Syria, Turkey discuss boosting higher education quality, university twinning

2026-01-25 - 21:09

Damascus, Jan. 12 (SANA) Syrian Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Marwan al-Halabi met Monday at the ministry headquarters with Turkish Ambassador Nuh Yilmaz to discuss ways to raise the quality of higher education in both countries, including cooperation to establish twinning arrangements between Syrian and Turkish universities. The meeting reviewed mechanisms for mutual recognition of academic qualifications, a move officials said would facilitate the movement of students and graduates and strengthen academic cooperation, including degree endorsement. Al-Halabi praised what he described as the “deep-rooted civilizational relations” between Syria and Turkey and the efforts of Turkish universities in accommodating Syrian students during the years of the revolution. He stressed the importance of academic cooperation as a cornerstone of sustainable development and human-capacity building, highlighting the value of university twinning and the development of joint academic supervision programs to help improve the quality of higher education in both countries. For his part, Ambassador Yilmaz said higher education forms the true foundation of development, underscoring the importance of establishing a joint Syrian-Turkish university to enhance academic cooperation and exchange scientific expertise between higher-education institutions in the two countries. The discussions build on a cooperation agreement signed in May last year by Minister al-Halabi and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education president Erol Özvar, which covered scientific and research collaboration, development of a future vision for establishing a joint university, the introduction of artificial intelligence, and exchanges of expertise and academic programs.