SOHR exclusive | Azaz University establishes new faculty for teaching Turkish language and raises registration fees
SOHR sources say that the administration of Azaz University which is affiliated to the “Interim Government” has raised the registration fees and annual instalments in all faculties and sections of the University, which ignited popular anger among the students who cannot afford the additional expenses.
The Syrian Observatory could obtain a copy of the new annual instalments and the fees of parallel education set recently by the administration of Azaz University, and they were as follows:
- Faculty of Engineering: 400 USD
- Faculty of Mass Communication: 400 USD
- Faculty of Education: 300 USD
- Faculty of Law: 300 USD
- Faculty of Economics: 300 USD
- Faculty of Arts: 275 USD
- Faculty of Islamic Law (Shari’a): 275 USD
- Faculty of Political Science: 275 USD
- Faculty of Agriculture: 200 USD
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine: 200 USD
It is worth noting that the university has established new sections such as mass communication and Turkish department.
In this context, SOHR activists monitored protests yesterday in front of the University, where the students condemned the increase in education fees that became unaffordable by most of the students, especially the displaced students. The protestors showed their rejection of the new decision and lifted placards with slogans written on them read “I am a student not a dollar”. The students have confirmed that this decision will deprive tens of students from continuing their university studies.
In a testimony to SOHR, a displaced young man known by his initials as A.M. from west Hama countryside talked about the difficulties that students face, the displaced students in particular. The young man said “I am in the third year of my university study, and I was shocked when I was informed of the new fees set by the university. The earlier expenses of studying in the university has been already high and they were unaffordable by many students. Then, how will they deal with the new fees?! University students are struggling with additional problems, including the lack of university campus, poor transportation services and the high expenses of transportation, especially since most of the students live away from the university. In addition, the university provides poor services in general. I expect that many students will drop out over the new increase in the annual instalments, as they will not be able to pay these instalments.”
Azaz University is one of the most important universities in north Syria with nearly 7,000 students studying it its faculties and institutes, and the university is affiliated to the Turkish-backed “Interim Government”.