Interim Ministry of Education: University for Syrian Refugees in Turkey

Mohiuddin Binanah, interim Minister of Education, met with the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Essen in Ankara and discussed topics concerning the education of Syrian students in Turkey. Binanah cited the obstacles encountered by the Syrian students at home and the neighboring countries, and praised Turkey’s support for Syrian students and schools in Turkey, and also praised the decision of the Turkish government to recognize the high school certificates issued by the Syrian interim Ministry of Education. The Syrian minister asked Essen to assist in granting a license for the establishment of a Syrian University near the Turkish-Syrian border. Moreover, they discussed holding an international conference of the Friends of the Syrian people to support education, while Essen said that 5,000 scholarships would be granted to Syrian students in Turkish universities. It was agreed to nominate a joint committee that would be responsible for coordination and continuous communication between the interim Ministry of Education Secretariat for the Turkish presidency. Furthermore, Binanah met with Amrallah Islar, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, and Aerdem Ouzan, Deputy Director of the ME affairs in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and discussed with them coordination of the efforts to hold an international conference of the Friends of the Syrian people to support education. Moreover, Binanah met with Shaaban Jalish, deputy chief of the Turkish Higher Education, and discussed establishing a Syrian University and the possibility of absorbing a number of Syrian academics in Turkish universities. Shaaban said that the Turkish Council of Higher Education decided to admit Syrian students to Turkish universities at their current grade level. Turkey’s Higher Education Council decided to admit Syrian university and intermediate institutes students who are studying in Syrian and Egyptian universities, provide that they do not exceed 10% of the number of overall students. The students who do not have the necessary supporting documents can continue their study as “special student” while they are able to submit the required documents. Graduate students will also be accepted, but medicine and dentistry students have to submit all the required documents to be admitted. (Source: Syrian Interim Government)