The Faculty of Applied Science at Damascus University contributes through its programs to enabling students to possess technical skills to meet the requirements of the labor market.

 The Faculty of Applied Science at Damascus University was established in 2013 to develop, modernize, and redirect the reality of technical education under the supervision of the Supreme Council for Technical Education in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

The Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Raed Al- Sharaa, explained that the Faculty seeks, through its departments, to provide applied higher education paths for students of vocational and general secondary education that meet the requirements and needs of the local market for technical and technical personnel, in addition to providing high-quality technical education that makes the targeted outcome from the education process more efficient and distinguished, and accrediting education for the market and ensuring the quality assurance of the educational outcomes targeted by this type of education

Specialized Departments:

The Faculty currently includes three departments: The Computer Technologies Department, which is concerned with supplying the labor market with graduates with appropriate qualifications and skills in the field of computers, software, and networks. The Mechatronics Department specializes in preparing very well qualified graduates in the field of mechatronics, including installation, maintenance, and operation of industrial equipment and machines, automated production lines, robotic arms, industrial networks, design, and manufacturing. It is the only department in the applied Faculties of Syrian universities.

During the last year, 2022 - 2023, the Department of Renewable Energies (Solar Energy) was opened in order to meet the needs of the labor market and provide it with qualified technical personnel to supervise the installation, operation, and maintenance of the components of solar systems, due to the increasing need for this specialty currently, and it is one of the most important achievements of the Faculty. It is also the only department in the Syrian universities, according to what Dr. Al- Sharaa reported,

1644 students

Dr. Al- Sharaa stated that the number of students in the faculty in its three departments currently is 1,644 students (1,274 males and 370 females), and the number of graduates during the last three years has reached 410 students in the computer technology and mechatronics departments, indicating that the faculty’s acceptance rate depends on 90% of vocational high school students and 10% for secondary science. Here, Dr. Al- Sharaa suggests that the percentage should be 75% for vocational and 25% for scientific in order to integrate the capabilities and abilities of students in the practical and theoretical aspects. The Faculty contains seven laboratories in its three departments, and some of the laboratories of the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering are used in the computer and electronics departments. The Faculty is currently preparing specialized laboratories for its purposes, and it also uses the halls and auditoriums of the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and the Technical Institute for Computers. Dr. Al- Sharaa hopes to secure an independent headquarters for the faculty that meets current and future requirements.

Achievements

Dr. Al- Sharaa explained that the Faculty has achieved many goals that it was seeking, including the opening of computer network and solar systems laboratories, the approval of the job title for graduates of the Faculty by the Ministry of Administrative Development, as well as the issuance of a decision by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers to treat graduates of applied faculties like engineers in terms of sorting and inclusion. The Faculty is among the list of faculties for registration for diplomas and masters at the Virtual University, stressing that the faculty has proven its efficiency through its outputs, and the plan to track graduates in the past years has shown that the percentage of those who work according to their specialty is more than 60%.

Suggestions for development:

The Faculty suffers from a lack of teaching staff, and here Dr. Al- Sharaa stresses the necessity of announcing a special competition to appoint members of the teaching and technical staff, as well as the opening of a master’s degree in rehabilitation and specialization to accommodate the first graduates who wish to achieve higher education, and then a doctorate in qualification and specialization in the hope that these matters will be addressed when the amendments are made for The Universities Organization Law, which allows the appointment of doctorate holders as members of the faculty’s teaching staff to fill the existing gap.

The Dean of the Faculty pointed out that raising the bonus for faculty members from the specialized faculties contributed to providing the Faculty with some teaching staff and thus stabilizing the educational process. He also stressed the necessity of working to transform the applied Faculty into a production unit similar to technical institutes. This can benefit professors, students, and workers financially, and activate the technical council at Damascus university to take its active role in taking the necessary decisions regarding technical education at Damascus University.