The Syrian Future Movement is following with interest the announcement dated March 25, 2026, that Damascus University topped the local ranking of Syrian universities in the 2026 Scimago Institutions Rankings (SIR), despite its global ranking dropping to 8201 (compared to 7528 the previous year). The ranking included only three Syrian universities: Damascus University, ranked first nationally, followed by Aleppo University, and then Latakia University (Tishreen).
The Syrian Future Movement, building on its previous statement published on its official website, sfuturem.org, entitled “Regarding Damascus University’s Advancement to 535th Place in the Global Round Ranking” on June 10, 2025, commends Damascus University for maintaining its leading position locally as evidence of its continued relative research output despite the difficult circumstances. It also acknowledges the efforts of the academic staff who contributed to this ranking, especially since the ranking relies heavily on Scopus data regarding the number of publications, citations, and international collaborations.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the relative local ranking does not mask the dire reality of the Syrian higher education system. The significant global decline (over 670 places) reflects deep structural challenges, including the brain drain of academic talent, chronic funding shortages, weak laboratory infrastructure, limited international cooperation, and the isolation that continues to affect Syrian universities during this transitional phase. Furthermore, the presence of only three Syrian universities in the rankings indicates a general weakness in research output across the entire system, not merely an individual decline.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that Damascus University, once among the most prestigious Arab universities, deserves more than just a local ranking that primarily focuses on research (50%) and neglects the quality of teaching, societal impact, and graduate employability. Reforming higher education is a fundamental pillar for building the future of Syria and requires addressing these challenges through radical reforms that include academic autonomy and genuine openness to the world.
The Syrian Future Movement offers the following recommendations, which take into account the circumstances of the transitional phase and consider the future of Syria:
- Grant universities full administrative and financial independence, free from political influence, while allocating a sustainable budget for scientific research and laboratories.
- Launch a comprehensive national program to attract Syrian expatriate talent (brain gain) through scholarships, research contracts, and international partnerships.
- Strengthen international cooperation with leading research institutions to increase the number of publications in prestigious international journals and sustainably improve rankings.
- Develop new national evaluation indicators that include teaching quality, graduate skills, and societal impact, rather than relying solely on global research standards.
- Prepare a comprehensive national strategy for higher education reform in partnership with independent academics and civil society organizations, with a clear implementation timeline.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on the concerned parties to transform these rankings from mere numbers into a real incentive for radical reform, because Damascus University is not just a historical name, but a symbol of the scientific and intellectual future of Syria that our people deserve.
