Syria Today | Q&A: Minister of Higher Education, Abdul Razak Cheikh Issa

The government claims it is taking all necessary measures to keep the educational process going on.

By Sarah Abu Assali
Photo Carole al-Farah

What are the main challenges facing the higher education sector during the crisis and what procedures were taken to address them?
The process of education has been functioning very well in all cities apart from some areas in Homs, Idleb, and Hama. If we face any problem, we do our best to solve it at all levels in the ministry, starting from the council of higher education to the faculty level. We also do our best to decrease the bad effects that might affect the process of teaching and learning in all universities. Since institutions have been built for many years to do its missions and serve the needs of society, they should be isolated and separated from chaos and disorders.

Unfortunately, we lost several teaching and technical staff at Al-Ba'ath University, and a number of students were killed on their way to university.

We do not want to eliminate open discussion between students themselves and teachers. We all, as Syrian citizens, work for lovely Syria regardless of our religious or social doctrines. Therefore, the discussion should be directed towards protecting our country despite different opinions.

We do not want to say that everything is going all right. There are certain issues that we need to deal with. But we are also doing everything possible to deal with any difficulties. We work objectively and transparently.

Violent incidents and clashes have been reported in public and private universities and dormitories. What is the ministry's stance?
We are aware that such things happened in some private universities, but our students and teachers have proven their awareness and positive attitudes in order to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Our duty is to clarify to students which actions can break the rules and can be considered as misconduct. It is also our responsibility to ensure that universities and faculties remain safe and that students are provided with the proper circumstances to continue their academic achievement.

The ministry also organised, in coordination with university presidents, sessions for open discussions that were organised by university seniors and teachers with students in order to bring points of view together for the national interest. The results were excellent.

How does the Ministry of Higher Education perceive political activities happening in Syrian universities, such as demonstrations, distribution of leaflets, staging of sit-ins, or calls for strikes?

If the problem goes beyond the limits of the university and has political aspects, students can apply to the Ministry of the Interior for official permission to organise a demonstration or a sit-in.

Universities are platforms for discussion among students, but we must first agree on the objectives of this open discussion. Is it meant to protect the country and develop it? If yes, then we can deal with these political issues together as one national team. But if the objective is to destroy our country, then no one agrees that institutions of education become a place from which to destroy the country.

Are the hospitals of the Ministry of Higher Education being used to treat those who have been wounded - soldiers or civilians - in different clashes?
We are proud to say that our hospitals are part of Syrian society. We make a great contribution by treating people [in our hospitals] together with the hospitals of the Ministry of Health, Police and Army. Al-Mouwassat in Damascus hosts around 1,500 people daily. Our hospitals managed to overcome all difficulties they were subject to. We receive the injured people without any discrimination such as their identity, origin, or any other details. Our main concern is to provide the necessary medical care and the best health services.

Monitors from the Arab League mission to Syria visited our hospitals and came away with great impressions. They were surprised by the way we provide medical care free of charge.

What was the share of the Higher Education sector in terms of reforms that were launched since March 2011?
A number of decisions and decrees were meant to develop this sector. First, there was an exceptional increase in student admission rates: 180,000 more students registered this year than ever before, due to an increase in the number of universities and faculties with new departments and new specialties across the country, especially in north-eastern Syria. This was performed to increase job opportunities for students after graduation.

A new faculty was opened in Salamiyah, Hama. Also, new universities will open soon: for example, Damascus University-II- and Aleppo University-II. The ministry is currently focusing on developing technical intermediate institutes with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education. This obviously will be very important for providing society with technical expertise necessary for general development. Graduates of these institutes are very essential as they form a link between academics and technicians.

What are the long-term effects of the crisis on the higher education sector?
We have to be stronger than the crisis and we want the educational process to be constant regardless of any circumstances. The ministry is even considering opening afternoon classes to accommodate open learning students, for example. Moreover, procedures were taken earlier. These included holding a third semester of exams each year after the end of academic year, in order to give more chances to students to take exams, as well as setting up many other regulatory procedures. Our duty as the ministry of higher education is to prepare the right circumstances for our students to proceed with their academic achievements, by employing our financial, organisational, and human resources and logistical capacities to alleviate the negative impacts imposed by the crisis.