The evolution of the Syrian higher education sector 1918-2022: from a tool of independence to a tool of war

The Higher Education (HE) sector in Syria was established more than 100 years ago, with the first public university in the Arabic world. During these past 100 years, Syria has witnessed huge shifts in its political and social spheres which has been reflected in the governance of the sector. This paper reviews the evolution of the HE sector in Syria in light of these political and social shifts, and in particular, its political and social agendas. The paper argues that there are four critical stages in Syria's history that are important to understanding the evolution of the sector. Stage one – between 1918 and 1958 – was post-independence; stage two – 1958 and 2000 – defined by socialism; stage three – 2000 and 2011 – neo-liberalism, and finally stage four between 2011 and the present time defined by civil war. During these stages, the sector has moved from being a tool of independence through being a tool of political domination and indoctrination, a tool of neo-liberalism and finally, a tool of war.