EXPERTS' BOARD
DUDERI decided to direct its efforts towards reshaping the education sector in Syria and promoting peacebuilding activities. By focusing on critical thinking, diversity, and dialogue, DUDERI seeks to contribute to building a democratic and inclusive future for all Syrians.
Nidal Qarajul is a certified clinical psychologist specializing in supporting victims of war, political, and religious violence across multicultural contexts. He holds a master’s degree in clinical psychotherapy from UC Louvain, with research focused on existential therapy and collective unconscious.
Currently, he works with Doctors of the World in Brussels and runs a private clinic offering psychological and social support. He organizes workshops and therapeutic programs for students, political prisoners, and addiction victims.
Nidhal has extensive experience collaborating with international and local humanitarian organizations and is an expert in gender identity-related psychological issues. He also serves as a psychological consultant for the Syrian Education Council (V.e Duderi).
Fluent in French, Kurdish, and Arabic, he is trained in various therapeutic approaches including existential therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, and art therapy.
Nazi Shukri is a specialist in civil society development, capacity building, and governance, with extensive experience in training and consulting on women's rights, gender issues, and project management. He has worked with numerous international and local organizations as a facilitator and consultant, contributing to policy development and managing dialogues on governance and conflict resolution.
Masa Al-Mufti is a researcher and specialist in the field of education, as well as a feminist activist and member of the Syrian Feminist Political Movement.
She holds a Master's degree in French Literature from the Catholic University in Washington and another Master's in Education Policy and Management from the American University of Beirut. She also received a fellowship and certification from Harvard University through the Middle East Professional Learning Initiative (MEPLI) in the field of education in emergencies.
Masa is the founder of Sanbula Educational Association, which delivered educational and cultural programs for refugee children and youth in Lebanon, with a strong focus on quality and equity in education during emergencies and crises (2013–2020).
She has worked on education policy research with the Syrian Center for Policy Research and ESCWA, and was a research fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (2016–2018). She also worked with Plan International as an expert in education policy and program design for Syrian refugees in Lebanon (2022–2024).
She is currently active in research and education reform policy in Syria.
Mohamad Balko is a Syrian writer and researcher, born in Afrin in 1962. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Damascus (1993) and a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the University of Aleppo. He worked as a history teacher in Syria and Turkey, and also served as an auditor in the Directorate of Education in Aleppo. Due to political persecution and arbitrary dismissal, he was forced to seek refuge in Turkey in 2013. Alongside his career in education, he has been a political activist engaged with issues of democracy and justice in Syria.
Ahlam Al-Rashid is an educator and community activist with over 35 years of experience in education and 14 years in community protection. She has contributed to establishing schools and educational and humanitarian initiatives both inside Syria and abroad. Ahlam has trained more than 16,000 trainees in protection, education, and peacebuilding. She has also participated in drafting international recommendations at conferences in Brussels, Berlin, and the National Dialogue Conference.
She has received global awards, including being named by the BBC as one of the 100 most influential women and winning the Best Documentary Film Award in Paris. Currently, she serves as Protection Coordinator at World Vision and is recognized for her community impact and her ability to connect education and empowerment in fragile environments.
Dr. Safwan Qassam is a specialist and researcher in sociology and social psychology.
He has published several scientific studies as well as numerous journalistic and literary articles. He has worked for many years with humanitarian and civil society organizations, focusing on psychosocial support, child protection, and women's protection.
Dr. Qassam is a certified trainer in various areas related to these sectors, including specialized training in social and gender-based research.
Dr. Jamal Al-Shoufi is a Syrian researcher and writer in the fields of intellectual, cultural, and political studies. Born in Syria in 1971, he holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics from Cairo University (2008). He worked as an academic lecturer before being arbitrarily dismissed from his government position in 2012.
He was awarded the Yassin Al-Hafiz Prize for Political Thought by the Harmoon Center for Contemporary Studies in 2017. His publications focus on Syria’s political and intellectual transformations, including notable works such as Syrian Dialogues: Major Transformations and a Difficult Path (2023), Being and the Political Condition (translated, 2023), Freedom and the Wasted Homeland (2021), and The Syrian Question and the Mirrors of International Geopolitics (2021), among others.
He has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed studies in collaboration with European and Syrian research centers, addressing topics such as education, human rights, and international politics.
Dr. Al-Shoufi is also active as a trainer and lecturer in civic empowerment and capacity building, and serves as a supervisor and reviewer for academic theses and research projects in scientific, social, and political fields.
Dammar Al-Suleiman is a writer and researcher specializing in political studies. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Damascus, an M.A. in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and the European Union from the University of Nantes, and an M.A. in Political Studies from the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris.
He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at EHESS, where his research focuses on political violence and social transformations in post-conflict contexts. His published articles and studies span philosophy, political science, and sociology, with a particular interest in collective violence and the violence exercised within Syria’s educational sector.