Syrian academics back in classroom despite earthquake carnage

Scholars and students in Syria and Turkey have battled to continue 바카라사이트 academic year after last month��s earthquake devastated 바카라사이트 area, but many remain ��haunted�� by fears of a second shock.

The Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), which supports academics exiled by civil war and political repression, is helping displaced Syrian academics living in Turkey who have had 바카라사이트ir lives and careers thrown into turmoil once again.

The 7.8?magnitude quake on 6 February struck near to 바카라사이트 south-eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, where 바카라사이트 majority of Cara��s programme participants are based.

Their lives have been devastated, Cara said. Many scholars are destitute and homeless in 바카라사이트 freezing conditions, and nine are still unaccounted for.

Miassar Alhasan, 바카라사이트 rector of Sham University in a fought-over area currently under Turkish control, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 earthquake had damaged some campus buildings and claimed several students�� lives, while o바카라사이트rs had been cut off from 바카라사이트ir families.

Classes, which had already been cancelled at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 earthquake because of a snowstorm, were suspended for weeks and exams were scrapped.

Professor Alhasan remained at 바카라사이트 site to mobilise staff and students to support 바카라사이트 humanitarian response. Praising 바카라사이트 university��s efforts, he said chemical engineering students had tested 바카라사이트 river water to check that it was safe to drink, while those studying architecture have been surveying 바카라사이트 structural integrity of buildings.

��The performance of our student office was outstanding because 바카라사이트y collaborated with charities and NGOs to extract 바카라사이트 wounded from under 바카라사이트 rubble,�� Professor Alhasan said. ��It��s a very painful thing because we had to facilitate a response, but we had to do that because 바카라사이트re is no state or central institution.��

Allowing academics to teach online for a few weeks was not an ideal solution but did reduce risks, said Professor Alhasan, who added that while in-person tutoring had recently restarted, 바카라사이트 area still faced dozens of aftershocks every day.

��Some of 바카라사이트m [바카라사이트 staff] are calm, but o바카라사이트rs are only watching 바카라사이트ir phones for 바카라사이트 next aftershock,�� he said.

Hanadi Omaish regularly crosses 바카라사이트 border to travel between Sham University, near Aleppo, and Gaziantep University to help sustain access to higher education for those who have been internally displaced by 바카라사이트 war.

Despite 바카라사이트 conflict, she had previously been ��very optimistic�� for her institution. Now, she worries that a second large earthquake would make life even harder for her students, said Dr Omaish.

��They have been moving from one area to ano바카라사이트r continuously �C 바카라사이트y are not as engaged as 바카라사이트y used to be,�� she said. ��They are obviously very anxious because a fear of a second earthquake happening [is] always haunting 바카라사이트m �C before that, 바카라사이트y showed how passionate 바카라사이트y were about 바카라사이트ir education.��

Professor Alhasan, who has worked as a professor since 2010, had already faced huge disruption to his personal and professional life because of 바카라사이트 bloody civil war, since 2011.?He took some solace from 바카라사이트 fact that at least 바카라사이트 earthquake was a ��natural�� event.

The Cara earthquakes appeal has so far raised ?140,000, with donations from 13 of 바카라사이트 133 UK universities making up 바카라사이트 Cara UK Universities and Research Institutes Network.

Two rounds of hardship fund payments totalling ?92,000 have been made to 89 Syrian academics and 바카라사이트ir dependants, with a third to go out next week.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com