Education is the key requirement for the development, prosperity, and peace-building of any country. The war in Syria has taken a heavy toll on academic institutions and the quality of education, affecting as a result the Syrian students. Consequently, it has become evident that new graduates lack the skills and knowledge essential for achieving individual success and by which they could contribute to the development of their societies. What made the situation worse, is that Syrian students already lack the needed institutional academic and professional support and guidance, which makes them feel lost while facing tremendous obstacles in their educational and professional journey. Add to that, the war has interrupted as well the education of hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced students, leading many Syrian students to lose interest in education and become frustrated. All of these portends an education crisis that threatens the future of Syria and Syrian students, and we want to contribute to solving the crisis/to play a role in meeting these challenges.
We are well aware of the fact that our task is extremely challenging, and that there are plenty of local and international organizations and governmental agencies, that are putting much effort into resolving this crisis, but the future of Syria depends primarily on highly qualified Syrians, who must step in and work together to mitigate the outcome of this education crisis and rebuild their country. But unfortunately, since the war erupted in 2011, the majority of those highly qualified students, academics, and professionals, have left Syria in the most severe brain drain that the country has ever experienced in contemporary times. What makes the situation worse is that the majority of those qualified Syrians become completely detached from Syria and; thus, do not play a vital role in the development and rebuilding of their country, and we want to change that.
Therefore, we were brought together, some 150 researchers, academics, professionals, scholarship holders, students and education activists, all of whom refuse to remain silent. We have combined our efforts, knowledges, ambitions and set common goals for a better Syria, where illiteracy is nonexistent and where everyone has access to high-quality education. We all believe that education is a key requirement to building a peaceful and prosperous future for Syria, and this is a call for everyone who shares our belief to get on board and help us rebuild Syria through developing the education system and supporting Syrian students to thrive wherever they are.
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