Rida Said ( ar, رضا سعيد) (1876–1945) was a Syrian eye surgeon and businessman, who in 1922, founded the Syrian University, the first university in Syria.
He trained as an eye surgeon at Hotel Dieu in Paris, France. As Minister of Education, Said played a major role in reforming the education system in Syria under the French Mandate.
Said is best known as the father of
Syrian University, today known as
Damascus University
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 ...
that taught medicine, law and sciences in Arabic. Said was the president of the university until 1936.
His son is the businessman
Wafic Said.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Said, Rida
1876 births
1945 deaths
People from Damascus
Syrian ministers of education
Syrian ophthalmologists