Bashar al-Assad
President of The Syrian Arab Republic
1965 : Born in Damascus
1982 : Completed his education in the secondary schools of
Damascus
1988 : Graduated from Damascus University ,faculty of
Medicine
1992 : Graduated as an ophtalmologist from Damascus
University .
1992 – 1994 : Pursued further studies in ophthalmology in
London .
1995 : Head of Syrian Association of Informatics.
June2000 : Elected as Regional Secretary of the Arab Ba'ath
Socialist Party.
10 July 2000 : Elected as President of the Republic , then
assumed his office after taking the constitutional oath
before the People's Assembly .
source : Syrian Embassy Brussels
source picture :
Syrian Arab News Agency
President of the Syrian Arab Republic , Bashar
al-Assad
Biography :
Place and Date of Birth :
Damascus - Sept. 11th ,1965
Social Status :
Married to Mrs. Asma al-Assad with three children : Two
boys and a girl
He studied in Damascus schools and got High School
Certificate in 1982. He studied Medicine at Damascus
University and graduated in 1988. He specialized in
Ophthalmology at Tishreen Military Hospital before pursuing
his studies in London until 1994.
His pubic activities before assuming office involved
numerous political and vocational tasks :
- He headed the Syrian Computer Society, SCS , in 1995 ,and
worked to spread the culture of information technology
nation wide .
- Since 1995 he has been supervising the reform programs of
the two Ministries of Education and Higher Education.
- In 1977 he launched the national program of informatics
in cooperation with the Ministry of Education to allow free
access to informatics through free of charge training
centers.
The posts he assumed :
- He joined the military as an officer at the Medical
Services Department and pursued numerous military training
courses. In 11.6.2000 he was promoted to the rank of Lt.
Gen. and appointed as Commander General of the Army and
Armed Forces.
- He was elected Chairman of the Baath Arab Socialist Party
in June 2000, and was elected on June 10th , 2000 as
President of the Repulic and assumed office after he was
sworn in before the People's Assembly on 17.7.2000.
- The president was reelected Chairman of the Baath Party
and its Central Committee by the 10th Congress in May 2005.
He was reelected as president on May 27th ,2007 and was
sworn in before the People's Assembly on July 17th
2007,ushering in for 2nd constitutional term of office.
On the internal level , the president focused in the past
year on the following :
- Embarking on an ambitious strategy of gradual social and
economic reform and enabling the social and market economy
.
- Providing proper political, and legislative climate for
development of the laws and regulations .
- Improvement of the economic investment climate , and
renovating organizational environment stimulus and
infrastructure , building the industrial cities ,free
zones, and liberating trade.(Investment multiplied 12
times).
- Development of the financial and banking sector and
licensing private banks, insurance companies, securities
exchange.
- Development of the media sector and licensing private
newspapers and other media.
- Development of the education and teaching system and
licensing private universities.
- Consolidation of institutional work at the governmental
and popular bodies, combating waste and corruption at the
state establishments , promoting the values of innovation ,
knowledge , team spirit, and investment in human resources
skills , and training.
- Direct supervision of the administrative reform , and
introducing structure development to the government
structure and work, facilitating the measures and
procedures by easing birocracy and computerization of work.
On external level, the president focused on the following :
- Working for the establishment of just and comprehensive
peace in the region in the heart of which is the return of
the occupied Golan .
- Consolidating the concepts of right, sovereignty, justice
and international legitimacy in international relations.
- Diplomatic and political action to consolidate the basis
of Arab solidarity and regional and international
cooperation.
- Encouraging economic and commercial companies , and
cooperation relations in spheres of culture , sciences,
technology , and opening to the experiences of other
nations with stress on dialogue of cultures.
- The president chaired in March 2008 the Arab League
Council on the summit level.
source : Sana - Syrian News agency