Damascus-SANA
In a step that is the first of its kind at the level of Syria, the Syrian Virtual University opened this evening a model center for continuous learning and training in Damascus, with the aim of preparing and qualifying professional cadres in various professional fields that keep pace with the requirements of the labor market and meet the practical needs of the social and economic sectors of vital importance.
The center located in the Kafr Sousa region, which is one of the components of the "lifelong learning" center in the virtual university, offers a program for continuous learning and training, directly and remotely, consisting of training "axes" courses that include the fields of communications, networks, programming, technical engineering, economics, management, media, digital blogging, tourism, archeology and legal affairs. Social, humanitarian, educational, health, and languages, in addition to training on distance education methods.
Dr. Khalil Ajami, President of the Syrian Virtual University, stressed in his speech during the opening that training has become an important factor in the success of any academic qualification, and that acquiring skills is no less important than acquiring knowledge, indicating that the center came in the context of the university’s vision of the concept of lifelong learning, achieving integration among the objectives. Educational, social and economic, especially in light of the current circumstances, as Syria needs skilled cadres in the reconstruction phase.
From Lebanon, Emile Abboud, director of the Elser company that implements the training and provides the technical and logistical requirements for the center, pointed out that the building was designed to be a training center that integrates electronic and traditional education, where halls, laboratories and studios were equipped with the latest technologies and high specifications, and developed training curricula based on experiences in the labor market. To keep pace with the process of training and qualification of young cadres with new specializations in line with scientific and professional development.
Engineer Wassim Youssef, Associate President of the Virtual University for Program Development Affairs, gave a presentation on the “Masakat” training platform that the university has accomplished through its experts and engineers, indicating that it includes several digital systems and contains all information related to the knowledge areas and training courses of the center.
In a statement to the media, Dr. Bassam Ibrahim, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the caretaker government, stressed the importance of the center's role in qualifying students to help them integrate into the labor market, as well as developing the skills of workers in state institutions and private sector companies, training professors and informing them about advanced scientific programs in all countries of the world. In addition to the technical means of education, he indicated that the Virtual University, since its establishment, has been a pioneer in its scientific programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
According to Saya Google, director of the Center for Lifelong Learning at the Virtual University, applications for registration for courses at the center will be accepted as of next September, as within each training course there is a set of specialized courses, and the registration mechanism will be fully automated and electronic.
The opening of the center, which included technical paragraphs and introductory films, was attended by a number of heads of scientific and academic bodies and institutions, representatives of companies and government and private institutions interested in training issues in the fields of tourism, economy, communications, media and informatics, members of the Board of Trustees of the Virtual University and directors of educational programs at the university.
It is noteworthy that the Virtual University is an accredited public university that was established in 2002 and includes several disciplines such as information engineering, media, information and communication technology, law, and economics, and it works to provide a modern education, training and research system in the academic and professional fields.
Helena El Hindi and Hiba Suleiman