Damascus, Dec. 24 (SANA) Syrian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Marwan al-Halabi met on Wednesday with a delegation from Beirut Islamic University (BIU), Faculty of Islamic studies, headed by Dean Ali Hassan al-Tawil, to discuss cooperation in the field of Islamic studies education and the development of relations with the university following the fall of the deposed regime.
During the meeting, held at the ministry headquarters, the two sides discussed the possibility of assessing the university’s status and its academic and scientific programs with a view to potential endorsement by the ministry. Al-Halabi said the ministry applies specific standards for endorsing universities, noting that Beirut Islamic University would be provided with those criteria for review and could be endorsed if the required conditions are met.
The meeting also addressed the state of Islamic studies education in Syria and recent steps taken in this field, including opening university admission to holders of Sharia high school certificates, expanding Islamic studies education through the establishment of new faculties at several universities after liberation, unifying curricula across Islamic studies faculties, and the ministry’s efforts to regulate Islamic studies education outside the university framework.
For its part, the university delegation outlined the status of Islamic studies education in Lebanon, including universities, institutes and schools. The delegation pointed to difficulties faced by graduates of private Syrian Sharia institutes in Lebanon due to a lack of recognition, and to requirements for Syrian students in Lebanon to obtain legal residency in order to enroll in Sharia schools rather than attend as auditors. The delegation also reviewed the university’s curricula, academic system and the degrees it awards.
Beirut Islamic University – Faculty of Islamic studies is an educational institution affiliated with Dar al-Fatwa in the Lebanese Republic. It was established by a presidential decree in 1996 and includes the Faculty of Islamic studies, the Higher Institute for Sharia Judiciary, the Faculty of Islamic Arts, the Faculty of Applied Sciences and the University Institute of Technology. The university grants specialization diplomas, master’s degrees and doctorates in several fields.
