The European Union is preparing to open a national Erasmus+ office in Syria in 2027, The New Arab has learned, marking a significant step in the restoration of educational ties between Damascus and Europe following the fall of the Assad regime.
"The European Commission aims to set up a National Erasmus+ Office (NEO) in Syria as of 2027 to promote the opportunities under the Erasmus+ programme within the country," an EU Commission spokesperson told The New Arab. The spokesperson also revealed that preparations were already underway to recruit the office's first coordinator.
"EACEA colleagues have held meetings with the EU Delegation [to Syria], which have drafted a vacancy notice and will soon publish it," the spokesperson said.
The move would establish a permanent Erasmus+ presence in Syria for the first time in years and comes as Brussels gradually expands its engagement with the country following major political changes in Damascus.
The Commission spokesperson explained that while the EU provides funding and oversight, Syria's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research would be responsible for establishing the office and determining its location, which is typically in the capital.
National Erasmus+ offices are registered as NGOs in host countries, with coordinators selected through a process involving both national authorities and EU delegations. The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which oversees Erasmus+ implementation, manages grant agreements signed by NEOs and coordinates their activities.
The announcement follows recent efforts by the EU to relaunch Erasmus+ opportunities for Syrians. In May, the EU MedBridge and EU in Syria social media accounts announced that Erasmus+ was returning to Syria, with applications expected to open for students.
Earlier this year, Syria's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Marwan al-Halabi, discussed reopening an Erasmus+ office in Damascus during a meeting with Michael Ohnmacht, the acting head of the EU mission to Syria.
The development comes after years in which Syria's public universities were affected by European sanctions under the Assad regime. Those restrictions were lifted in November 2025.
According to EU data, Erasmus+ funding has been allocated since 2022 for 393 Syrian students and staff to travel to Europe, while funding has also been allocated for 88 students and staff travelling to Syria.
It remains unclear how many of those exchanges ultimately took place.
The Commission spokesperson acknowledged that Syrian participation in Erasmus+ has remained limited and said significant work would be needed to expand awareness of the programme.
"The participation of Syrian organisations in Erasmus+ has been rather limited and the NEO coordinator will need to raise a lot of awareness about programme opportunities and support organisations and individuals with their applications," they said. Universities welcome return of Erasmus+ Syrian universities and academic organisations welcomed the prospect of a permanent Erasmus+ presence in the country.
The Arab International University (AIU), a private university based in Damascus, told The New Arab that stronger educational cooperation with Europe would be "of significant value to Syrian universities and students". Having previously participated in Erasmus+ projects, the university said such partnerships had contributed to capacity building, knowledge transfer and academic exchange.
"Should the EU further expand Erasmus+ activities and support structures in Syria, this could contribute to increasing awareness of available opportunities, strengthening international partnerships, and facilitating participation by Syrian higher education institutions in international educational research initiatives," the university said.
AIU added that students could benefit from academic mobility, intercultural learning, professional development and skills acquisition, while universities would gain opportunities for curriculum development, research collaboration and exchanges of best practice.
Marcello Scalisi, director of the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED), also welcomed the initiative.
He described the establishment of a national Erasmus+ office as "extremely important" and said it reflected a broader recognition across Europe that Syria was re-entering international academic networks.
"It is quite clear that for all European actors, let me say, the European Commission first, that Syria is back, and now is the time to be prepared to support as much as possible our colleagues in Syria," he told The New Arab. Scalisi said Erasmus+ could help Syrian universities rebuild after years of war, particularly through capacity-building programmes, governance reforms and international partnerships.
The mobility scheme would also allow Syrian students and academics to act as ambassadors for their institutions and communities, helping European universities better understand current conditions and needs inside Syria. Rebuilding higher education after war Scalisi noted that Syrian universities had been active participants in international academic cooperation before the conflict, but had suffered major losses over the past decade.
"In the last 10 years, they lost a lot of professors, they lost a lot of capacity, they have to rebuild that capacity, they have to rebuild the contents of several curricula," he said. "This could be done through projects of capacity building sponsored by the Erasmus+ programme."
Research published by the Council for At-Risk Academics in 2019 found that around 2,000 academics had fled Syria by that point. Millions of Syrians were displaced during the war, including large numbers of students, researchers and university staff.
As a network of 195 universities across the Euro-Mediterranean region, UNIMED said it had sought to support Syrian institutions throughout the conflict by maintaining links, promoting their needs in Europe and waiving membership fees.
Scalisi said there was considerable interest among European universities in reconnecting with Syrian counterparts, but argued that European institutions must do more to help Syrian students navigate visa systems and access funding.
He also called for larger accommodation budgets to help offset the high cost of living in many European cities.
"We have to pass the message to European universities that to invest time, or even money, to support universities and academic communities that are in a fragile situation should be part of our values," he said.
"Supporting those who are in a fragile condition in a post-conflict situation, in particular universities and the education system, is the first step to rebuilding the country."