The Founding of the University
The people of AI-Kalamoon region in general and Deirattiah’s community in particular, have always been known for their dedication to their land, and their relentless effort to develop it. This devotion has considerably gained momentum over the past two decades. The town of Deirattiah has been renovated; a sports city, a community hospital, a cultural center and a senior citizen center and other projects have been completed.
A forestation campaign has also been carried out, covering the surrounding mountains. Thanks to the industrious and devoted population of this wonderful town, the entire district has remarkably prospered and thrived. The locals have indeed demonstrated unsurpassable enthusiasm and patriotism for their town, emanating from their firm belief that their splendid work is part of serving the entire homeland. This high sense of devotion and responsibility has been crowned with the project of setting up a private university at Deirattiah. Given the vital importance of this project within the system of Higher Education in Syria, and the outstanding role played by such a university in the march of development and modernization, led by the President of the Republic and the Leader of Modern Syria, Dr. Bashar Al-Assad. In fact, this huge project also emanated from the faith of its founders in that it represented a direct and positive development on the population of that region.
A number of people from region have, therefore, decided to set up a shareholding company, aimed at establishing a private university at Deirattiah; a project that was a far-fetched dream. A committee was formed, comprised of leading members of the community whose main task was to look after the various issues related to the establishment of the University, academic systems, the feasibility of such a step, and many other issues of direct concern. A university delegation, therefore, traveled to Britain (December 2001) to visit the University of Glamorgan and other British universities to consider the possibilities of cooperation.
In March 2002 the University Board of Trustees was set up, comprised of the elite of Syria’s academicians, in addition to representatives of the founders, who played an outstanding role in the establishment of the University.
On March 13th 2002, the Board of Trustees convened its first meeting in Damascus.
In May 2002, a team of academicians from the University of Glamorgan (an elite British University) visited Damascus for carrying out discussions with a team of the Board of Trustees about the future academic cooperation. The team visited the prospective University site, and that visit culminated in signing a cooperative agreement.
On May 11th 2003, a decision by the Council of Higher Education No. 111 was issued, giving a preliminary approval for the establishment of the Private University of Kalamoon (UoK). Soon after, the work accelerated for inaugurating the University at the beginning of the academic year 2003-2004.
On July 24th 2003, a final scientific cooperation agreement between the University of Kalamoon and Glamorgan University was signed.
On August 18th 2003, a presidential decree no. 293 was issued, announcing the establishment of the Private University of Kalamoon (UoK), comprising a number of faculties and with the possibility of founding new ones and new specializations, pending the approval of the Council of the Ministry of Higher Education.