The Ministry of Education and ACSAD/ Strengthening cooperation.
The Minister of Education of the Syrian Arab Republic, Dr. Darrem Tabaa, and the Director-General of the Arab Centre for the Studies (ACSAD), Dr. Nasr Edin Obid, discussed cooperation affairs between the two sides and ways of promoting and developing it in various areas of common interest.
During the meeting, which took place yesterday at the Ministry’s headquarters, Dr. Obaid gave a brief overview of ACSAD activities, particularly those that could be cooperated with the Ministry of Education, referring to its general objectives and new policies pursues it in environmental activities and combating desertification.
He clarified that ACSAD new policies are following contemporary global trends, so it Considers that human activity is the main factor in environmental degradation and the disruption of the natural system. Thus, the restoration of these malfunctions must begin primarily with the reconstruction of human behavior, which constitutes a proactive step and a precautionary measure, before technical intervention in the restoration of the imbalance in nature itself. In accordance with this vision, the ACSAD organization is working to link its activities with Arab ministries and academic institutions to achieve its mission, objectives, and strategies.
Dr. Obaid confirmed the importance of promoting the values of environmental preservation and the rationalizing investment of young people’s natural resources, stressing the cooperation with the Ministry of Education to promote these values in thought and behavior. He also noted that ACSAD Organization could provide technical expertise in designing the interactive activities in the educational units related to its areas of concern, such as combating desertification, reducing environmental degradation, rationalizing water consumption, and protecting soil and vegetation cover.
The Director-General of ACSAD expressed the Organization readiness to provide technical expertise in designing the educational units related to agriculture in the two sides( plant, animal), in accordance with the most recent global trends in these areas, in particular the fact that the Syrian Arab Republic is an agricultural country, as well as the readiness of ACSAD, through its research stations located in the various governorates, to receive students and teachers for field familiarization of agricultural activities, and to provide the necessary practical training for teachers, Thus contributing to expanding students’ agricultural knowledge, building positive trends towards agricultural work, and represents sound environmental behavior.
For his part, the Minister of Education of the Syrian Arab Republic, Dr. Darrem Tabaa, thanked the Director-General of ACSAD and the accompanying delegation. The Ministry of Education welcomed the cooperation with the Organization in all the areas raised by Dr. Obaid, referring to the importance of the environment and building sound environmental behavior among young people; noting that the Ministry is adopted the school garden experiment, which practically contributes to pupils familiarization with agricultural activities. So this could be implemented in cooperation with ACSAD.
The Minister also expressed the Ministry of Education welcoming of the benefit from the Organization’s experts to provide technical advisory expertise in the process of curricula-building, in particular the educational units related to water, flora, soil, fauna, and the environment in its various components, as well as in cooperation with ACSAD in the field of environmental awareness in educational institutions, through awareness-training workshops.
The two sides agreed to prepare a memorandum of understanding setting the foundations for cooperation between ACSAD and the Ministry of Education, which would serve sustainable development requirements in the Syrian Arab Republic.
