Women¡¯s position in academia may be under threat in the wake of Syria¡¯s revolution, it has been warned.

The Middle Eastern country is being led by a caretaker government under the control of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after rebel forces toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad, whose family had ruled Syria for nearly 54 years.

While HTS has attempted to distance itself from radical groups such as al-Qaeda in recent years, many remain unsure about the country¡¯s future and whether its new leaders will respect the rights of women and minorities.

The country¡¯s new education minister, Nazir Mohammad al-Qadri, attempted to quell concerns by??that ¡°the right to education is not limited to one specific gender¡±. However, ?demanding that strict Islamist rule is not enforced in the country.

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Women¡¯s groups have been concerned by statements from the government¡¯s spokesperson, Obeida Arnaout, that women may be??for roles in politics.

Sardar Saadi, an assistant professor in sociology and anthropology?at the University of Carleton and a former co-director of the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities at Syria¡¯s University of Rojava, warned that the future of women in academia may be?under threat if the government enforces an Islamist regime and sharia.?

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He said that there had been an ¡°absence of women¡± in higher education in the HTS-controlled region of Ibdil, which is ¡°something really worrisome and bothering, and many people are quite afraid about what is going to happen to the universities and education system¡±, he said.

He noted that while Mr Arnaout said that he was supportive of women going to law school, the spokesperson also told media that women¡¯s ability to ¡°assume judicial authority¡± could be a ¡°subject for research¡±.

¡°That¡¯s an alarming situation if this is true because if they start with judges, they will come for university professors,¡± Dr Saadi told?Times ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. ¡°They will come for teachers and professionals, and they will basically start by eliminating women in the public sphere.?

¡°Unfortunately, this is the reality of nation state building in the Middle East ¨C that, as soon as, in most cases, an authoritarian government is established, they start their social planning by attacking women¡­If there isn¡¯t outside pressure on them, [HTS] can very well continue with this.¡±

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A civil war?that has been waging in Syria since 2011 has resulted in a ¡°brain drain¡± of thousands of students and academics, and Dr Saadi said that until ¡°there is assurance that this system is not going to intervene in the education system¡±, the country cannot hope to see them return.?

However, there will be ¡°many¡± Syrians?who?would be willing to return to the country if change is established. The higher education sector was uniquely placed to help rebuild the society and economy, Dr Saadi said.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com