On the 15th of September 2025 we spoke with Mohammed Osman in Qamislo, NES. Mohammed is working on the new Tigris Polytechnic Academy. He shared his story, his vision for technical education in the region, and the challenges of reconstruction under the unstable circumstances. The following is based on his words.

I am 38 years old, originally from Afrin. I studied electronics and mechatronics under the old Syrian regime in Damascus. I was born and raised there, and when war broke out we moved to Afrin — back to our land, as many Kurds say. In Afrin I studied biology, and graduated in 2016. In 2018 the Turkey launched its operation, “Operation Olive Branch,” aimed at taking Afrin from Kurdish control. Afterwards Islamist-militant groups backed by Turkey took control and many people were displaced from Afrin; large numbers of IDPs (internally displaced persons) moved into Shehba, us included. (Shehba Region refers to areas in the northern Aleppo countryside in Syria. Sometimes called Al-Shahba Canton was under the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).)

In Shehba life was very hard. We could not build universities; infrastructure was severely damaged, there was almost no electricity, gas, or fuel because of the embargo. There was frequent tensions with the old Syrian regime over blockades, sieges, and supply restrictions. We began with what was possible: teacher-training institutes. I became director of the teacher training institute, first in Afrin and then in Shehba. There weren’t enough teachers, so that became our priority.

I lived in Shehba for seven years. In late 2024, there was an offensive by Turkey-backed opposition militants, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which changed control in parts of Shehba and made us leave our home, again.

Why a Polytechnic Academy is Needed

I’ve always been interested in technical fields: electronics, computers, electricity. Since childhood I spent time tinkering and studying by myself. When I was 9 years old, my father gave me a computer as a prize for my good school grades. Then I started learning computing by myself.

But under the old Syrian regime, especially for Kurds, opportunities in technical studies were very limited. Some fields were simply not available to us. Besides restricting the study opportunities of Kurds in regime universities, the whole Rojava region – North and East Syria – was left underdeveloped when still being part of the Syrian state. It was kept as a source of raw materials, such as oil and wheat, while processing and production was done in the other parts of Syria. Even though the main oil fields of the country were here, here was no refinery expertise or equipment. Overall, the Kurdish majority areas were in purpose kept without skilled people for technical development.

What this polytechnic will bring is practical expertise. The Polytechnic will start with computer science, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering and telecommunications engineering — deep technical training, practical labs, real skills that are needed in the society. The first year of study will place emphasis on English, because the next three years the students will need to use a English language as they go deeper to their chosen field.

Challenges and Needed Support

We are facing many obstacles. Resources are scarce. Equipment for laboratories often can’t be imported. Another major challenge is societal awareness: in our community, medical sciences are highly appreciated, much more than technical or engineering fields. When you say “doctor,” people listen. When you say “engineer” or “electrician,” fewer people understand the importance. So we must also raise awareness, show how technology is essential for agriculture, ecology, water, electricity — for daily life.

Also we need to deepen the knowledge of our scientists. That’s why we are working with a Finnish NGO, Emmaus Jokioinen, to strengthen teaching, bring in more expertise from abroad, and deepen knowledge of our experts, because local teachers are often under-prepared due to the years of repression and conflict.

Language, Material, and Curriculum

We plan our first students to graduate with the support of outside experts. Some of graduates of the polytechnic then be trained to become teachers. These local teachers will be able to teach in Kurdish and other local languages. But many technical terms have no Kurdish equivalent, so initially English is necessary. Also, in technical research and development, and in the global scientific community, English remains the lingua franca.

Translating technical books into Kurdish is part of our plan. After many years of repression — when studying in Kurdish was forbidden — it is vital to open up that space for learning in our own language. This is a matter of cultural rights as well as educational effectiveness.

Democratic Confederalism, Pedagogy, and Student Participation

Education here is already changing. The school curriculum used in North and East Syria (NES) moves away from the old regime’s authoritarian style. It encourages participation, critical thinking, not just memorization. In the polytechnic, we want to bring students closer to society, shrink the gap between higher education and community reality.

The studies will not happen only in classrooms. We plan social spaces — a book café, library — where can work on their projects and discuss with each other. These spaces will be open to all, not just students. There will be a shop supplying technical parts that have been difficult to find in NES, encouraging hobbies and creativity in technological fields to all members of the society.

We want participatory and interactive pedagogy: students working on projects, doing their own research, having initiative. The first years we will have lot of online learning, but we want to make in an active and inclusive way. It will be more than just a professor speaking — it will have follow-ups, interaction, peer learning and an active use of the online platform. We believe active learning is more effective than memorization.

Visions, Hopes, and Motivation

I hope Tigris Polytechnic Academy will be part of making NES a place of beauty and progress. There is so much potential in our region. We have natural resources, oil, agriculture, the process of building a democratic system. But everything is connected to politics — the situation is fragile, threatened by Turkish hostility, by lack of recognition, and by war. But if peace can hold, the political environment can stabilize and then we can achieve real development. Despite of the challenges, what keeps me motivated? I am from Afrin, and I have been displaced three times — from Damascus to Afrin, from Afrin to Shehba, and then from Shehba to Jazira region (where Qamishlo is located). Displacements make you feel powerless. But they also make you understand you must become stronger, regain agency. I want to build something lasting: technological capacity, local solutions, to address solutions for electricity, ecology, water, local production and industry. Even now, things we need have to be imported. I want us to have the knowledge and ability to solve our own problems.

How the People in Europe Can Support

The strongest support you can give is knowledge: partnerships for expertise from abroad, teaching support. Help us make our first steps stronger.

Mohammed Osman’s story is one of struggle, adaptation, and vision for a NES where education is not just recovery, but transformation. Despite war, occupation, embargo, and displacement, people here are pushing forward — not just to survive, but to rebuild. Emmaus Jokioinen is putting its main efforts, on one hand, in facilitating teaching cooperation on MSc and PhD levels in the Institute of Science and Modern Technology of the University of Rojava, and, on the other hand, in technical and methodological support for the Tigris Polytechnic Academy. The aim is to contribute to the enhancement of local expertise in North and East Syria. For more information, contact Emmaus Jokioinen by sending us an email to [email protected].