Damascus-SANA
More than 30 students graduate annually from the master's program at the Institute of Economic and Social Planning in Damascus, and the establishment of this institute dates back to 1966, and in 2012 Law No. 5 was issued to represent the framework governing the work of the Institute until the present time.
The Dean of the Institute, Dr. Shadi Zahra, explained in a statement to SANA that the objectives of the Institute are to build national cadres in the field of economic and social planning, and to assist government agencies in developing strategies and programs related to economic and social development, noting that the Institute grants a master's degree in rehabilitation and specialization in economic and social planning, in addition to organizing training courses, seminars, workshops, and providing studies and consultations.
According to Dr. Zahra, the master's program at the institute focuses on providing scientific knowledge at the macroeconomic level and public policy-making, in addition to granting scientific knowledge at the microeconomic level, and the program targets students with a university degree from all disciplines in accordance with the regulations approved by the Higher Education Council, and students admitted to the institute grant candidates from public bodies a study leave with full salary for the duration of the study or training course.
Dr. Zahra pointed out that the Institute's activities are directed to the public and private sectors, and respond to the specific needs of public entities, including the conclusion of an agreement with the Ministry of Industry in 2018, to implement a master's program in planning for workers in the Ministry of Industry, where a number of training courses were implemented for the Commercial Bank of Syria and Syrian Airlines.
Zahra stressed that the Institute seeks excellence in the service provided, and to sustain its financial resources and self-finance its activities to deepen the desired benefit from its work, pointing out that work is currently underway to amend the legal framework governing the work of the Institute to meet the expansion of training courses held and secure the financial resources required to finance its activities.
Preparatory course and classrooms at the Institute...
The Head of the Economic Planning Department at the Institute, Dr. Shadi Ali, explained that the acceptance of the applicant for the master's degree requires his success in the preparatory course for a period of three months, during which applicants are prepared and qualified by building a common knowledge base as graduates of different disciplines, pointing to the focus of the course program on knowledge about economics, the foundations and principles of economic and social planning, economic statistics and economic mathematics, in addition to the methodology of thinking and scientific research.
Ali pointed out that the master's degree at the institute extends for four semesters, including a set of mandatory and optional courses, while the specialization in the third semester is economic planning or social planning, while the fourth semester is devoted to the completion of graduation research.
On the mechanism of specialization at the Institute, Dr. Ali indicated that it is guided by several criteria to ensure scientific and professional benefit, especially related to the entity in which the student works at the Institute and his practical specialization in the university degree stage, explaining that the orientation to the specialization of economic planning suits workers in ministries and authorities concerned with the economy, finance, banks, agriculture and industry, while the specialization of social planning is for workers in ministries and authorities concerned with education, health services, social affairs and labor.
Broader business prospects and demands for the creation of a PhD...
A number of students at the Institute considered that in addition to the higher university degree granted to them, this type of specialization contributes to opening wider job horizons according to the requirements of the labor market, where the student Osama Fahda, who is studying economic planning, and Rafeef Ibrahim, a student in social planning, the importance of the courses taught in the development of knowledge and research capabilities in various economic and social fields, especially the course of economic feasibility studies and strategic planning, and the students and graduates of the Institute hope to open a doctorate degree in rehabilitation and specialization In planning to meet the requirements of the labor market.
Yara Shaheen
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