The Syrian German Business Council held, in cooperation with Tempus, a meeting with a delegation of German academics and experts in the field of Water Management and Environment
The meeting was held on 10.10.2010 in the office of the Commerce Chambers Union in Damascus, and attended by the following members of SGBC:
Mr. Najeeb Al-Barazi, a board member, a committee chairman for the rehabilitation and training centers in the industrial cities, General Manager of "Syrian Industrial & Machinery Agencies” (SIMA).
Mr. Hashim Al-Zayed, General Manager of Hassan & Hashem Zayed Company, and Mr. Hayssam Atassi, a member of the board, a chairman for the Energy committee, and a general manager of Atassi Trade Company, and Atassi Company for air conditioning industry.
In addition to Dr. Rami Ayoubi, the director of Tempus Office in Syria, Dr. Wael Saif, the program coordinator at the University of Damascus, and Dr. Amjad Zeno from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Damascus.
From the German side was Dr. Andreas Eckardt, the lecturer at the University of Rodstock, representing the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture in the province of Saxony, and professors from Rostock and Dresden universities.
The meeting started by Dr. Rami Ayoubi, who defined the program and spoke about the participation of the Ministry of Higher Education to improve the education systems in the universities.
Dr. Peter Wolfgang Gräber from Dresden Technical University, and the project manager of the German side, spoke about water resources management, and said that there are 8 project partners from Syria including the universities of Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Lattakia, and stressed the importance of rehabilitation in the field of scientific research.
Mr. Najib Barazi mentioned the possibility of cooperation between businessmen from both sides, and mentioned the support of the German Embassy in Damascus, and of the German "Society of International Cooperation" GIZ (previous GTZ), and random urban sprawl , the damage of ground water caused by rummage in random ways, and the problem of waste treatment and the government plans in both fields, and focused on the need to update the information at the universities and government departments, especially by the decision-makers.
He pointed to the importance of the CLIMATEC & WATEX Fair which will be held in April 2011, where the Syrian German Business Council will have a pavilion together with the Euro-Mediterranean Association for Cooperation and Development, and how this fair will be a chance for German companies to present themselves, as well as the German university professors
Dr. Wael Saif spoke about improving water resources management, water treatment, and the government new vision regarding this issue, which needs the businessmen support.
Dr. Christian Gerhards focused on the importance of teaching students the management of water resources, and mentioned that he visited Syria several years ago, and found errors in the studies and projects related to water resources management, and notice the needs of specialized human cadres, and that assistance could be provided by Germany through the organization of workshops in Syria as well as in Germany, and emphasizes the importance of creation a monitoring system to be accountable properly for negligent water resources management
Mr. Haissam Atassi emphasizes the need to sensitize the population about the problem of waste water, and the need to change the attitudes of the government in this matter, and that Syrian want help in the field of water resources, climate, and the environment in general by the German companies and teaching staff.
Dr. Johannes Pohl said that he had conducted field visits to several sites in both Damascus and Aleppo with the cooperation of Siemens and others, and that water treatment should not be of high cost.
The Tempus (mobility program across Europe for university studies) which is a programme of the European Community designed to support economic and social reform and development in the partner countries, and seeks to develop systems of higher education in partner countries through cooperation between institutions and organizations of the member states of the European Community, has been included in Syria in 2002 and extended his term to 2006 to activate cooperation between the program and other programs in the field of training and culture, and is now applied the fourth phase of it, for the period .between 2007 and 2013.
This meeting is one of meetings series organized by the Syrian German Business Council, and connected with the German activities, in order to support the exchange of experiences between the two sides, and get advantage from German expertise in all fields which contribute pushing the economic development, that takes place in Syria, forward.
