Syria's academic heritage must be preserved, scholars say

Turkish academics said there are currently around 400 Syrian academics working at Turkish universities as well as 20,000 Syrian students. At an event in Brussels last week, they called on other countries to share the burden and preserve the academic heritage of Syria and the Middle East, writes Mehmet Solmaz for the Daily Sabah.

The panel discussion, sponsored by Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the Yunus Emre Institute and its Academic and Scientific Cooperation Project of Turkey (TABIP), which are under the auspices of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic, was aimed at discussing how to preserve the academic heritage of the war-torn Middle East and ensure the social inclusion of refugees. Academics also touched on how governments should shape their policies and strategies in their efforts to enable refugees to integrate into society.

YÖK board member Zeliha Koçak Tufan told Daily Sabah prior to the event that the board was striving to raise awareness about education and the related consequences of the war in neighbouring Syria. "The Middle East isn't only about wars. There are academics, students and libraries. Turkey has experience in inclusion for these people in their universities, and we want to share our experiences with others," Tufan said.
Full report on the Daily Sabah site