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The Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has signed a cooperation agreement with Türkiye's Council of Higher Education, aimed at strengthening partnership and integration in the field of higher education between the two countries.
The signing of this agreement marks a significant step that reflects both sides' commitment to advancing academic and research relations in a manner that serves the interests of students and educational institutions in Syria and Türkiye alike.
Both parties emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation and mutual respect, grounded in the long-standing historical ties between the two peoples, and expressed their intention to expand collaboration across all areas of shared interest.
In a step that reflects the enhanced cooperation and evolving cultural relations between Syria and Türkiye, a joint agreement between the two sides has called for the formation of a working committee to explore the possibility of including Turkish as one of the foreign languages offered in Syrian higher education institutions.
While some media outlets circulated reports claiming a finalized agreement to adopt Türkiye as a second language, Syria’s Ministry of Higher Education clarified, through the official text published on its platforms, that the current agreement is limited to a preparatory phase focused on study and planning, within the broader context of academic and cultural cooperation.
Observers see the formation of this committee as a first step toward broader integration of the Turkish language in Syrian higher education, especially amid growing interest in regional language exchange and cultural engagement with neighboring countries.
Syrian and Turkish higher education authorities emphasized the importance of enhancing collaboration and mutual respect, grounded in the long-standing historical ties between the two peoples.
They also expressed their intention to expand cooperation across all areas of shared interest.
The agreement highlights Türkiye’s role in supporting the development of Syria’s digital infrastructure in higher education, including establishing a system similar to the Council of Higher Education Information System (YOKSIS) to improve administrative and academic efficiency.
Key initiatives under the agreement include launching the “Sister Universities” program (institutional twinning) between Turkish and Syrian universities, organizing an annual higher education forum alternating between the two countries, and appointing Syrian PhD graduates from Turkish universities as faculty members in Syrian institutions.
Furthermore, plans are underway to establish a joint institution, “The Turkish-Syrian University,” as a symbol of academic solidarity and cooperation between the two nations.
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