An agreement signed in Damascus assigns Università Iuav di Venezia a key role in the country’s urban and social reconstruction after 14 years of civil war.

Università Iuav di Venezia continues its commitment to Syria’s reconstruction. The Venetian university is providing consultancy to the new Syrian government to support the country’s sustainable urban and social regeneration after 14 years of civil conflict.

Following a meeting last May between an Iuav delegation and representatives of the ministries and governorates of the Syrian Arab Republic, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed in Damascus on 20 October between Università Iuav di Venezia, the Damascus Governorate and UNDP Syria. The agreement establishes a partnership aimed at promoting reconstruction based on principles of sustainability, innovation, and the enhancement of urban heritage. Università Iuav di Venezia will offer consultancy for the drafting of the Damascus Master Plan, a key document to guide the long process of urban recovery in a city where entire districts lie in ruins and in a state of near-total neglect.

The meeting was attended by Rector Benno Albrecht, Iuav Board member Nohad Haj Salih, professors Jacopo Galliand Francesco Rossi, masterplanning experts Marco Ardielli and Paola Fornasa, researcher Giulia Piacenti, and architect Mohammed Haj Salih. The Italian Ambassador to Damascus, Stefano Ravagnan, also took part in the ceremony.

At the heart of the agreement lies the Damascus City Plan, with a particular focus on the devastated suburban areas that, before the war, were home to around 300,000 inhabitants. It is a complex challenge intertwining urban, social, and environmental dimensions.

During the meeting, Iuav presented its strategic approach based on a global vision of urban planning and rooted in years of research on “cities under pressure.” A round table coordinated by the University brought together the Damascus Governorate, the University of Damascus, UNDP, UN-Habitat, and several Syrian ministries to discuss Damascus’s visions, hopes, and challenges towards 2045, giving wide space to the voices and priorities of local stakeholders and to an assessment of the current situation.

According to Rector Benno Albrecht, “This agreement represents an important opportunity for technical and cultural exchange and helps foster sustainable development, innovation, and international cooperation in the region.”

The agreement offers the Syrian capital a chance to regain its role as a cultural and political centre of the Arab world, in the context of its gradual reintegration into the international community, one year after the fall of the regime.

The partnership also confirms the international recognition of Università Iuav di Venezia’s cross-disciplinary expertise, whose approach to post-conflict and complex scenarios is increasingly acknowledged as a global benchmark for reconstruction and sustainable development.