Rida Said
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Rida Said | |
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رضا سعيد | |
Wafic Said |
Rida Said al-Aytouni (
He continued his medical practice as an ophthalmologist all his life. After serving as Minister of Education and as President of Damascus University his ground-breaking reforms caused him to be widely known as "the founder of modern education in Syria".
Early life
Born in Damascus in 1876 to a well off family, Said's primary and secondary education was at Rashidiya Military School in Damascus. He continued his education at the Military Medical School in Istanbul where after graduating in 1902 and was appointed assistant to the Professor of Ophthalmology. He was then promoted to Head of Medical Ward in 1908 with the rank of Agassi, or "Major" in the army of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1909, he was sent to the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris where he studied for his degree under Professor Félix de Lapersonne who was head of the Department of Ophthalmology.
After being awarded with a degree and winning a research fellowship as a "Moniteur" Said’s abilities were regarded as so exceptional that Lapersonne appointed him to be his Principal Assistant in all his eye surgery operations.
He returned to Damascus in 1913, and started practicing as an ophthalmologist, which at that time was called a kaḥḥāl. A year after his return, he served as Chief Medical Officer for the Hijazi Railway and soon after appointed Director of the Syrian Railways. In 1917 he was elected as Mayor of Damascus during a period of significant and historical world events such as World War I which began in 1914 in addition to the beginning of the Arab Renaissance, which had been expanding and gaining traction since the beginning of the last century. During the period Said served as Mayor, Damascus suffered a great famine lasting many years and as Mayor worked hard to ease the suffering of the people.
After
Contribution to Syrian education
Said launched new medical departments at the institute, including a department for the study of nursing and midwifery; with further departments established soon after for pharmacy and dentistry, thus creating the building blocks of an Academic School in Damascus. He also presented to students and specialists a translation from a French book entitled Research in Ophthalmology for Trainees—one of the most important references of Ophthalmology at the time. In addition to this, he continued to push the teaching team to "arabise" medical terms. Most importantly, Said succeeded in persuading the French occupation authorities not to close the Institute and began to work on its expansion, defying the difficult political, economic and military conditions of the occupation.
He succeeded in establishing the
Arabization of the Institute of Medicine in Damascus
After the end of the
Dean of the Arab Medical Institute
Said was appointed
Minister of Education and President of the Syrian University
In 1924, Said took over the Ministry of Education in the first Syrian government, formed under the French mandate by President Subhi Bey Barakat but he resigned after the beginning of the Great Syrian Revolt. In 1925, Said returned to his position as President of the University, and continued his efforts to gain recognition of the Syrian secondary certificate (which was eventually recognised in 1929) as well as the French baccalaureate as a condition of entry to the university. His great ambition was to strengthen and raise the level of the Syrian University, especially in the field of medicine, to compete with the French and American medical institutes in Beirut.
In 1936, Said requested from the first president of the
Death
Said died on 28 October 1945 in Damascus and was buried there. Syria bid farewell to a scientific and patriotic figure, who earned enormous respect for his great achievements including his efforts to establish the Syrian University. Years later the Syrian University placed his name on the main street adjacent to Damascus University in the centre of the capital.
His son is the international businessman and philanthropist
Memorials and honors
Rida Said Conference Centre was named after him.
Decorations
During his life and career, he was awarded many honours and medals including the Ottoman Order of Merit, the Majidi Medal, the Ottoman War Medal, the Iron Crown Medal from the Government of Austria, the Paris Medal in the French Legion of Honour and the Commandor Medal, the Egyptian Medal of Knowledge, the Red Cross Medal and the Syrian Order of Excellence.
- Ottoman Order of Merit
- Medal Majidi, the Ottoman War Medal
- Iron Crown Medal from the Government of Austria
- Medal of Paris in the French Legion of Honour
- Commander Medal
- Egyptian Knowledge Medal
- Red Cross Medal
- Syrian Order of Merit, of the excellent class
References
Further reading
- Kabbani, Sabah (2011). Riḍā Saʻīd: muʼassis al-Ǧāmiʻa as-Sūrīya raǧul li-kull al-aqdār (in Arabic). Ǧadāwil li-n-Našr wa-'t-Tauziʻ. ISBN 978-6144180860.
- الجامعية, مدينة الشهيد باسل الأسد. "مركز جامعة دمشق للمؤتمرات". damascusuniversity.edu.sy. Retrieved 2022-10-24.