As part of the continued implementation of the Syrian Innovation in Academia (SyrIA) project, a high-level delegation from the German Jordanian University conducted a two-day mission to Damascus to strengthen cooperation with Syrian higher education institutions and support the sector’s modernization and international engagement.
The delegation was headed by Prof. Ala’aldeen Al-Halhouli, President of the German Jordanian University, and included Prof. Ralf Rosskopf, GJU Vice President and SyrIA Project Principal Investigator; Prof. Dhiah el Diehn I. Abou-Tair, Project Co-Principal Investigator; and project members Prof. Ala’ Khalifeh, Dr. Christine Hildebrandt, Mr. Ahmad Bayer and Mr. Ibrahim Al Hariri. Dr. Waed Al-Shakouri participated online.
Day One: Strategic dialogue at Damascus University
On 5 July, the delegation met with the presidents of Syrian public universities and senior academic representatives at Damascus University. The discussions focused on priorities for rebuilding institutional capacities, strengthening academic quality and resilience, and expanding the international engagement of Syrian universities.
A central part of the programme was the presentation of findings from the SyrIA fact-finding mission to Syrian public universities. These findings offered an evidence-based overview of institutional strengths, current challenges and areas in which targeted capacity-building support could have the greatest impact.
The dialogue addressed academic and administrative development priorities, opportunities for scientific and research cooperation, and the progress achieved through earlier SyrIA activities, including the Brussels meeting. Participants also discussed the project’s planned training and capacity-building programme, including workshop themes, implementation arrangements, participant selection and coaching approaches.
The first day concluded with initial recommendations and an action-oriented framework to guide future cooperation and reinforce sustainable institutional partnerships.
Day Two: Innovation ecosystem and ministry dialogue
On 6 July, the delegation visited EVOTTECH and DIGIT, two innovation and entrepreneurship centres at Damascus University. The visits provided insight into the university’s work in entrepreneurship, technology transfer, digital transformation and start-up development. Discussions explored opportunities for cooperation in innovation education, research commercialization and institutional capacity building.
The delegation then met with senior officials at the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The exchange focused on quality assurance and accreditation, academic programme development, future cooperation mechanisms, and ways in which principles associated with the European Bologna Process could support modernization and international compatibility.
Building on the previous day’s discussions, participants agreed on the framework for implementing the SyrIA training and capacity-building programme during 2026, including priority themes, participant selection criteria, coaching mechanisms and practical implementation arrangements.
Outcomes and next steps
The mission concluded with a coordinated roadmap for the next phase of the SyrIA project. This includes continued cooperation between Syrian and European partners, preparations for the upcoming stakeholder meeting and project conference in Amman, and a shared commitment to strengthening institutional partnerships, supporting higher education reform and advancing innovation across Syrian universities.