Syria, Jordan Open Reciprocal Student Scholarships
Students in both countries gain reserved undergraduate, postgraduate and medical places in each other's universities for 2027-2029.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Scholarships
Syria and Jordan signed an executive program for higher education and scientific research cooperation covering 2027-2029, providing reciprocal scholarships, academic visits and university ties. The program was signed Monday in Damascus on the sidelines of the third session of the Syrian-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council.
Why it matters
For students in both countries, the program opens a defined number of reciprocal undergraduate and postgraduate places and scholarships, including medical scholarships offered by Syria. It formalizes cross-border academic exchange at a time when the two governments have built a dedicated council to coordinate such cooperation, which the council was established to do in May 2025.
Syria offers Jordan 16 undergraduate and 5 postgraduate places plus 4 undergraduate medical and 5 postgraduate scholarships, while Jordan offers Syria 20 undergraduate, 5 postgraduate places and 5 postgraduate scholarships. Undergraduate places are exchanged reciprocally in all disciplines except medical specializations, and the program runs from 2027 to 2029.
The players
Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
The Syrian government ministry that oversees public universities and scientific research and signed the program for Syria.
Jordanian Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development
The Jordanian government ministry responsible for education policy that signed the program for Jordan.
The details
Each country will submit lists of undergraduate nominees at the beginning of August, and final admission decisions will be issued within two months. Postgraduate nominee lists are due in the second half of July. The two sides will extend existing university partnerships to all public universities and establish university twinning agreements, and they plan to activate a joint fund to finance scientific and technological cooperation.
Timeline
May 2025: Syrian-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council established.
Monday, November 10, 2025: Executive program signed in Damascus.
Second half of July: Postgraduate nominee lists submitted.
Beginning of August: Undergraduate nominee lists submitted.
April: Annual allocation of places agreed through diplomatic channels.
Education Landscape
The program is a bilateral agreement formalized through a council created only in May 2025, placing it among recent intergovernmental efforts to coordinate higher education across the region. It shows cooperation moving from a newly established framework toward multi-year, numerically specified exchange commitments.
If you are a student in Syria or Jordan considering undergraduate or postgraduate study, the nominee lists for these places are due at the end of July and beginning of August, with decisions within two months. Questions about eligibility, nomination procedure and medical-scholarship criteria are best directed to your university or the relevant ministry.
The takeaway
The program's undergraduate and postgraduate places are specified for 2027-2029, so students planning ahead should track the late-July and early-August nomination windows. Check with your university or the relevant ministry for nomination requirements before those deadlines.
What happens next
The two sides will agree on the annual allocation of undergraduate places in April through diplomatic channels, and nominee lists are due at the end of July and beginning of August.
Further reading
For more on how reciprocal and government-funded awards work, see our Scholarships coverage.
