Ministry of Higher Education

On Tuesday night the Syrian Ministry of higher education, Dr. Ghitath Barakat, met with a group of American students studying abroad in the Middle East.

He began the lecture discussing the government’s allocation of money for higher education. Until 2006, all universities in the country were governmentally funded. Three years ago private universities were finally allowed to enter the country and now 15 private universities have been established.

There are over 600,000 students attending universities in Syria.

Although most of them are governmentally funded, Barakat brought up the point that almost half of the country’s budget goes towards defense. He said that the country is constantly under attack and must consistently defend them. They are also housing 500,000 Palestinian refugees and 1.65 million Iraqi refugees.

Barakat, like many of the people we have met with, was quick to bring up the Israeli conflict.  He said, “We are for peace, we are for intercultural communication.”

He said that establishing peace in the area, would lead to the establishment of peace in the world. He also noted that America represents the model for liberty, freedom, and the fight for human rights. He said that Syria would like that model to continue.

Students in Syria take a baccalaureate test in order to decide if they can attend college and what they will sturdy. In one sense it is similar to the SAT or ACT. However, the fact that the results of the test determine whether or not you become a doctor or an architect or a teacher, can seem a little unsettling. When students apply they rank from 1to 20 the majors they would like to have and based on their scores and the schools needs they are placed.

Attending college for most Americans is a time in which a person figures out their goals and dreams for the future. Many people change majors two to five times in the first few years bouncing from biology to business. Here, that time for self-discovery is not allowed. The students only pay ten dollars a year, which is phenomenal, but they are not given many choices after their acceptance.

Of the 80 percent of students that are accepted, another 150,000 can take the parallel track and pay 3000 dollars a year. While this number seems incredibly low compared to U.S. standards it is still quite difficult for families to afford. When asked if students that come from lower income families are provided any assistance, Barakat said that there is student credit unions set up for such issues.

Barakat believes that students are the bridge to communication between Syria and the U.S.

Currently, Syrian students cannot go to the United States to study for PHDs and other types of degrees due to the Syrian Accountability Act. Barakat feels that this act is a clear violation of human rights.  

When I asked Barakat if there were any books that were banned by the Syrian government he claimed that there were not. He said that there are many texts that they need and want and cannot because they come from America and the SAA prevents them from having them.

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