About 15,000 students have been studying in the universities of the opposition-held areas in Aleppo and Idlib, according to the Interim Minister of Higher Education.
Abdul-Aziz al-Daghim said despite the security condition, the first batch of students will graduate in the end if this academic year.
The Interim Ministry of Higher Education has played very important role to keep the teaching standards amid war condition as acceptable as possible compared to international standards, mentioning that students study in unprotected buildings, which put their lives at risk of being killed or injured by bombing or shelling.
Dr. al-Daghim detailed that Ministry tries to keep universities open with regular schedules, despite the risk on students and professors in their way to Universities, which affect the rate of attendance. He added that number of teachers and professors is still low, as they have professors from the regime’s Universities and they plan to employ others, but still they cannot employ needed number due to lack of support and fund. He confirmed that they do not have enough support to improve the teaching process.
In regard to graduation from Universities in the liberated areas, the Minister detailed that no one has graduated from Universities of Aleppo and al-Sham International University, but in Idlib University, the first patch of student is graduating in the end of this year due to the exceptional session.
Dr. al-Daghim confirmed that teaching process is not interrupted by any of military factions, even Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.
About the reason behind basing the Ministry of Higher Education in Idlib, the Minister explained that is not affecting the activities of the Ministry cover all liberated areas from Daraa till Azaz and it work within the structure of the Interim Government.
In the end, the minister confirmed to Ammar Johmani that there are 15,000 students in universities, and despite lack of support and fund, the Interim Ministry of Higher Education keeps working on establishing institutes and faculties to enable students to find specialty they want and participate in building the country, added to finding job opportunities to teachers and professors.
