Diaspora and Exile  3 min Diaspora Networks: Building Bridges, reviving identity

Since the outbreak of the war in Syria in 2011, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have come to Europe, with Germany being the most prominent destination. Highly qualified Syrians had to adapt to the new country, but how amidst linguistic, cultural, and bureaucratic obstacles? Laila Kaddah sheds light on an inspiring initiative to reunite academics from Syria and provide them with all forms of support.

The exodus of Syrians from their homeland has constituted one of the largest waves of displacement in modern times. Since the outbreak of the war in Syria in 2011, hundreds of thousands of its citizens have flocked to Europe, first and foremost to Germany. According statistics from the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), by 2024 more than 1.3 million Syrians resided in Germany, the largest Arab community in the country. In parallel with this movement of Syrian migrants, social, economic, and cultural networks have arisen to address the needs of Syrians in the diaspora.

New Networks and Bridges Between Homeland and Diaspora

Syrians’ desire to preserve their native language and culture, while integrating into German society, has prompted them to establish an array of initiatives and organizations in their host country. Furthermore, Syrians have been active in supporting their homeland through fundraising and relief campaigns, with newly formed diaspora networks serving as a link between Syrians overseas and those back home.

Prior to the war, a small Syrian community existed in Germany, running a handful of associations. From 2011 onwards, the landscape changed dramatically. Today, there are some 84 Syrian associations and bodies in Germany, including Arab and Kurdish associations, research centers, and cultural centers devoted to organizing diverse activities in a range of social, cultural, educational, and humanitarian fields. Their goals include facilitating communication between Syrians and preserving their mother tongue, as well as preserving and developing their identity in the diaspora and integrating them into German society.

A Federation to Regulate the Activities of Syrian Associations in Germany

As the number of Syrian associations in Germany grew, the need arose for a body to bring all these initiatives together under a single umbrella, coordinate their efforts, and provide them with support. In response, the Association of Syrian-German Relief Organizations (Verband Deutsch-Syrischer Hilfsvereine or VDSH) was set up in 2013. Today, some 32 Syrian civil society organizations are VDSH members.

The VDSH is dedicated to building a strong network of relationships among its member associations. It also provides them with professional advice, organizational and financial support, as well as facilitating their access to funding opportunities. In addition, it helps strengthen the presence of these associations in German society by connecting them with decision-makers, supporting innovative projects in areas such as social entrepreneurship, and providing secure, legal mechanisms for transferring funds into Syria.

The German-Syrian Research Society: From an Idea to an Effective Academic Institution

One particularly active diaspora association is the German-Syrian Research Society (Deutsch-Syrische Forschungsstiftung or DSFG), a non-profit organization founded by researchers in Germany from Syria or of Syrian origin. It began as a coalition representing Syrian researchers and making their voices heard, but later evolved into a wide-ranging academic support network. Since its inception, the DSFG has worked to empower Syrian researchers academically and professionally, by providing mentoring, organizing workshops and conferences, and developing initiatives to support academic research. The current Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Yamen Salka, told the behind-the-scenes story of this challenging journey, from the motivations for founding the organization, through the obstacles it faced, to the remarkable projects the foundation currently offers—both in Germany and in Syria.

Individual Initiative, Personal Experiences

The idea of establishing the association emerged from Syrians’ changing reality after 2011. The war resulted in a major uptick in the number of Syrian academics arriving in Germany, finding work both in universities and in the industrial research sector. DSFG founder Dr. Hani Harb realized the importance of building an institutional body that could connect these researchers, represent their voices, and enhance their contribution to German academic and scientific activity. In 2016, Harb laid the foundations by drafting the association’s initial bylaws. He was soon joined by eight Syrian researchers from various disciplines, who took part in developing the institutional system and formulating a clear vision for the association. By the end of the same year, the association was officially registered, and started its work with the announcement of its launch in May 2017. The association first focused on establishing active academic networks to connect Syrian researchers within Germany and provide them with support and guidance, especially in the early stages of their academic journey. Its later expanded its activities to include specific initiatives within Syria as well, extending its impact and influence. The stories and experiences of the association’s founders and volunteers have played a significant role in guiding its work. One of the most notable is that of Dr. Yamen Salka, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors. At the beginning of his academic career, he faced numerous obstacles, such as the rejection of his doctoral scholarship application while he was still in Syria, due to a simple error in submitting the required documents. When he later moved to Germany to continue his studies, he faced new challenges such as finding suitable housing for his family and learning the language. This experience motivated him to support others and get involved in voluntary work later on, particularly in academic mentoring and helping others avoid similar administrative errors that could cost them valuable opportunities. He later took over the management of the DSFG Mentoring Project, then was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors, a role in which he continues his efforts to support Syrian researchers and strengthen their presence in German academia.

Multiple Challenges: From Bureaucracy to Funding Difficulties and Proving Neutrality

Amidst a challenging reality, the story of Dr. Harb’s resilience stands out. Since its inception, the association has faced numerous obstacles—most notably, bureaucratic challenges in Germany, which made it hard to register or officially publicize the association. The difficulty of securing financial resources remains a persistent obstacle and one of the biggest challenges facing the association to this day. Dr. Salka notes that the word “Syria” in the association’s name often makes companies and funding organizations reluctant to provide support, for fear they might face legal issues related to sanctions against Syria—despite the association being legally and officially licensed in Germany. This means that obtaining individual support has been easier than cooperating with institutions.

Guaranteeing its openness to all Syrian academics and researchers, without discrimination based on political, ethnic, or religious grounds, is another fundamental challenge the association faced in its early days, according to Dr. Salka. To overcome this, the association adopted the principle of “political and ethnic neutrality” as a core policy, enabling it to act as a comprehensive, inclusive umbrella that welcomes all Syrians without exclusion or bias.

Projects and Successes: Continued Support for Researchers Despite Challenges

Dr. Salka highlighted several of the DSFG’s ambitious programs and projects. They include its Mentoring Project, which was launched four years ago and now includes more than 100 volunteer mentors. The project connects Syrian students and researchers with Syrian professionals and experts in Germany, with the aim of helping them obtain university admission or scholarships—in addition to providing advice on academic and professional integration in Germany. In 2024 alone, 44 Syrian students benefited from this program.

In parallel, the association organizes virtual workshops on skills development and navigating the German academic system. It has also launched a project in cooperation with the global online learning platform DataCamp, which offers 100 free scholarships on data analysis every six months, to enhance the technical competencies of students and researchers. The association also focuses on empowering Syrian women academically through the Syrian Women’s Academic Network (SWAN), launched in 2022 to connect Syrian female researchers in both Syria and Germany, and to bridge the gender gap in academia.

The association has paid special attention to foreign language proficiency, as a key prerequisite for university admission. Accordingly, the Academic Empowerment Scholarship—later renamed the Nahed Scholarship—was set up to cover the costs of language tests. The association has also launched the Syrian Academic Compass (SAC) project, to document the experiences of Syrian academics around the world in various fields, for publication as a reference for new researchers.

The association’s activities have also expanded to include cooperation with German institutions, such as by nominating Syrian students for the Hilde Domin programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Salka pointed to one of the association’s most notable recent achievements: organizing the first Arab Science Symposium in Germany, which it held in 2024 in the city of Hanover. The symposium brought together more than 120 researchers and academics—most of them Syrians—along with participants of other Arab nationalities, and German lecturers. This initiative aims to build an effective Arab academic network in Germany, serving as a unified voice in scientific research and decision-making. The second edition of the symposium is scheduled to take place in October 2025 in the German city of Mainz, over two days, with a special focus on cooperation between different scientific disciplines.

In a step toward rebuilding academic ties with Syria, the DSFG launched an academic exchange project in 2025, organizing several lectures that were delivered voluntarily by Germany-based Syrian researches at universities in Syria. In the same vein, the association launched a joint supervision platform, in cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture at Damascus University, to enable joint supervision of 16 students’ graduation projects by both Syrian professors inside Syria and Syrian engineers in Germany.

The DSFG is currently working to revive Syria’s libraries, through an initiative aimed at supplying Syrian universities with academic books donated by German universities. It recently sent hundreds of books—in both German and English—from Freie Universität Berlin to the language departments of various Syrian universities. A project is also underway to restore the children’s section of the National Library in Damascus.

An Active Diaspora and an Unforgettable Identity

Syrians are demonstrating their resilience through their efforts to reunite themselves and build effective networks that express their aspirations and meet their needs in the areas of education, culture, and civil society. They are doing so despite the diversity of challenges and the difficult circumstances they face. Experience has shown that Syrians have not only adapted to their new realities, but have also engaged in ways of preserving their language and identity, helping to enrich the communities in which they live. Far from being mere tools for survival, Syrian diaspora networks have evolved into dynamic platforms that recreate identity and build new bridges between homeland and exile, as well as between past and future. The DSFG stands out as a vivid example among many other Syrian diaspora associations, demonstrating how individual initiatives have transformed into effective institutions that are having a tangible impact in supporting Syrians.

August 2025