Information about Syria is limited both inside and outside the country. Internally, social science research skills are underdeveloped and research resources (for example, access to primary data such as national statistics) are outdated or entirely unavailable. Government-approved studies on acceptable topics such as tobacco usage have laid groundwork in training researchers, but are closely monitored and do not permit the development of independent viewpoints. Universities are a site of state surveillance, and libraries and access to print and electronic data and research is limited and censored. Human rights organizations are arguably the most effective at collecting and disseminating information, but often the products are littered with inaccuracies, bias or are simply not in a useable format.

Externally, most material on Syria is oriented to foreign policy deliberations and Israeli-Syrian negotiations, and/or subsumed in regional studies on geopolitics and security. For decades, Western scholars, policymakers and the media have been focused on the Assad foreign policy and demands for changes in Syria’s regional policies, which generally fuel the view among Syrians that the United States and the European Union are motivated by self-interest. Few seem to provide contemporary treatments on topics such as local governance, social and economic development, when improving conditions inside Syria is what Syrians want.

This information and analysis is essential to social and political development. Policy research allows for informed and effective decision-making and can contribute to public dialogue on current social and political issues. Such research can be a tool for engagement that can facilitate political openings. SRCC intends to address these issues through the development of its social sciences research capacity. The Syria project will use specific research projects as pilot experiences, from topic formulation to evidence-based policy engagement. This will provide a foundation for further research capacity development and implementation.