About the network

Who We Are

The Syrian Academics and Researchers’ Network (SARN-UK) is a multidisciplinary platform dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among Syrian academics and researchers based in the UK. As the first initiative of its kind, SARN connects scholars across disciplines to advance research on Syria, support Syria’s recovering education system and impact discourse around Syria within and beyond academia.

Our Vision

We envision a vibrant and empowered community of Syrian scholars contributing to knowledge production, academic collaboration, and education, while fostering a revitalised and inclusive intellectual landscape for Syria’s future.

Our Mission

The Syrian Academics and Researchers’ Network (SARN-UK) is dedicated to fostering a dynamic and collaborative community of Syrian scholars in the UK. Our mission is to create an interdisciplinary platform that enables Syrian academics and researchers to connect, collaborate, and contribute to knowledge production on Syria while advancing their academic and professional development.

We strive to:

  • Facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration among UK-based Syrian academics and researchers, as well as with scholars and institutions globally.
  • Advance knowledge production and shape critical discourse on Syrian culture, history, and politics.
  • Support exiled Syrian academics by providing mentorship, institutional guidance, and networking opportunities.
  • Empower early-career Syrian researchers to establish themselves in academia and contribute to Syria’s intellectual future.
  • Bridge academia, policymaking, and the wider community by translating academic research into impactful projects beyond the university setting.
  • Lay the groundwork for sustainable educational infrastructures that can support higher education in Syria in the long term.

Through research collaboration, public engagement, and academic initiatives, SARN seeks to ensure that Syrian scholars in exile remain central to discussions about Syria’s past, present, and future.

Why SARN?

The intellectual dimension of Syria’s diaspora remains underrepresented. Many Syrian scholars in the UK are engaged in pioneering research that can contribute both to the UK academic landscape and to Syria’s future. By fostering a collaborative space, SARN ensures that the voices of Syrian academics and researchers in the UK remain central to discussions about Syria, shaping scholarly and public discourse on the country’s past, present, and future.

What We Do

Through conferences, workshops, research collaborations, and public engagement, SARN builds a strong academic community that not only generates new research but also translates it into social impact. By connecting UK-based Syrian scholars with Syrian and international networks, policymakers, and universities, we amplify Syrian-led research and support meaningful contributions to knowledge and higher education.

Trustees

SARN-UK is governed by a dedicated Board of Trustees responsible for overseeing the network’s strategic direction, governance, and operations. The trustees ensure that SARN fulfils its mission of supporting Syrian academics and researchers, fostering collaboration, and advancing knowledge production on Syria.

The Board provides guidance on:

  • Strategic planning and decision-making for SARN’s activities and growth.
  • Financial oversight and securing funding opportunities.
  • Ensuring transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.
  • Strengthening partnerships with academic institutions, research bodies, and policymakers.
  • Advocating for Syrian scholars in exile and creating opportunities for professional development.
  • Trustees serve on a voluntary basis, bringing expertise from various academic disciplines and professional backgrounds.

Current Trustees

SARN’s trustees are experienced scholars and professionals committed to supporting Syrian researchers and enhancing academic collaboration.

Chairpersons

  • Zeina Al Azmeh (Sociology, University of Cambridge)
  • Feras Alkabani (Comparative Literature, University of Sussex)

Trustees

  • Rahaf Al Doughli (Politics, Lancaster University)
  • Azzam Al Kassir (Politics, University of London)
  • Oudai Tozan (Education, University of Cambridge)
  • Mohammad Ateek (Linguistics, University of Leicester)
  • Haian Dukhan (Politics, Teesside University)
  • Roua Al Taweel (Sociology, University of Ulster)

Committees

SARN-UK operates through dedicated volunteer-led committees that drive the network’s activities, foster collaboration, and support our mission of advancing research and academic engagement on Syria.

Our communities:

Partnerships and Outreach Committee

This committee builds relationships with academic and research institutions, particularly in Syria, and organises collaborative initiatives to expand SARN’s reach and impact.

Communications Committee

This committee manages SARN’s website, newsletter, and social media presence, ensuring effective communication within the network and with external audiences.

Fundraising Committee

This committee identifies and pursues funding opportunities to support SARN’s research initiatives and ensure the network’s long-term sustainability.

Membership Committee

This committee works on expanding and engaging the membership base, ensuring inclusivity and active participation from researchers across disciplines.

Research Clusters

SARN-UK brings together scholars across disciplines to collaborate on key research themes related to Syria. Our research clusters serve as hubs for interdisciplinary engagement, providing a space for academic exchange and collaborative projects, with members engaging in conferences, publications, and public outreach.

Reimagining Syria

This cluster explores how Syria’s institutions and public life—education, healthcare, governance, and cultural sectors—can be reimagined through the lens of social justice and peacebuilding.

Education and Conflict

Focusing on the impact of conflict on education in Syria, this cluster examines challenges in primary, secondary, and higher education, with a view to informing future reforms.

Art, Language, and Displacement

Bringing together artists and academics, this cluster explores how creative expression can navigate displacement and challenge dominant narratives of exile and belonging.

Queer Sufism and Performance

This project investigates how Sufi dance, traditionally a spiritual practice, has evolved into a politically charged, queer performance art in exile.

Culture and Politics

This cluster examines the relationship between cultural production and political transformation in Syria, exploring themes such as memory, identity, media, and artistic resistance in both the homeland and the diaspora.

Residues of Informality

This research examines the everyday realities of informality in Syria, including economic survival strategies, governance structures, and cultural resilience in informal settlements.

Absence in Education

Exploring the concept of absence in Syrian education—erased histories, disrupted schooling, and marginalised voices—and its implications for policy and cultural representation.

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Connect with us

 

If you want to stay up-to-date with our events and news, please fill in this form

We would love to publicise academic work on Syria. If you have published a peer–reviewed article, book, chapter, or other publications on Syria, then please fill in this form. 

 

 

We are currently working on the members’ policy and will open the membership form once the policy is done. If you are interested in joining us now, you can still contact us to share your interest and we will keep you updated. 

 

We would love to hear from you. For any enquiries, partnership proposals, or any other matter, please contact us by filling in this form.