The University of Damascus ( ar, جَامِعَةُ دِمَشْقَ, ''Jāmi‘atu Dimashq'') is the largest and oldest university in Syria, located in the capital
Damascus and has campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 through the merger of the School of Medicine (established 1903) and the Institute of Law (established 1913). Until 1958, it was named the Syrian University, but the name changed after the founding of the
University of Aleppo
University of Aleppo ( ar, جَامِعَة حَلَب, Jāmiʿat Ḥalab, also called Aleppo University) is a public university located in Aleppo, Syria. It is the second largest university in Syria after the University of Damascus.
During 20 ...
.
Damascus University was one of the most reputable universities in the Arab World before the
war in Syria started in 2011.
The University of Damascus consists of several faculties, higher Institutes, intermediate institutes and a school of nursing. One of the institutions specializes in teaching the Arabic language to foreigners, which is the largest institution of its kind in the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
.
History
In 1901, the establishment of the Office of the School of Medicine in Damascus was approved and in 1903 this school, which is the nucleus of the university, opened. The school included branches in medicine and pharmacy, and the language of instruction was Turkish.
In 1913, a Law School opened in Beirut, in which most of the teachers were Arabs and the language of instruction was Arabic. Then this school was transferred to Damascus in 1914 just as the School of Medicine moved to
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
. Then in the last years of the First World War the Law School returned to Beirut.
Following that the Institute of Medicine and the School of Law opened in Damascus, the former at the beginning of January in 1919 and the latter in September of the same year.
In 1923, the School of Law was named the Institute of Law and this institute was linked together with the Institute of Medicine, the Arab Society, and the Center of Arabic Heritage in organization under the name of the Syrian University. Then the Arab Society and the Center of Arabic Heritage separated from the organization in 1926.
In 1928, the School of Higher Literary Studies was established and it immediately connected its administration with the university. In 1929 it became the School of Letters, which closed in 1935–1936.
Then starting in 1946, the university was no longer limited to the Institutes of Medicine and Law, but rather faculties and higher institutions were created in other subjects.
In 1958, a new law was created to regulate the universities in the northern and southern regions of the United Arab Republic. This led to changing the name of “the Syrian University” to “Damascus University” and to the creation of a second northern university called “the University of Aleppo.”
In 1959, The College of Fine Arts was established in Damascus and became part of Damascus University in 1972.
Structure
Degrees Offered
Damascus University awards graduate (Master, Ph.D. Professional Training and Qualification) and undergraduate (Bachelor) degree programs. The period of study for the bachelor's degree ranges from 4 to 6 years, based on the need for each discipline of study. The Master programs combine course work and research, and require a minimum of two years and a maximum of a three. Under certain circumstances, an additional fourth year may be approved by a decision of the university council based on the recommendation of the faculty council. The Ph.D. degree is a fully research program. The period of research is not less than two years and not more than five years by the decision of the university council based on the recommendation of the faculty council. although some faculties -Like Faculty of Arts, English Literature Department- does not award Ph.D. degree.
Faculties
*
Medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...
: Founded in 1903. It is one of the top ten international providers of licensed physicians to the United States.
*
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
: Founded in 1903.
*
Dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions ...
: Founded in 1921.
*
Information Technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system ...
: Founded in 1994.
* Civil Engineering: Founded in 1961.
* Mechanical Engineering &
Electrical Engineering: Founded in 1963.
* Economics: Founded in 1956.
*
Arts and Humanities: Founded in 1928.
* Education: Founded in 1946.
* Agriculture: Founded in 1963.
*
Islamic Jurisprudence
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
: Founded in 1954.
* Architecture: Founded in 1960.
*
Sciences
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence f ...
*
Fine Arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwo ...
: Founded in 1960.
*
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...
: Founded in 1979.
* Law: Founded in 1913.
* Tourism
Higher institutes
* Higher Institute of Laser Research and Applications
* Higher Institute of Administrative Development
* Higher Institute of Seismologic Studies and Research
* Higher Institute of Languages
* Higher Institute of Translation and Interpretation
The Arabic Language Institute at the University of Damascus is recognized as the best center to study Arabic for non-native speakers in the world. The Center for Arabic Study abroad, the premier U.S. organization for
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
study, is now opening a second branch at the university. The Arabic Language Institute at the University of Damascus is known for immersion instruction in Arabic, allowing more rapid, natural and comprehensive language acquisition. The Arabic Language Institute's faculty is committed to classical Arabic instruction, offering an advantage to either Egypt or Jordan where much instruction is conducted in the local dialect.
Technical institutes
The duration of the study is two years, when the graduate students receive a diploma from the institute itself according to the jurisdiction of their choice.
* Technical Institute of Business Administration and Marketing: with the following disciplines:
Business Administration – Marketing –
Public Relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...
.
* Technical Institute of Finance and Banking Sciences: (formerly known as the "Commercial Institute", offers associate degrees in the following disciplines: Accounting –
financial markets
A financial market is a market in which people trade financial securities and derivatives at low transaction costs. Some of the securities include stocks and bonds, raw materials and precious metals, which are known in the financial markets ...
– banking studies. The best students are offered the opportunity to continue their education at the Faculty of Economics.)
* Technical Institute of Medicine
* Technical Institute of Dentistry
* Technical Institute of Engineering
* Technical Institute of Mechanical Engineering and electricity
* Technical Institute of Computer Science
* Technical Institute of Agricultural studies
On 13 November 2012, the President
Bashar al-Assad issued a decree on establishing a branch for Damascus University in
Quneitra
Quneitra (also Al Qunaytirah, Qunaitira, or Kuneitra; ar, ٱلْقُنَيْطِرَة or ٱلْقُنَيطْرَة, ''al-Qunayṭrah'' or ''al-Qunayṭirah'' ) is the largely destroyed and abandoned capital of the Quneitra Governorate in sou ...
, a city in the
Syrian Heights.
Open Learning
The Open Learning Center offers degrees in three majors:
* Legal studies
* Computer and informatics
* Minor and intermediate projects
* English language
Library
The University of Damascus Library began in 1903 (with the establishment of the Medical Bureau). As of 2011 it contains some 169,000 volumes and 3,830 current periodicals.
University hospitals
The university runs eight hospitals in the city of Damascus:
*
Al Assad University Hospital
Al Assad University Hospital ( ar, مستشفى الأسد الجامعي) in Damascus is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Syria. It was founded in 1988 and is run by the Ministry of Higher Education (Syria), Ministry of Higher Education. T ...
*
Al Mouwasat University Hospital
Al-Mouwasat University Hospital was founded on 1958 in Damascus, Syria. It is mainly composed of 4 buildings; Administration Building, Emergency And Out-Patient Clinics Building and the Physician Residence Building, alongside those building there ...
* Obstetrics & Gynecology University Hospital
* Cardiac Surgery University Hospital
* Dermatology & Venereal Diseases University Hospital
*
Children's University Hospital
The General Authority for Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital in Damascus, Syria
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal ...
* Al Bairouni University Hospital
* Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Hospital
Career guidance and capabilities building centers
* Business Clinics (Shabab-Damascus)
Logo
The
emblem
An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and ''symbol'' are often used in ...
of Damascus University reflects the importance of science and endless desire of human for knowledge, as well as the privacy of Damascus in development of science and scientists.
The color of
raspberry
The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...
stands for the damascene raspberry which is a fruit found only in Damascus, expressing the uniqueness of the university just like the fruit. The color is adopted for the signature of the president of Damascus University, a property not shared with any president of any university in the world.
The lamp is the symbol of knowledge in different cultures, it radiates the light of knowledge and science, crowned with a verse from the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
: "say oh my Lord, increase me in knowledge", which is the motto of Damascus University and its non-stop seeking.
Notable alumni
Al-Assad family
The al-Assad family ( ar, عَائِلَة الْأَسَد '), also known as the Assad dynasty, has ruled Syria since General Hafez al-Assad became President of Syria in 1971 under the Ba'ath Party. After his death, in June 2000, he was succe ...
*
*
*
*
*
Khaled al-Asaad – archaeologist and the head of antiquities at the ancient city of
Palmyra
Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early seco ...
*
Muhammad al-Yaqoubi – Islamic scholar and religious leader
*
Rasha Abbas – author and journalist
*
Rashad Barmada
Rashad Barmada ( ar, رشاد برمدا; 1913 – August 16, 1988) was a Syrian politician between the 1940s and early 1960s. Barmada served as a deputy prime minister, minister of defense for three terms, minister of interior for two terms, and ...
– served as deputy prime minister of Syria and minister of defense
*
Giles Clarke – chairman of the
England and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was formed on 1 January 1997 as a single governing body to combine the roles formerly fulfilled by the Test and County Cricket Board, ...
*
Colette Khoury – novelist
*
Dina Katabi – Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and the director of the MIT Wireless Center
*
Gyorgy Busztin
Gyorgy Busztin (born 13 April 1955) is a career diplomat who was appointed Deputy Special Representative (ASG) of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. He previously served the Hun ...
– Hungarian Ambassador and U.N. Deputy Special Representative
*
Sa'id al-Afghani – Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts
*
Abdelsalam al-Majali – former Prime Minister of Jordan
*
Riad Ismat
Mohammad Riad Hussain Ismat ( ar, رياض عصمت) (11 July 1947 – 13 May 2020) was a Syrian writer, critic and theatre director. He served as Minister of Culture of Syria from 3 October 2010 to 23 June 2012.
Early life, education and care ...
– diplomat, writer and theatrical director
*
George Percy, Earl Percy
George Dominic Percy, Earl Percy (born 4 May 1984), is a British businessman and the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Northumberland.
Early life
Percy was born as the second child and elder son of Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland and hi ...
– British businessman and
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
to the
Dukedom of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...
*
Nizar Qabbani – poet, author and diplomat, B.A. in Law
*
Abbas al-Noury – actor, author, director and TV presenter, B.A. in History
*
Duraid Lahham – actor, author, Director and TV presenter, B.Sc. in Chemistry and Physics
*
Farouk al-Sharaa
Farouk al-Sharaa ( ar, فاروق الشرع; born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent officials in the Syrian government and served as foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he bec ...
– politician and diplomat, Syrian Vice President, B.A. in English Literature
*
Aref Dalila – economist and politician, B.Sc. in Economics
*
Ali Farzat – caricaturist and painter, B.A. in Fine Arts
*
Ibrahim Mughrabi
Ibrahim Mughrabi ( ar, إبراهيم المغربي, born 1939 in Aleppo) was a Syrian footballer of Palestinian descent who played as a striker. He was the first foreigner to ever play in the Greek Championship. In Greece he was known as "Ibra ...
– football striker, studied law before moving to Greece to continue his studies
*
Georges Tarabichi George Tarabishi (1939 – March 16, 2016; Arab. Jurj Tarabishi; Fr. Georges Tarabichi) was a Syrian writer, philosopher, and translator. He translated over 200 books into Arabic, including works by Hegel, Freud, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. – writer
*
Riad Barmada
Riad Barmada ( ar, رياض برمدا; July 26, 1929 – January 10, 2014), a Syrian-American orthopaedic surgeon and professor. Barmada was the head of orthopedics at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1984 to 1998 and served as the p ...
– Syrian-American orthopedics surgeon,
*
Imran Raza Ansari – politician, Shia cleric and cabinet minister in
Jammu & Kashmir
*
Louay Kayali
Louay Kayali ( ar, لؤي كيالي), (20 January 1934 – 26 January 1978) was a Syrian modern artist.
Biography
Kayali was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1934 and studied art in the Accademia di Belle Arti after having studied at the Al-Tajhiz Scho ...
– artist
*
Marwan Kassab-Bachi – German painter of Syrian origin
*
Abdul Halim Khaddam –
Vice President of Syria
The Vice President of Syria ( ar, نائب رئيس سوريا) is a political position in Syria. The Constitution states that in the case of the president's temporary disablement, the vice president may become acting president. Multiple people ...
and "High Commissioner" to Lebanon from 1984 to 2005
*
Moustapha Akkad – Syrian American film producer and director
*
Nazim al-Qudsi – former President of Syria
*
Nureddin al-Atassi – former President of Syria
*
Mahmoud Zuabi
Mahmoud Al-Zoubi ( ar, محمود الزعبي, Maḥmūd az-Zuʿbī; 1935 – 21 May 2000) was Prime Minister of Syria from 1 November 1987 to 7 March 2000.
Early life
Al-Zoubi was born into a Sunni family in 1935 in Khirbet Ghazaleh, a village ...
–
Prime Minister of Syria
The prime minister of Syria (Arabic: رئيس وزراء سوريا), formally titled the president of the Council of Ministers ( ar, رئيس مجلس الوزراء), is the head of government of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Nomination
The prime ...
from 1987 to 2000
*
Muhammad Mustafa Mero – Prime Minister of Syria from 2000 to 2003
*
Bashir al-Azma – Prime Minister of Syria and later a Minister in the
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...
(UAR)
*
Farouk al-Sharaa
Farouk al-Sharaa ( ar, فاروق الشرع; born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent officials in the Syrian government and served as foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he bec ...
– foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he became Vice President
*
Georges Sabra
George Sabra ( ar, جورج صبرة, born 11 July 1947) is a member of the Syrian Democratic People's Party. He was elected president of the Syrian National Council, the main opposition group in Syria, on 9 November 2012 and later was acting pre ...
– president of the
Syrian National Council
The Syrian National Council (SNC; ar, المجلس الوطني السوري, ''al- Majlis al-Waṭanī as-Sūri'', french: Conseil national syrien), sometimes known as the Syrian National Transitional Council or the National Council of Syri ...
*
Haitham al-Maleh – human rights activist and former judge and one of the most important opposition figures in Syria
*
Shadia Habbal
Shadia Rifa'i Habbal (Arabic: شادية رفاعي حبال) is a Syrian-American astronomer and physicist specialized in Space physics. A professor of Solar physics, her research is centered on Solar wind and Solar eclipse.
Life and education
S ...
– Syrian-American astronomer and physicist
*
Ghada al-Samman – writer, journalist and novelist
*
Omar Alghabra – Member of the
Parliament of Canada
*
Sadiq Jalal al-Azm
Sadiq Jalal Al-Azm ( ar, صادق جلال العظم ''Ṣādiq Jalāl al-‘Aẓm''; 1934 – December 11, 2016) was a Professor Emeritus of Modern European Philosophy at the University of Damascus in Syria and was, until 2007, a visiting pr ...
– Professor of Modern European Philosophy
*
Ghassan Kanafani – Palestinian author and member of the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين, translit=al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Taḥrīr Filasṭīn, PFLP) is a secular Palestinian Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist an ...
(PFLP)
*
Sirin Hamsho – engineer and inventor
*
Khalid Bakdash – leader of the
Syrian Communist Party
The Syrian Communist Party ( ar, الحزب الشيوعي السوري, translit=al-Ḥizb aš-Šuyūʿī as-Sūrī) was a political party in Syria founded in 1924. It became a member of the National Progressive Front in 1972. The party spli ...
and the "dean of Arab communism"
*
Akram al-Hawrani
Akram Al-Hourani ( ar, أَكْرَم الْحَوْرَانِي, ʾAkram al-Ḥawrānī, also transcribed El-Hourani, Howrani or Hurani) (November 1911 – 24 February 1996), was a Syrian politician who played a prominent role during the democrat ...
– One of the founders of
Ba'ath Party
The Arab Socialist Baʿath Party ( ar, حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي ' ) was a political party founded in Syria by Mishel ʿAflaq, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Bītār, and associates of Zaki al-ʾArsūzī. The party espoused ...
and vice-president of the United Arab Republic
*
Omar Bakri Muhammad –
Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
Islamist militant leader
*
Kenan Yaghi, Finance Minister of Syria
Gallery
Image:Faculty of Medicine Damascus2.jpg , Faculty of Medicine
Image:Dentistry_damas_univ.jpg , Faculty of Dentistry
Image:Pharmacy damascus univ.jpg , Faculty of Pharmacy
Image:Faculty of Architecture in Damascus.jpg , Faculty of Architecture
Image:Faculty of Economics in Damascus.jpg , Faculty of Economics
Image:Faculty of Civil Engineering-Damascus.jpg , Faculty of Civil Engineering
Image:FITE-Damascus-University.jpg , Faculty of IT Engineering
Image:Higher_Language_Institute_in_Damascus_University.jpg , Higher Institute of Languages
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Educational institutions established in 1923
Buildings and structures in Damascus
1923 establishments in Mandatory Syria
Libraries in Syria
Universities in Syria