Turkish university degrees approved while DAA's degrees remain suspended

The Higher Education Council of the Interim Government approved, during its fifth session this year, the recognition and certification of degrees awarded to graduates of Turkish university branches operating in northern Syria.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Interim Government, Marwan al-Halabi, stated in a post on his official page on Monday that the decision comes as part of efforts to address outstanding academic issues and to ensure fairness for students and graduates who pursued their studies in Turkish university branches over recent years.

The decision includes graduates of Turkish university branches in northern Syria, including Gaziantep University and the University of Health Sciences in the city of al-Rai, with instructions issued to Aleppo University to complete the official certification and adjustment procedures for degrees without the need to refer to the ministry.

The minister added that the file of Turkish universities and affiliated educational institutions is still under follow-up and coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the Interim Government and relevant Turkish authorities, in order to reach final and stable solutions that ensure academic justice for graduates.

The fifth session of the Higher Education Council meeting also saw decisions to establish master’s and doctoral degrees in several specializations at the universities of Aleppo, Latakia, and Tartous.

In contrast, the issue of equivalency for certificates issued by educational institutions affiliated with the DAA in North and East Syria remains unresolved, despite provisions in the agreement signed on 29 January between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Interim Government regarding the integration of institutions, and despite the absence of practical steps by the Interim Government to address the status of primary, secondary, and university certificates issued by DAA institutions.

The General Commander of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, had confirmed in his latest interview with ANHA agency that, according to what they were told by the Interim Government, recognition of the DAA certificates at the preparatory, secondary, and university levels would be announced within days for this year and the following year. However, as of the preparation of this report, no official decisions have been issued by the relevant government authorities.

A-H 

ANHA