Controversy in Syria .. Dean threw students with a zero mark!

The decision of the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Damascus, Dr. Fouad Dahdouh, sparked a storm of controversy in the academic and artistic circles after threatening the college students in the scale in the event that they resorted to the “naked model” in graduation projects.

The decision issued on August 14, 2025, which is implemented by No. 25, stressed the prevention of any works of carving, photographing or digging into nudity, under the pretext of identification with “moral and societal constants.” The decision blew up a protest campaign among students, who responded with a scathing statement in which they demanded academic freedom, considering that deleting an essential pillar of art education does not mean protecting values but rather “beating the essence of knowledge Visual and emptying curricula from its scientific and aesthetic content. Students called for a peaceful protest, stressing that the university is not a guardianship butt but a space for freedom and independence, and that any prejudice to this principle blows the essence of education.
The statement, with the sharp reactions, and the increasing publication of the plastic artists of their paintings and nude artworks – including the naked works of the dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts himself – prompted Dahdouh to issue an explanation, in which he said: “There is mainly a naked model in the College of Arts since 1974, and the directives of the Minister of Higher Education this year came to confirm decisions taken decades ago, and on the other hand in response to the desire of many students Those who submitted official requests not to use the naked model in projects that their children graduate this year. For one of the naked model? (Russia today)