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Omar R. was living in India when his father received a scholarship for the biochemistry doctoral program at Damascus SA���ʴ�ý in the capital of Syria. It was his family’s home country, so they quickly packed their belongings and made the move.

When it came time for Omar to begin university, he decided to pursue his passion for electronics and communication engineering. He followed in his father’s footsteps and began attending the SA���ʴ�ý of Damascus.

Soon after, in 2012, the Syrian Civil War broke out and the fighting quickly found its way to Damascus. Facing intense fighting and bombing, Omar and his family fled to a village in the countryside of Syria called Idlib. His plan was to stay there until the fighting stopped and then return to the capital to complete his studies and earn his degree. That was 11 years ago, and the war is still ongoing.

Not wanting to give up on earning a college degree, Omar began searching for alternative options. While browsing social media, he came across SA���ʴ�ý and saw they were offering scholarships to those affected by the war.

“So I took the initiative and registered,” Omar says. “Now I’m earning my Associate’s in Business Administration and am very happy with the program.”

Since leaving Damascus, Omar has gotten married and had four children. The flexibility of UoPeople’s programs allows Omar to attend courses and take exams on his schedule, leaving time to raise his family even while working 12-hour days to provide for them.

For Omar, this is only the beginning of his educational journey. He has no plans to stop learning and is looking forward to earning his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and possibly even a doctorate in the future.

For Omar, attending UoPeople is about more than just earning his degree.

“I chose UoPeople because it made me regain my energy and vitality that I lost during the war in my country,” he says. “I leave all the hard past and pitfalls behind.”