Aleppo University: National Advanced Technology Track widens students' options

Academics and staff at Aleppo University said the creation of the National Advanced Technology Track is an opportunity to widen students' educational options and keep pace with technological development. In statements to a SANA correspondent, they said the track's success depends on raising awareness of it, securing its requirements and taking its costs to students into account.

Dr. Walid Arab, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, said the track is a positive step to encourage students toward technical fields and scientific research. He pointed to the importance of providing suitable infrastructure and incentives that encourage high-achieving students to join it.

Ahmad Dahhan, director of scientific leave at the university, called for introducing students at an early stage to technical and vocational specialisations and labour market needs, and for introductory and training courses to help them discover their inclinations. Lecturer Najed Jallab stressed the need to inform parents and students about technology tracks and to introduce children to these fields from a young age. Hala Qassab, who works in the university's media office, pointed to the importance of linking the Ministry of Education with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and providing staff able to deliver technical knowledge to students.

University employee Osama Hamdan backed making this type of education available to students interested in technology, stressing the need to teach them how to use modern technologies and deal with their risks. Employee Sanaa Jahjah called for following up on the track's implementation and developing how it is applied. She noted the need to consider the financial burden on families and suggested that fees be symbolic. Mohammad Ali Moussa, who is interested in technology, development and cybersecurity, also backed the track, saying it opens new horizons for students who want to specialise in technical fields.

President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 183 of 2026 on 7 October, establishing the National Advanced Technology Track under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The track starts at secondary school and extends to applied and research-based university education. It covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering, robotics, industrial automation, energy and smart manufacturing.

The Ministry of Education announced on 12 October the admission and selection conditions for first-year secondary places in advanced technology schools in Damascus, Aleppo and Homs for the 2026-2027 school year.