Damascus University () is the largest and oldest

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, located in the capital

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, with campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 as the Syrian University () through the merger of the

Medical School A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

(established 1903) and the Institute of Law (established 1913). It adopted its current name after the founding of the

University of Aleppo University of Aleppo (, also called Aleppo University) is a public university located in Aleppo, Syria. It is the second largest university in Syria after the University of Damascus. During 2005–06, the university had over 61,000 undergraduate ...

in 1958. Damascus University was one of the most reputable universities in the Arab World before the Syrian civil war started in 2011. The University of Damascus consists of several faculties, higher institutes, intermediate institutes and a school of nursing. One of the institutions specializes in teaching the Arabic language to foreigners, which as of 2005 was the largest institution of its kind in the

Arab world The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...

History

In 1901, the establishment of the Office of the School of Medicine in Damascus was approved and in 1903 this school, which is the nucleus of the university, opened. The school included branches in

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and pharmacy, and the language of instruction was Turkish. In 1913, a

Law School A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

opened in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, in which most of the teachers were Arabs and the language of instruction was Arabic. Then this school was transferred to Damascus in 1914 just as the School of Medicine moved to Beirut. Then in the last years of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

the Law School returned to Beirut. Following that the Institute of Medicine and the School of Law opened in Damascus, the former at the beginning of January in 1919 and the latter in September of the same year. In 1923, the School of Law was named the Institute of Law and this institute was linked together with the Institute of Medicine, the Arab Society, and the Center of Arabic Heritage in organization under the name of the Syrian University. Then the Arab Society and the Center of Arabic Heritage separated from the organization in 1926. In 1928, the School of Higher Literary Studies was established and it connected its administration with the university. In 1929 it became the School of Letters, which closed in 1935–1936. Then starting in 1946, the university was no longer limited to the Institutes of Medicine and Law, but rather faculties and higher institutions were created in other subjects. In 1958, a new law was created to regulate the universities in the northern and southern regions of the

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 to 1971. It was initially a short-lived political union between Republic of Egypt (1953–1958), Egypt (including Occupation of the Gaza Strip by the United Ara ...

. This led to changing the name of “the Syrian University” to “Damascus University” and to the creation of a second northern university called “the University of Aleppo.” In 1959, The College of Fine Arts was established in Damascus and became part of Damascus University in 1972. DamascusUniversityCityMazzah1993DrAdelabu

DamascusUniversityCityMazzah1993DrAdelabu

Structure

Degrees programs

Damascus University awards graduate (Master, Ph.D. Professional Training and Qualification) and undergraduate (Bachelor) degree programs. The period of study for the bachelor's degree ranges from 4 to 6 years, based on the need for each discipline of study. The Master programs combine course work and research, and require a minimum of two years and a maximum of a three. Under certain circumstances, an additional fourth year may be approved by a decision of the university council based on the recommendation of the faculty council. The Ph.D. degree is a fully research program. The period of research is not less than two years and not more than five years by the decision of the university council based on the recommendation of the faculty council. although some faculties -Like Faculty of Arts, English Literature Department- does not award Ph.D. degree. Also, the university associated with some of the other Syrian institutions and research centers such as Atomic Energy Commission of Syria and International University for Science and Technology.

Faculties

Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

: Founded in 1903. It is one of the top ten international providers of licensed physicians to the United States, the third in the Eastern hemisphere. *

Pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

: Founded in 1903. *

Dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the Human tooth, teeth, gums, and Human mouth, mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, dis ...

: Founded in 1921. *

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

: Founded in 1994. * Civil Engineering: Founded in 1961. * Mechanical Engineering &

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

: Founded in 1963. * Economics: Founded in 1956. *

Arts and Humanities The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of me ...

: Founded in 1928. * Education: Founded in 1946. * Agriculture: Founded in 1963. *

Islamic Jurisprudence ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica ''Fiqh'' is of ...

: Founded in 1954. * Architecture: Founded in 1960. *

Sciences Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

: Founded in 1960. *

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

: Founded in 1979. * Law: Founded in 1913. * Tourism

Higher institutes

* Higher Institute of Laser Research and Applications * Higher Institute of Administrative Development * Higher Institute of Seismologic Studies and Research * Higher Institute of Languages * Higher Institute of Translation and Interpretation The Arabic Language Institute at the University of Damascus is recognized as the best center to study Arabic for non-native speakers in the world. The Center for Arabic Study abroad, the premier U.S. organization for

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

study, is now opening a second branch at the university. The Arabic Language Institute at the University of Damascus is known for immersion instruction in Arabic, allowing more rapid, natural and comprehensive language acquisition. The Arabic Language Institute's faculty is committed to classical Arabic instruction, offering an advantage to either Egypt or Jordan where much instruction is conducted in the local dialect.

Technical institutes

The duration of the study is two years, when the graduate students receive a diploma from the institute itself according to the jurisdiction of their choice. * Technical Institute of Business Administration and Marketing: with the following disciplines:

Business Administration Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

– Marketing –

Public Relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

. * Technical Institute of Finance and Banking Sciences: (formerly known as the "Commercial Institute", offers associate degrees in the following disciplines: Accounting –

financial markets A financial market is a market in which people trade financial securities and derivatives at low transaction costs. Some of the securities include stocks and bonds, raw materials and precious metals, which are known in the financial marke ...

– banking studies. The best students are offered the opportunity to continue their education at the Faculty of Economics.) * Technical Institute of Medicine * Technical Institute of Dentistry * Technical Institute of Engineering * Technical Institute of Mechanical Engineering and electricity * Technical Institute of Computer Science * Technical Institute of Agricultural studies On 13 November 2012, the President

Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...

issued a decree on establishing a branch for Damascus University in

Madinat al-Salam The Round City of Baghdad is the original core of Baghdad, built by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur in 762–766 CE as the official residence of the Abbasid court. Its official name in Abbasid times was City of Peace (). The famous library known as ...

, a city in the Governorate of Quneitra.

Open Learning

The Open Learning Center offers degrees in three majors: * Legal studies * Computer and informatics * Minor and intermediate projects * English language

Library

The University of Damascus Library began in 1903 (with the establishment of the Medical Bureau). As of 2011 it contains some 169,000 volumes and 3,830 current periodicals.

University hospitals

Al Assad University Hospital in Damascus

The university runs eight hospitals in the city of Damascus: * National University Hospital (Damascus) * Al Mouwasat University Hospital * Obstetrics & Gynecology University Hospital * Cardiac Surgery University Hospital * Dermatology & Venereal Diseases University Hospital * Children's University Hospital * Al Bairouni University Hospital * Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Hospital

Career guidance and capabilities building centers

* Business Clinics (Shabab-Damascus). Also, the University of Damascus has co-operative agreements with other local university such as International University for Science and Technology in addition to international agreements.

Ranking

In 2023, Damascus University rose in the QS Ranking due to its sustainable development research. In 2024, the university was ranked in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings at the rank +1501, which was the only Syrian university ranked in the THE World University Rankings. Damascus University also increased in the Webometrics ranking.

Logo

The

emblem An emblem is an abstract art, abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a monarch or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and ''symbol'' ...

of Damascus University reflects the importance of science and endless desire of human for knowledge, as well as the privacy of Damascus in development of science and scientists. The lamp is the symbol of knowledge in different cultures, it radiates the light of knowledge and science, crowned with a verse from the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

: "say oh my Lord, increase me in knowledge", which is the motto of Damascus University and its non-stop seeking.

Notable alumni

Al-Assad family The Assad family ruled Syria from 1971, when Hafez al-Assad became President of Syria, president under the Ba'ath Party (Syrian-dominated faction), Ba'ath Party following the Corrective Movement (Syria), 1970 coup, until Bashar al-Assad was Fal ...

* * * * * * *

Khaled al-Asaad Khaled Mohamad al-Asaad (; ; 1 January 1932 – 18 August 2015) was a Syrian archaeologist who headed the antiquities in the ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He held this position for over forty years. Al-Asaad was publicl ...

– archaeologist and the head of antiquities at the ancient city of

Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...

* Muhammad al-Yaqoubi – Islamic scholar and religious leader * Rasha Abbas – author and journalist * Awad Saud Awad – Palestinian writer and journalist, B.A. in Art History * Ali Saeed Badwan - Palestinian writer and political analyst * Rashad Barmada – served as deputy prime minister of Syria and minister of defense * Giles Clarke – chairman of the

England and Wales Cricket Board The England and Wales Cricket Board, aka ECB, is the Sports governing body, national governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was formed on 1 January 1997 as a single governing body to combine the roles formerly fulfilled by the Test ...

* Colette Khoury – novelist *

Dina Katabi Dina Katabi () is the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and the director of the MIT Wireless Center. She was designated as one of the world’s most influential women engineers by ''Forbes'' m ...

– Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and the director of the MIT Wireless Center * Muhsina al-Mahithawi, economist and politician, governor of Suwayda Governorate (2024–present) * Gyorgy Busztin – Hungarian Ambassador and U.N. Deputy Special Representative *

Sa'id al-Afghani Sa'id al-Afghani was a professor of Arabic language and Arabic literature, literature at the University of Damascus. He was regarded as one of the 20th century's leading scholars in both fields.Adil SalahiScholars of renown: Saeed Al-Afghani Arab Ne ...

– Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts * Abdelsalam al-Majali – former Prime Minister of Jordan *

Riad Ismat Mohammad Riad Hussain Ismat () (11 July 1947 – 13 May 2020) was a Syrian writer, critic and theatre director. He served as Minister of Culture of Syria from 3 October 2010 to 23 June 2012. Early life, education and career Ismat studied Engli ...

– diplomat, writer and theatrical director * George Percy, Earl Percy – British businessman and

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Dukedom of Northumberland * Nizar Qabbani – poet, author and diplomat, B.A. in Law * Abbas al-Noury – actor, author, director and TV presenter, B.A. in History * Duraid Lahham – actor, author, Director and TV presenter, B.Sc. in Chemistry and Physics *

Farouk al-Sharaa Farouk al-Sharaa (born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He was one of the most prominent officials in the Ba'athist Syria#Politics and government, government of Ba'athist Syria and served as foreign minister from 1984 to 20 ...

– politician and diplomat, Syrian Vice President, B.A. in English Literature * Aref Dalila – economist and politician, B.Sc. in Economics * Ali Farzat – caricaturist and painter, B.A. in Fine Arts * Ibrahim Mughrabi – football striker, studied law before moving to Greece to continue his studies * Georges Tarabichi – writer * Elias Farah – Syrian writer and thinker who was a prominent member of the

Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ( ' ), also known simply as Bath Party (), was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism, which is an ideology ...

in Iraq. * Riad Barmada – Syrian-American orthopedics surgeon, * Imran Raza Ansari – Jammu and Kashmir politician, cabinet minister and Shia cleric *

Louay Kayali Louay Kayali (), (20 January 1934 – 26 January 1978) was a Syrian modern artist. Biography Kayali was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1934 and studied art in the Accademia di Belle Arti after having studied at the Al-Tajhiz School where his work wa ...

– artist *

Marwan Kassab-Bachi Marwan Kassab-Bachi (Arabic: مروان قصاب باشي; commonly known as Marwan; 1934–2016) was a Syrian painter. Born in Damascus, he first studied at Damascus University before moving to Berlin, Germany, where he enrolled in the Hochschu ...

– German painter of Syrian origin * Mohammad Rasoul Al–Kilani – Jordanian politician and military officer. * Abdul Halim Khaddam –

Vice President of Syria The vice president of Syria (), officially the vice president of the Syrian Arab Republic, is a political position in Syria. The Constitution of Syria states that in the case of the president's temporary disablement, the vice president may becom ...

and "High Commissioner" to Lebanon from 1984 to 2005 *

Moustapha Akkad Moustapha al Akkad (; July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005) was a Syrian Americans, Syrian-American film producer and Film director, director, best known for producing the original series of ''Halloween (franchise), Halloween'' films and dire ...

– Syrian American film producer and director * Nazim al-Qudsi – former President of Syria *

Nureddin al-Atassi Nureddin Mustafa Ali al-Atassi (, 11 January 1929 – 3 December 1992) was a Syrian politician who served as the president of Syria from 1966 to 1970. Early life and education Nureddin Al-Atassi, born in 1929 in Homs to an Arab family, and b ...

– former President of Syria * Mahmoud Zuabi –

Prime Minister of Syria The prime minister of Syria (), officially the president of the Council of Ministers of the Syrian Arab Republic, was the head of government of Syria from 1920 to 2025. After the fall of the Assad regime, the prime minister of Syria was the head ...

from 1987 to 2000 * Muhammad Mustafa Mero – Prime Minister of Syria from 2000 to 2003 * Bashir al-Azma – Prime Minister of Syria and later a Minister in the

(UAR) * Faisal Mekdad – Foreign Minister of Syria, late Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN * Georges Sabra – president of the

Syrian National Council The Syrian National Council (SNC), sometimes known as the Syrian National Transitional Council or the National Council of Syria, was a Syrian opposition coalition, based in Istanbul, Turkey, formed in August 2011 during the Syrian civil upris ...

Haitham al-Maleh Haitham al-Maleh (, born August 15, 1931) is a Syrian human rights activist and former judge. An independent Islamist and longtime critic of Syria's Ba'athist regime, he was imprisoned several times after standing for human rights and calling ...

– human rights activist and former judge and one of the most important opposition figures in Syria * Shadia Habbal – Syrian-American astronomer and physicist * Ghada al-Samman – writer, journalist and novelist * Omar Alghabra – Member of the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada () is the Canadian federalism, federal legislature of Canada. The Monarchy of Canada, Crown, along with two chambers: the Senate of Canada, Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, form the Bicameral ...

* Sadiq Jalal al-Azm – Professor of Modern European Philosophy *

Ghassan Kanafani Ghassan Fayiz Kanafani (; 8 April 1936 – 8 July 1972) was a prominent Palestinian literature, Palestinian author and Palestinian militant, militant, considered to be a leading novelist of his generation and one of the Arab world's leading Pa ...

– Palestinian author and member of the

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP; ) is a secular Palestinian Marxist–Leninist organization founded in 1967 by George Habash. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation ...

(PFLP) * Sirin Hamsho – engineer and inventor *

Khalid Bakdash Khalid Bakdash (occasionally spelled Khalid Bagdash or Khaled Bekdache, ) (1912 – July 15, 1995) was a Syrian-Kurdish politician who was the founder of the Syrian Communist Party (SCP) and lead it from 1936 until his death in 1995. In 1954, Bakd ...

– leader of the

Syrian Communist Party The Syrian Communist Party () was a political party in Syria founded in 1944 as a division of the Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party, which later split into the Syrian Communist Party and the Lebanese Communist Party. In 1972, it became a memb ...

and the "dean of Arab communism" * Akram al-Hawrani – One of the founders of

and vice-president of the United Arab Republic *

Omar Bakri Muhammad Omar Bakri Muhammad (; born Omar Bakri Fostock; 1958) is a Syrian Islamist militant leader born in Aleppo. He was instrumental in developing Hizb ut-Tahrir in the United Kingdom before leaving the group and heading to another Islamist organisati ...

–

Salafi The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retu ...

Islamist militant leader * Kenan Yaghi, Finance Minister of Syria

Gallery

Image:Faculty of Medicine Damascus2.jpg , Faculty of Medicine Image:Dentistry_damas_univ.jpg , Faculty of Dentistry Image:Pharmacy damascus univ.jpg , Faculty of Pharmacy Image:Faculty of Architecture in Damascus.jpg , Faculty of Architecture Image:Faculty of Economics in Damascus.jpg , Faculty of Economics Image:Faculty of Civil Engineering-Damascus.jpg , Faculty of Civil Engineering Image:FITE-Damascus-University.jpg , Faculty of IT Engineering Image:Higher_Language_Institute_in_Damascus_University.jpg , Higher Institute of Languages

References

External links

* {{Authority control Universities and colleges established in 1923 Buildings and structures in Damascus 1923 establishments in Mandatory Syria Libraries in Syria Universities in Syria