Syrian Arab Republic
Legislative Decree No /25/
Syrian President
based on the provisions of the constitution issues the following:
Article 1- The following terms shall be used wherever they appear in the Legislative Decree in the meaning written next to each of them as follows:
The Minister: The Minister of higher Education
The University: Syrian Virtual University
University President: the president of the Syrian Virtual University
Board of trustees: The board of trustees of the Syrian Virtual University
University Council: The council of the Syrian virtual University
Chairman of the board of trustees: The chairman of the board of trustees of the Syrian Virtual University
Executive regulations: the executive regulations for the Syrian Virtual University’s law
Financial system: The financial system of the Syrian Virtual University
Internal regulations: The internal regulations for the Syrian Virtual University
Internal System Apply: The rules of procedures in the Syrian Virtual University
Article 2-A scientific public body has been established in the Syrian Arab Republic in the name of “Syrian Virtual University”, which enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence. It is based in Damascus and is linked to the Minister.
Article 3- The University aims to:
- 1. Conduct distant e-teaching work, using the latest technical means, including the provision of virtual classrooms, electronic library and students’ electronic services. This is done on the basis of curricula with electronic content constantly updated and available for publication on the World Wide Web. These curricula lead to different university specialties that serve the economic and social development process and meet the needs of the national strategy for science and technology, human resources development strategy, networking strategy with branches of the national economy and services in the Syrian Arab Republic; in addition to meeting the scientific needs of Syrian and Arab expatriate communities and the countries of the region to modern scientific disciplines.
- 2. Diversification in the delivery of educational curricula by:
- Developing special curricula of the university based on the design of new educational programs and the deepening of the Arabization of modern disciplines and the publication of electronic information through the World Wide Web, which leads to certificates granted and adopted by the University.
- The development of multi-source curricula selected by the university from the globally leading and distinguished universities through strategic agreements made with them for scientific cooperation. This leads to certificates granted by the university and adopted by both the university and the concerned universities.
- Providing various electronic courses in the levels of intermediate and technical education; and undergraduate and postgraduate studies selected from specific international universities. This leads to certificates granted by the universities concerned and approved by the University and universities referred to, through strategic agreements for scientific cooperation to be held for this purpose.
3. Provide academic services to university students to guide them, lead them and register them in the various specialties offered by the university.
4. Provide academic and technical support services to university students through a virtual network of selected Syrian and Arab scientists and professors who work in various Arab and foreign scientific institutions and universities.
5. Develop Arab electronic learning platforms that are continuously updated through strategic cooperation agreements between the university and a number of Arab universities and international universities.
6. Encourage Arabization, and research and development in Syrian, Arab and foreign universities.
7. Pioneering, innovation, scientific diversity and flexibility through continuous self-development processes, and scientific and academic cooperation agreements with Arab and foreign universities.
8. Develop self and shared scientific research by taking advantage of the specificity of the structure of the University based on continuous cooperation and communication and direct interaction with scientists and specialists in the most important educational and research institutions.
9. Create a virtual scientific and technical oasis that will exchange and transfer knowledge and accelerate the process of building a knowledge economy and increasing its revenue.
10. Provide continuous learning process, and lifelong learning and intensive specialized training process, and facilitate delivering it to workers in their workplaces and residence without having to commute in line with the rapid changes in professions, sciences and market needs.
11. Cooperate with the Syrian Universities and Scientific and research institutions to achieve its objectives.
Article 4- The University has a number of colleges and institutes, which are specified in the internal regulations list and include a number of departments (directorates, departments, offices, and sections) to be specified in the bylaws of the University.
Article 5- The University administration includes:
- Board of trustees
- University Council
- University President
- Council of Scientific affairs
- Council of students’ affair
Article 6- 1. The Board of Trustees consists of at least nine members of the leading scholars, specialized professors and distinguished personalities who are nominated by a decree upon the proposal of the Minister.
2. The Board of Trustees is to be chaired by a member of the board of trustees, to be named by a decree upon the proposal of the Minister.
3. The board meets at the invitation of its president on the dates specified by the executive regulation list.
Article 7- The Board of Trustees is to assume the following functions:
- Develop the general strategy of the university and formulate its scientific policy.
- To view and discuss the work and achievements related to the University and to evaluate and propose its development.
- Proposal of the University Budget Project.
- Approve the appointment of the Executive Director of the University, its Vice-Presidents, and the deans of the faculties, institutes and heads of departments.
- Approval of the establishment of colleges and institutes.
- Approval of the Executive Regulations, Financial Regulations, Internal Regulation list, and Internal System.
- Acceptance of donations, proposals, contributions and subsidies provided to the University in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.
Article 8- The University Council consists of the President of the University as its president and the membership of each of the following:
- Executive Director of the University
- The Vice-presidents of the University
- Colleges Deans
- The Deans of Institutes
- A number of directors of the university directorates, representatives of the National Union of Syrian Students and the representative of the teachers' union who are determined by the Internal System Apply.
Article 9- The Board of Trustees is to assume the following functions:
- Proposing the employment of faculty members, researchers, technicians and administrators.
- Proposing contracting with faculty members, researchers, consultants and experts.
- Suggesting scientific and academic cooperation agreements with Arab and foreign universities.
- Making Proposal to organize conferences, seminars and meetings related to distant e-learning.
- Granting Degrees.
- Developing scientific research plans at the university.
- Making development programs that achieve the University's objectives
- Proposing students' acceptance rules.
- Proposing the establishment of colleges and institutes.
- Proposing participating and sending people to conferences and seminars related to e-learning.
- Proposal of the Executive regulation list, the internal regulation list, Financial Regulations and Internal System Apply.
- Management and investment of university funds.
- What the President of the University or Board of Trustees present to the University Council which is generally linked to all the administrative, executive and financial matters related to the University.
Article 10- The President of the University, a Ph.D. holder, is to be appointed for a three-year period, by decree, and he/she should be of the academicians who have at least a scientific qualification suitable for the position of Assistant Professor upon the proposal of the Minister and the decree determines his/her remuneration and compensation.
Article 11- A. The president of the University is assisted by the Executive director and two vice-presidents one for the scientific affairs and the other for students’ and administrative affairs; and a third or more vice-presidents can be appointed whose functions are determined by the Executive regulation list.
B. Both the executive director and the vice-president are appointed by decree for a period of two years upon the proposal of the Minister and the approval of the board of trustees. They should be Ph.D. holders and their remuneration and compensation are determined in the decree.
Article 12: The president assumes the following functions:
- Implementation of the general policy approved by the Board of Trustees to achieve the functions of the University.
- Implementing university plans and providing their requirements
- The administration of the scientific, administrative and financial affairs of the university. The president supervises directly the progress of the work in the University, issues orders and instructions and represents the university before the judiciary through a mediator of whoever he appoints without prejudice to the provisions of the law on the administration of state affairs in this regard.
- Aggregate expenditures and order them to be disbursed and liquidated according to the financial system.
- Approve contracting with experts, specialists and consultants on the proposal of the University Council.
- Issuing instruments relating to personnel affairs at the university.
- Inviting the University Council to meet.
Article 13- The president of the University submits to the Board of Trustees at the end of each academic year a report about the affairs of learning, and scientific research, and other aspects of the activities of the University.
Article 14- The president of the University is a member of the Higher Education Council.
Article 15- The deans of the faculties, institutes and heads of departments shall be appointed by a decision of the Minister on the proposal of the President of the University and the approval of the Board of Trustees from among faculty members or full-time researchers or by contracting with academic personalities, provided that their qualifications are not less than the qualifications of the members of the faculty; their specialties and tasks are determined in the executive regulation list.
Article 16- A. The University appoints faculty members and researchers who have a doctorate degree in the specialties approved by the university. The appointment is made by a decision of the university president to be selected after the announcement without the requirement of a competition on the proposal of the university council and these receive the full time compensation granted to faculty members in the Syrian universities specified in Legislative Decree No /87 / for the year 1975 and its amendments.
B. The university appoints a number of technicians who have the required scientific qualification for the membership of the technical body in the universities of the Syrian Arab Republic in the specialties adopted by the university. They are appointed by a decision of the university president to be selected after the announcement without the requirement of a competition on the proposal of the university council and these receive the full time compensation granted to technical body members in the Syrian universities specified in Legislative Decree No /87 / for the year 1975 and its amendments.
C. Administrative staff is appointed by a decision from the President of the University.
Article 17- The University shall collect payments and academic fees from its affiliated members.
Article 18- The University shall have an independent budget to be issued by a decision of the Minister based on the proposal of the Board of Trustees in agreement with the Minister of Finance. This includes the full revenues and expenses of the University taking into account the balancing between revenues and expenditure and it constitutes an independent accounting unit and its revenues consist of:
- Fees and tuition fees charged by the University from enrolling members.
- Grants, subsidies, donations and recommendations accepted by the Board of Trustees in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.
- The surplus of the budget of the previous fiscal year.
- revenues from the activities of the University
- Subsidy decided in the general budget of the State
- Any other revenues permitted by applicable laws and regulations in force.
Article 19- A. The University can have contracts with Syrians, Arabs or foreigners to provide expertise, advice or academic support to the University who have the competence that qualifies them for this purpose.
B. The remuneration, compensation, rights and obligations of such contractors shall be determined in accordance with the rules set out in the Financial Regulations.
C. These contracts shall be ratified in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (E) of Article (149) of the Basic Law for Employees of the State No. (1) for the year 1985 and its amendments, unless the duration of the contract does not exceed six months in which case contracts shall be ratified by a decision of the Minister upon the proposal of the University Council.
Article 20- The University provides advanced virtual educational programs through scientific and academic cooperation agreements with distinguished Arab or foreign universities to serve the scientific strategy in Syria and its developmental plans. It also contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of the university. It also provides the basic needs of the university to run programs and curricula, or administrative and software development and supply of equipment in accordance with a special contract system issued by a decision of the Minister in agreement with the Minister of Finance without complying with the provisions of Legislative Decree No. (228) for the year 1969 and its amendments that include the system of contracts of bodies of the administrative nature.
Article 21- The University shall transfer the value of the benefits of the scientific and academic cooperation agreements and the basic needs specified in the previous Article, that were provided from abroad, in foreign currency.
Article 22- The Executive Regulation list shall be issued by decree upon the proposal of the University Council and the approval of the Board of Trustees, and it shall regulate in particular the following matters:
- Formation of the Council of Scientific Affairs and its functions.
- Formation of the Council of Student Affairs and its functions.
- Granting degrees at different levels.
- Foundations and rules for granting and blocking full-time compensation.
- The terms of reference of the Executive Director, Vice-Presidents, Deans of Colleges, Institutes and Heads of Departments and their functions.
- Conditions for promotion of faculty members, researchers and technicians
Article 23- The internal regulations is to be issued by a decision of the Minister upon the proposal of the University Council and the approval of the Board of Trustees and it shall regulate in particular the following matters:
- Identify colleges, institutes, departments and training centers.
- Conditions for acceptance of university affiliated members.
- The general provisions of the examinations and their dates.
- Teaching methods and means.
- Duration and dates of study.
- Study plans and postgraduates system.
- Training systems and programs for continuous learning and lifelong learning.
- Free and reduced grants and dues offered by the University to its affiliates.
Articles 24- The Financial Regulations shall be issued by a decision of the Minister upon the proposal of the University Council and the approval of the Board of Trustees in agreement with the Minister of Finance. These Regulations shall specify in particular the rules governing:
- The amount of fees and premiums to be paid to the university from its affiliated members and their types.
- The cost of consulting services provided by the University to others or provided by others to the University.
- The amount of fees and premiums paid by the university to contracted universities and their types.
- Compensation and bonuses to the Chairman and members of the Board of Trustees and employees of the University of all categories and contracted without complying with the maximum limits of compensation provided for in the laws and regulations in force.
- Financing the operations of the development programs achieved for the objectives of the University.
- Financing the expenses of scientific research.
- Due amounts to be collected as a result of the University's other activities.
Article 25- The university shall be exempted from all taxes, financial fees, customs, municipal, or public costs of all kinds and from all import restrictions for all imports, grants, donations or loans - equipment, service vehicles, technical and laboratory equipment and scientific publications.
Article 26-The university appointee in the post of university president, executive director, vice president, college or institute dean, who is a state employee, shall retain his/her original job and legal promotion, and shall receive the remuneration and compensation specified in this Legislative Decree and the Financial Regulations.
Article 27- The University may fill certain functions proposed by the Board of Trustees by contracting.
Articles 28- The numerical staffing of the University shall be determined by decree.
Article 29- The provisions of the Basic Law for the employees of the State shall apply to full time employees of the University in all that is not mentioned in this Legislative Decree.
Article 30- Subject to the provisions of this Legislative Decree, the laws and regulations in force in public bodies of an administrative nature shall apply.
Article 31- This Legislative decree is to be published in the official newspaper.
Damascus 02/02/1423 Hijrah corresponding to 05/05/2002
President of Syrian Arab Republic
Bashar AlAsad
