At the end of 2025, the Bridging Science Forum, a collaboration between Jusoor and the Syrian Science Council, took place at both Idlib University on December 24 and 25, bringing together academics, researchers, scientists, and students within and outside of Syria.
The university hosted a two day forum where 100 academics, researchers, and students filled the lecture halls marking a long-awaited reunion of an academic community fractured by years of isolation. For the first time in years, professors who had remained in Syria throughout the conflict stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their colleagues who had built new careers in Europe and beyond. It was a unique opportunity for exchange and ideation.
The conference was attended by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, the President of the University of Idlib, and several faculty members from different departments of the University.
Throughout the event, attendees participated in workshops and lectures led by nine distinguished Syrian academics from abroad. But the real magic happened in the corridors, where conversations flowed freely about curriculum development, research methodologies, and the specific challenges facing Syrian universities today.
Stepping Out of Isolation
For academics inside Syria, the past decade has been marked by profound isolation. Cut off from international journals, unable to attend global conferences, and lacking access to modern research facilities, many feared they had fallen irreparably behind. Dr. Samer Karam, Chairman of the Syrian Science Council, emphasized that breaking this isolation was the forum’s primary goal. The academics who arrived from abroad brought with them not just knowledge, but resources—connections to universities, access to research databases, and familiarity with cutting-edge educational techniques.
Yet, the visitors quickly discovered that the flow of knowledge was not one-way. Their colleagues inside Syria possessed an intimate understanding of the country’s most pressing needs offering a unique perspective and opening channels for potential collaborative research between researchers inside and outside Syria.
Finding Our Way Back Home
For the Syrian academics who traveled from universities abroad to participate, the journey was deeply personal. Many had left Syria years ago, building successful careers in their adopted homelands. Yet the pull of their roots remained strong. Dr. Hadia Almahly, a professor at Bangor University in Wales, spoke for many when she reflected on the moral imperative that brought them back. Having gained so much from their education abroad, they felt a profound responsibility to offer a helping hand to those who had endured the heaviest burdens of the conflict.
Looking Ahead
The forum served as a starting point for dialogue and potential partnerships to move forward with the country’s academic, scientific, and research future. We look forward to seeing the next steps of these conversations and collaborations built to fill the research gap and bring forward a brighter future for Syria’s academia.
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