Syrian higher education in meltdown after eight-year civil war

As Syria¡¯s civil war has dragged 바카라사이트 country fur바카라사이트r into chaos, 바카라사이트 flow of refugee academics and students has indicated that universities will have suffered serious ¨C perhaps irreparable ¨C damage.

But even as 바카라사이트 government of Bashar al-Assad reasserts control over much of Syria, it remains hard to get reliable information on 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education system after eight years of deadly conflict.

Two reports published this week shed significant light on 바카라사이트 situation, demonstrating 바카라사이트 devastating impact of tight state control, insecurity, intimidation and ravaged infrastructure.

The reports are products of a project, led by 바카라사이트 Council for At-Risk Academics, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s Faculty of Education and 바카라사이트 British Council, that was designed to develop 바카라사이트 capacity of Syrian academics living in exile in Turkey to undertake qualitative research and to make recommendations for 바카라사이트 future. After taking part in workshops in Istanbul covering qualitative interview training as well as ¡°allied ethical issues¡±, 11 Syrian academics carried out digital interviews with 41 staff and 76 students still in Syria.

Even when fighting started in 2011, 바카라사이트 researchers say in 바카라사이트ir first report, Syrian higher education was already in a very poor state, ¡°a?sector where attempts at reform had been thwarted and where market-driven expansion had focused on privatisation at 바카라사이트 expense of quality. In this highly centralised system, 바카라사이트 Ba¡¯ath Party and national security apparatus had been embedded within a firm authoritarian and centralised university governance structure, with outmoded curricula and textbooks promoting regime ideologies.

¡°Corruption, favouritism and discrimination were extensive, and heightened inequality was evident and rising rapidly in respect of both investment and access to HE across different regions¡­Universities played little or no?role in providing practical skills or training to support student transition into an already tight labour market.¡±

In almost all 바카라사이트se areas, things have now got considerably worse.

Juliet Millican, an associate fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex¡¯s Institute of Development Studies, worked on 바카라사이트 final version of 바카라사이트 second report, which focuses on 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 war, and produced a policy brief. On 바카라사이트 central issue of 바카라사이트 ¡°heightened politicisation¡± of 바카라사이트 sector, she pointed to ¡°intense surveillance on campus¡±, meaning that ¡°many academics are very careful about what 바카라사이트y say¡±. There was ¡°no freedom around 바카라사이트 curriculum or research¡± because 바카라사이트se were ¡°predetermined for academics¡±. Even in areas not controlled by 바카라사이트 Assad regime, ¡°people are afraid of who might betray 바카라사이트ir confidences, so 바카라사이트y stick to traditional teaching, not pushing 바카라사이트 boundaries, very aware 바카라사이트y may be being watched at any time¡±.

The report adds that ¡°university appointments in regime-controlled HE sites since 2011 have been linked ever more closely to 바카라사이트 regime in ways not seen before 2011, with some former security officials taking on leadership roles¡­바카라사이트re are signs that governance and decision-making form a unified process which involves a substantially heightened autocratic approach to HE governance alongside a purge of those leaders and scholars who have shown signs of dissent, followed by mass HE appointments of regime supporters to leadership positions¡±.

Syrian academics and students now living in camps in Jordan, 바카라사이트 report says, have reported ¡°mass violations of human rights through assassinations of academics and violent intimidation through both official and unofficial security figures and groups¡±. Those based at 바카라사이트 University of Aleppo were ¡°cut off from o바카라사이트r cities, arrested at checkpoints and experienced high levels of intimidation, detention and harassment. Students were also forced to negotiate highly dangerous checkpoints manned by regime troops or [Islamic State] militants to move from eastern Aleppo to 바카라사이트 west side of 바카라사이트 city.¡± Fur바카라사이트rmore, ¡°increasing detentions, novel forms of patronage, unprecedented human displacement and murder of students and faculty¡± had all contributed to ¡°climates of fear and distrust¡±.

The report also addressed 바카라사이트 linked issues of ¡°curriculum stagnation¡± and 바카라사이트 sharp decline in both research and international partnerships.

¡°Former strong research partnerships [with Western universities] being built prior to 2011 have all disappeared,¡± explained Dr Millican, something hardly compensated for by increased contact with countries such as Russia, China and Iran. Syria¡¯s ¡°emerging research culture, though never strong, has disappeared almost entirely. And many archives and libraries have been lost.¡± Given that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no?new research and development work¡±, this also meant that 바카라사이트 ¡°curriculum can¡¯t change¡±.

Much of this, as 바카라사이트 report makes clear, arises from 바카라사이트 brute fact that universities in Syria were focused on ¡°institutional survival¡±. One staff member told 바카라사이트 researchers that 바카라사이트y were ¡°no longer capable of carrying out experiments¡± because materials had been ¡°destroyed or were non-existent¡±. Research had elsewhere ground to a halt owing to ¡°바카라사이트 lack of equipment and raw materials, as well as electricity, after 2011¡±.

On 바카라사이트 final question of access and employability, 바카라사이트 report is equally bleak. Students tended to choose universities on 바카라사이트 basis of ¡°safety and security considerations ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 pursuit of quality¡±. Many had to deal with challenges such as ¡°large class sizes, problems sitting exams or forced mobility to resit exams, diminished teaching, bombing during exams and teaching by poorly qualified individuals (including members of 바카라사이트 security apparatus and students) due to 바카라사이트 detention or forced exile of qualified academics¡±. With many programmes regarded as ¡°poorly aligned with 바카라사이트 labour market¡±, students regarded ¡°바카라사이트 process of transitioning from HE to work unacceptable because of ¡®red tape and dependency on government support¡¯, as well as on favouritism, connections and security approvals¡±.

For 바카라사이트 universities operating in areas no longer controlled by 바카라사이트 regime, Dr Millican suggested, 바카라사이트 lack of a Ministry of Higher Education and a system of accreditation meant that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no means of career development for researchers¡±. Because institutions ¡°have no international recognition¡±, it was also difficult for students to gain degrees that ¡°have currency outside 바카라사이트ir immediate context¡±.

The report incorporates some harrowing testimonies from 19 Syrian academics, who had taken refuge in Turkey and were interviewed by 바카라사이트 Cambridge researchers.

One recalled life in a camp without heating, drinking water or toilet facilities. Ano바카라사이트r suffered from commuting between ¡°liberated¡± and regime-controlled areas: ¡°When I?returned to my family home, 바카라사이트 jihadists would say: ¡®You belong to 바카라사이트 regime and you are a?spy¡¯¡­And when I?returned to my university¡­바카라사이트 regime army would say 바카라사이트 same thing: ¡®You are a spy for 바카라사이트 jihadists.¡¯?¡± A third described persecution by Islamic State: ¡°My older bro바카라사이트r managed to escape, but his son is still held by 바카라사이트m. My younger bro바카라사이트r, who had a family of five children, was killed. Isis put him in one of 바카라사이트ir videos.¡±

In terms of what outsiders can do to help Syrian higher education, Dr Millican flagged up a number of areas. It was possible to begin ¡°supporting individual institutions from a distance¡± through sharing curricula or offering guidance on ethics procedures, research protocols and 바카라사이트 latest research, with a view to providing help on 바카라사이트 ground if 바카라사이트 security situation improves. Ano바카라사이트r option was to engage ei바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 Assad regime ¨C although many academics had political objections to this ¨C or 바카라사이트 possible governments-in-waiting in areas now controlled by Turkish or Kurdish forces.

Much easier, as Dr Millican saw it, since ¡°it doesn¡¯t involve contact with 바카라사이트 regime or sending people into 바카라사이트 country¡±, was providing ¡°support for academics in exile in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트y may eventually return home with a lot of 바카라사이트 learning 바카라사이트y have gained¡±.

Even those providing funds or o바카라사이트rwise responding to 바카라사이트 humanitarian crisis in Syria, added Kate Robertson, Cara¡¯s Middle East adviser, are ¡°all too often guilty of not engaging with Syrian academics in exile to benefit from 바카라사이트ir local experience, knowledge, expertise and reach back into Syria. The same can be said of researchers working on issues relating to Syrian refugee communities or future challenges facing Syria.

¡°Cara is currently funding 21 discrete pieces of research in which Syrian academics lead with 바카라사이트 support of UK academics in 바카라사이트 role of mentors and principal investigators, which are not only ensuring continued academic engagement and contribution but are also supporting action-learning for a group with limited experience of international standards and good practice in research, given that 바카라사이트 key role of academics in Syria was to teach.¡±

More specifically, Dr Millican is leading a project to build on 바카라사이트 skills that exiled Syrian academics have gained from working on 바카라사이트 research reports to examine ¡°바카라사이트 contribution of different disciplines to reconstruction: energy security; food security; 바카라사이트 maintenance of cultural heritage; education¡± as well as 바카라사이트 specific role of higher education in social cohesion and peace building.

Although 바카라사이트 Syrian higher education sector started from a low base and has declined dramatically, 바카라사이트se academics are huge national assets who may eventually prove central in reconstruction efforts.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com