Türkiye set to establish joint university with Syria in Damascus

ANKARA

Türkiye’s higher education authority has announced plans to establish a joint university with Syria in the capital Damascus, marking a significant step in academic cooperation between the two countries.

Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK) President Erol Özvar shared the news following a visit to Damascus, where he met with Syrian Higher Education Minister Marwan al-Halabi.

“We have signed a highly important protocol aimed at strengthening cooperation in higher education between our countries. Together with the Syrian government, we will open a Türkiye-Syria University in Damascus,” Özvar said in a statement posted on social media.

The initiative will focus on expanding academic partnerships, increasing faculty and student exchanges, and supporting the development of digital infrastructure at Syrian universities through technological assistance.

"We will swiftly elevate the higher education relationship between Syria and Türkiye to an extremely advanced stage.”

This agreement marks the formal beginning of a broader academic collaboration process between the two countries, with the university’s foundation process set to begin soon, according to Özvar.

Another key component of the meeting is the mutual recognition of academic qualifications, as the two countries reached a consensus on diploma equivalency. With this progress, degrees obtained by Syrian students from Turkish universities will now be recognized by Syria. 

Türkiye has previously established similar joint universities with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, aiming to strengthen educational ties.