SyRIL | Rebuilding Knowledge for Syria's Recovery
After 14 years of conflict, Syria's academic and professional engineering institutions were left deeply disrupted — including the absence of a single licensed, peer-reviewed scientific journal through which the country's engineers could publish and share research. For a profession central to reconstruction, this gap limited engineers' ability to contribute evidence-based solutions, connect with regional and international academic networks, and build the credibility needed to shape Syria's rebuilding.
Led by the Syrian Engineers Syndicate, with support from the Syria Response Innovation Lab (SyRIL) and World Vision Syria Response (WVSR), the Syrian Engineers Journal initiative closed this gap. It supported the Syndicate in building a full peer-review and editorial system, training reviewers, registering the journal, and launching an open-access digital platform — creating, for the first time, a national space where engineers, researchers, and academics can publish original studies, technical reports, and graduate research.
This initiative distinguishes itself through its grounding in institutional ownership and local expertise. Rather than introducing an external platform, it strengthened a trusted national body — the Engineers Syndicate — to lead and sustain the journal itself, embedding a culture of research and evidence directly within the profession responsible for rebuilding the country.
The journal officially launched on 30 September 2026 in Damascus, with Issue One featuring six papers spanning engineering fees, AI applications in engineering, structural design, fuel station safety, and information technology education. The initiative also delivered the journal's full editorial and peer-review infrastructure, its official registration, and an open-access digital platform — establishing the journal as a complete, functioning institution from launch.
Speaking at the launch, Syndicate head Eng. Malek Haj Ali described the journal as a "historic milestone" for the profession — a platform he hopes will serve as a lasting contribution to Syrian engineers and the generations that follow them.
By giving Syrian engineers a credible channel to publish and share innovative research, the journal is designed to do more than document knowledge — it is intended to actively inform the technical standards, designs, and solutions needed to rebuild Syria's infrastructure and institutions.
Explore the journal and read Issue One for free: syrian-engineers-journal.sy
This initiative was made possible through the partnership of the Syrian Engineers Syndicate, the Syria Response Innovation Lab (SyRIL), and World Vision Syria Response (WVSR).
