A new Tempus project was launched at Damascus University. On 9th May, the first meeting for the Skills and Career Center - Pathways to the Labor Market project was held at the Rida Said Conference Center. Attending were representatives from Lund University in Sweden, Freiburg University in Germany, fontys University For Science and Technology in the Netherlands, all the Syrian pulbic universities and three private universities.
DU president, Prof. Wael Mualla stated that the Tempus Program is one of the most important venues of successful academic cooperation between the EU and Syria. He added that the program has supported DU’s strategic plan in such vital areas: accreditation, quality assurance, career guidance services and higher education research Prof. Mualla stressed the national impact and outreach of Tempus projects in Syria as they incorporate all public and private universities in Syria.
Damascus University is the first in Syria to establish a career center in response to the growing needs of infusing qualified graduates to the labor market. The Center was the result of constructive cooperation between Damascus University, the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
Dr. Rami Ayoubi, Director of the National Tempus Office and Mr. Fadi Al-Shalabi, the project coordinator stressed that the main objective of the new Tempus Project is to support capacity-building and HRD for staff in partner universities, particularly in relation to developing specific counseling competencies and the creation of career advising and Counseling centers in the five public universities and three of the private universities in Syria. The goal of these centers will be to enable students to find employment opportunities in the labor market.
Mr. Fadi Al-Shalabi, the project coordinator, underscored the fact that this project is the first to be managed by DU as the main partner, adding that said that the project will last for three years, , and that its budget is over six hundred thousand Euros. Mr. Shalabi pointed out that DU has over the year become one of the leading Mediterranean participants in Tempus projects.
The main goal of the Tempus program is to strengthen cooperation in the field of higher education and promote intercultural understanding between the EU and partner countries of the Mediterranean region (MEDA), the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and Asia. Since 2002, the Tempus Program has played an important role in supporting higher education institutions in MEDA countries. By 2009, 35 projects have been carried out in Syria--some of which still ongoing.
