Damascus: Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the new Syrian Administration, Dr. Abdel Moneim Abdel Hafez, affirmed that the ministry is taking important steps to restructure higher education in Syria, including addressing the current situation and filling the gaps left by years of conflict in Syria.
According to Qatar News Agency, Dr. Abdel Moneim pointed out that certificates issued by universities in northern Syria during the period of the opposition control over those areas will be recognized. He said that they toured all the universities and prepared a survey to show the status of these universities and what they need, indicating that there are plans to develop them, as they noticed a decline in the level of infrastructure and a very large shortage in the equipment and supplies in laboratories and these universities in general. Therefore, they have put in place a plan to develop them, but the first step will be to choose the appropriate and competent cadres to manage these institutions.
Cases of administrative corruption were discovered in some universities, caused from the previous regime, Dr. Abdel Moneim added, noting that efforts are currently underway to restructure the administration of these universities and then begin the development process, starting with amending the law regulating universities, which organizes university work as a whole.
The Syrian Minister of Higher Education affirmed that universities will be restructured and tuition fees will be reviewed to align with current realities, capabilities, and needs covering all Syrian universities. He added that professors' salaries in universities will be reviewed and increased to reflect their status, pointing out that the government has promised to improve all salaries for state employees.
By the end of the current academic year, Syrian universities will be restructured consistently with the geographical distribution of the population, and all of them are currently under the umbrella of the Higher Education Council and the Ministry of Higher Education and are treated the same, he explained. He said the possibility of affiliating universities in northern Syria to the University of Aleppo or maintaining their independence is being studied, and among these universities are the Free Aleppo University in liberated areas and Idlib University, which were established and continued to teach during the past years, graduating thousands of students.
He pointed out that the ministry pledged to work on restoring the prestigious status of Syrian universities at the international level, and to achieve this, efforts will focus on improving the educational environment, providing necessary support to academic cadres by raising their salaries, creating a stable environment, and enhancing communication with experts inside and outside Syria.
The Syrian Minister of Higher Education addressed all Syrian students, assuring them that the future will be better, emphasizing that students across all Syrian universities will be treated equally, as Syria is now unified, with all universities operating under a single Higher Education Council and a unified Ministry of Higher Education.