Syrian Foundation for Culture and Enlightenment
About Us
The Syrian Foundation for Culture and Enlightenment is a social institution working to strengthen cultural life in Syria through research, publishing, dialogue, and public programmes that are open to everyone.
Who We Are
The foundation was established as an independent, non-profit social institution licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor under registration number 2025/3472. It brings together researchers, writers, and members of the public who share a commitment to knowledge, open discussion, and the cultural life of Syrian society.
We work with individuals and institutions across the country and beyond it. Our programmes are open to participants regardless of background, and our published work is made available to readers without charge wherever we are able to do so.
Our Objectives
- Produce rigorous research and studies on the cultural, social, and intellectual questions facing Syrian society.
- Publish articles, papers, and translations that make serious ideas accessible to a general readership.
- Create space for open dialogue through seminars, forums, and public discussion.
- Support writers and researchers at the beginning of their careers through training and publication.
- Document and strengthen civil society activity in Syria.
- Build lasting partnerships with institutions and individuals who share these aims.
Our Values
Intellectual Independence
Our research follows the evidence. We do not shape our conclusions to suit any political, sectarian, or commercial interest.
Openness
We welcome disagreement and treat it as the ordinary condition of serious thought rather than a problem to be managed.
Rigour
What we publish is researched, sourced, and reviewed. We would rather publish less and publish it well.
Public Benefit
The foundation exists to serve the public. Our work is directed toward readers and communities, not toward institutional prestige.
How We Work
Our activity falls into four connected areas: research and studies, publishing, dialogue and public forums, and cultural programmes. Each supports the others. Research informs what we publish; publishing opens questions that we then take into public discussion; and the discussion shapes the research we take up next.
The foundation is funded through donations and institutional partnerships. All contributions are used transparently to support this work.