, with a periodic evaluation of their performance according to clear indicators. This also requires updating the legislation regulating higher education to keep pace with digital transformation, e-learning, artificial intelligence, and international academic cooperation, while preserving the state’s role in formulating public policies and ensuring the quality and equity of education. Quality assurance and academic accreditation are the cornerstone of the development of higher education. Quality is not measured by the number of reports or documents, but rather by the level of the graduate, his ability to compete, and the university’s contribution to community service. This is why Syria needs an independent national body to ensure quality and accreditation, adopt clear standards, and help universities improve continuously, while transforming evaluation results into implementable development plans, not into reports that are kept in drawers. Quality is closely linked to the modernization of academic programs, as it is no longer acceptable for study plans to remain for many years without review while science and the labor market are changing at a rapid pace. The information engineering student at the Universities of Damascus and Tishreen needs skills in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, the civil engineering student at Aleppo and Al-Baath University needs modern construction techniques and management of reconstruction projects, the agriculture student at Al-Furat University also needs knowledge in smart agriculture and water resources management, and the English language student needs mastery of computer-assisted translation and academic writing, while medical education should rely more on clinical training and digital simulation. A university that does not constantly review its programs will continue to graduate students with knowledge that society and the labor market no longer need. The reform is not limited to updating curricula, but also includes changing teaching methods. The traditional lecture, based on memorization and memorization, is still prevalent in many Syrian universities, while the labor market has become in need of graduates who possess thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills. An engineering student at the University of Damascus or Aleppo should participate in projects that simulate the challenges of reconstruction, an economics student at Baath University or Tishreen should analyze real data about the Syrian economy, a law student should be trained on realistic issues, and an English language student should translate real documents and reports and deal with modern translation tools. Adopting project-based learning, case studies, group work, and digital technologies does not require large investments as much as it requires a change in the philosophy of education, so that the student becomes an active partner in the production of knowledge rather than a mere recipient of it. The faculty member remains the cornerstone of any university reform. No matter how developed curricula and laboratories are, their success depends on the professor who is able to employ them efficiently. Therefore, professional development for faculty members should become an ongoing institutional program that includes modern teaching methods, course design, assessment methods, academic supervision, and the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Academic promotion standards also need to be reviewed, so that they are not measured by numbers alone, but rather take into account the quality of teaching, program development, supervision of graduate students, community service, and producing research that addresses national issues and creates a tangible impact. On the other hand, Syrian academic competencies abroad represent an opportunity that should be invested through national programs that allow professors working in universities in the Gulf, Europe, and North America to participate in distance teaching, jointly supervise university dissertations, and implement research and training courses with Syrian universities, in a way that contributes to transferring expertise and building scientific partnerships without waiting for their permanent return. As for scientific research, it should be transformed from a means of achieving academic advancement into a tool for solving the nation’s problems and supporting development. Instead of dissertations and research remaining locked in libraries, they should be directed towards Syria’s priorities at this stage. Colleges of engineering in Damascus, Aleppo, and Al-Baath can develop low-cost solutions to rehabilitate buildings and infrastructure, colleges of agriculture in the Euphrates and Hama can lead research in water resources management, combating desertification, and improving the production of strategic crops, while colleges of medicine contribute to studying the most pressing health challenges, and colleges of economics and administration provide solutions to support investment and small projects. When the scientific research agenda is based on the needs of society, the university turns into a national think tank that contributes to decision-making, not just an institution that grants qualifications. This role is not complete without building a real partnership between the university and the labor market. Many institutions still complain that the graduate has good theoretical knowledge, but lacks practical skills. This gap can be narrowed if hospitals, companies, chambers of industry and commerce, agricultural institutions, banks, and government agencies participate in developing academic programs, and practical training becomes an essential part of the study, so that the medical student spends sufficient time in hospitals, the engineering student in work sites, the education student in schools, the law student in the courts, and the economics student within financial institutions, and not begin learning the profession after graduation. In the reconstruction phase, Syrian universities have an opportunity to redefine their role through specialization and excellence, instead of repeating the same programs in all universities. Al-Furat University is qualified to lead research in water resources management, agriculture in dry areas, and the development of the eastern region, while the University of Aleppo can be a center for industrial research and urban rehabilitation, and Tishreen University can specialize in marine studies, energy, and coastal environment, while the universities of Damascus, Al-Baath, and Hama continue to enhance their leadership in medicine, engineering, agriculture, and the humanities. Distributing areas of excellence among universities will achieve national integration, and make each university an active partner in developing its surroundings, instead of all of them competing in providing the same programs in the same manner. The student is no less important than the faculty member in the reform project, as he is the goal for which the university was created. A successful university not only grants a degree, but also builds a personality capable of thinking, leadership, teamwork, and taking responsibility. Therefore, the academic and vocational guidance system should be developed, and psychological support services should be provided, especially in light of the circumstances that many Syrian youth have experienced, in addition to reviving university life through scientific clubs, research competitions, cultural and sports activities, and volunteer work. The student must also become a partner in the development of his university through effective student councils, periodic opinion polls, and clear mechanisms for listening to his suggestions, because a university that does not listen to its students will find it difficult to develop itself. In parallel, digital transformation has become a necessity, not an option. It is unacceptable for a student to spend days between offices to obtain a document, register a course, or follow up on a transaction that can be completed electronically within minutes. Therefore, Syrian universities should adopt integrated electronic systems to manage student affairs, and provide digital libraries and global databases that allow the graduate student in the Euphrates, Tartous, or Hama to access the same scientific resources available to his colleague in Damascus or Aleppo. Artificial intelligence should also be treated as an educational opportunity, not a threat, by developing policies that regulate its use, integrating it into education and scientific research in an ethical manner, and training students and faculty members to use it in a way that enhances critical thinking and creativity, not replaces them. On the other hand, maintaining the quality of higher education requires diversifying university funding sources without compromising the state’s role in supporting education and ensuring equal opportunities. This can be achieved by expanding advisory services, implementing applied research, establishing training and continuing education centers, providing laboratory services to the public and private sectors, and encouraging university endowments and funds to support graduates and businessmen. Every lira that the university invests in developing its laboratories, libraries, and research infrastructure is an investment in the quality of its graduates and the future of the nation. Syrian universities also need to restore their international presence after years of isolation. This is achieved by expanding partnerships with Arab and international universities, encouraging academic exchange, joint supervision of graduate theses, participation in international research projects, and attracting visiting professors. However, the goal should not only be to improve the ranking of universities in international rankings, but rather to build universities that provide quality education and scientific research, because prestigious rankings are a natural result of real reform, not a substitute for it. At the same time, the reform process must be based on the principle of justice in distributing opportunities and capabilities among Syrian universities. It is unacceptable for the gap in the quality of education, availability of laboratories, or access to scientific resources to widen between one university and another due to its geographical location. A graduate student at the University of Al-Furat, Hama, Tartous, or Idlib must have scientific and research opportunities no less than his counterpart at the University of Damascus, Aleppo, or Tishreen, whether in terms of the quality of academic programs, the availability of laboratories, access to global databases, or opportunities for training and academic exchange. This does not mean unifying all universities or eliminating the privacy of each of them, but rather it means ensuring a minimum level of quality and academic services, while giving each university the opportunity to develop its own areas of excellence to serve the needs of its region and national development. Reforming higher education in Syria is not a project that can be accomplished within a year or two, and it cannot be achieved by issuing a new law or limited administrative change. Rather, it is a long national path that requires a clear vision, political will, and real cooperation between the Ministry of Higher Education, universities, faculty members, students, the private sector, and civil society. But the real beginning is not complicated; It is the recognition that the Syrian University is required today to move from managing certificates to knowledge manufacturing, from focusing on the number of graduates to the quality of graduates, from short-term planning based on solving problems after they occur to strategic planning that anticipates the future, and from being satisfied with transferring knowledge to producing it and employing it in the service of society. Syria’s future will not be built with cement and iron alone, but rather with the minds that plan, the cadres that innovate, the researchers who provide solutions to problems, and the graduates who possess the skill before certification. Every step taken today to develop the Syrian University, whether in the quality of education, scientific research, governance, digital transformation, or community service, is not only an investment in an educational institution, but an investment in the future of the country, and in its ability to achieve development, enhance its competitiveness, and build a society based on knowledge, efficiency, and creativity. In all of these reforms, the principle of justice should be strongly present, as the governorate in which a student studies should not determine the level of opportunities he receives. The graduate student at the University of Al-Furat, Hama, Tartous, or Idlib has the right to enjoy the quality of education, laboratories, scientific resources, and training and research opportunities no less than his counterpart at the universities of Damascus, Aleppo, or Tishreen. This does not mean that all universities should be the same, but rather that they all have the basic elements of quality, while giving each university the opportunity to build areas of excellence that stem from the needs of its local environment and contribute to national development. Reforming higher education in Syria is not a temporary project, and cannot be achieved by one administrative decision or legislative amendment. Rather, it is a national project that requires a clear vision, serious will, and cooperation between the state, universities, faculty members, students, and the private sector. This vision begins with the transition from managing certificates to knowledge manufacturing, from focusing on the number of graduates to the quality of educational outcomes, from daily management to strategic planning, and from transferring knowledge to producing and harnessing it to serve society. Related
