Over the past years, Syrians have proven their remarkable ability to succeed in the challenges of living in diaspora countries, adapting to new languages ​​and unfamiliar customs. They have also been able to excel and prove themselves as active, influential individuals in their new communities. Our interview with one of these figures, engineer Osama Salti, a Palestinian-Syrian-German who has carved out an impressive success story after immigrating to Germany in many fields, beyond his profession as an engineer. The following is a brief overview of the most prominent milestones of his eventful journey, which began in Syria and continues beyond Germany, as the journey of success has no definitive limits.

Who is Osama Salti?

Mr. Osama Salti is a Palestinian-Syrian engineer and architect specializing in electronics and communications, holding German citizenship. He currently works as a project manager for a government-owned company implementing construction projects for the city of Kassel in Germany.

Study Journey

He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Damascus University, specializing in electronics and communications. His passion for learning did not stop there; he also earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture from the University of Kassel, Germany. 

Career Positions and Freelance Work

Professionally, Mr. Osama Salti held several positions after graduating from the Department of Architecture. He began as an architect in an engineering office in Kassel, then as a researcher and a professor in the Department of Design and Architectural Theories at the University of Kassel.

He also worked as a research assistant in the Department of Building Innovation at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Kassel.

He then worked as a government employee in the Planning and Licensing Department of the Local Administration – the Building Supervision Authority in the City of Kassel.

He also worked as an architect and project manager at a real estate management company in Kassel.

All of this is in the field of government and university jobs. As for freelance work, he founded and is the CEO of Atelier Lipphardt Salti, an engineering research firm in Kassel. He has presented and directed several lectures and workshops at the German-Syrian Scientific Research Association.

He was also a project manager in the field of commercial facility management at an international company. In addition, he currently works as a professor in the Facilities Management Department at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at a private university in Germany. He also works as a project manager and developer for a government-owned company in Kassel, managing and developing the city’s projects, including public schools and public facilities.

Research Studies and Projects

We mentioned that Mr. Osama is a multi-experienced researcher, having worked on numerous projects and research in various fields:

Architecture:

• He conducted research studies in modernist architecture, particularly the Bauhaus.
• Studies on the reconstruction of a historic wooden building dating back to the early 1920s, based on plans by a Bauhaus architect, in its historic location in Dessau.

Additionally, he has invented and developed tactile sensors that can be embedded within concrete walls.

This is one of Mr. Osama’s most notable achievements and contributions in his field.

Photography:

• A photographic archiving project of the Old City of Damascus from 2008-2010, using more than 4,000 photographs, 65 of which were displayed during his photography exhibition in Kassel entitled “Damascus Yesterday.”
• Photographic archiving of parts of the Old City of Aleppo and other cities.

Art:

• Research studies on drawing and cartooning, their development, and their schools, were published in Syrian newspapers and publications.
• A research article on the development of caricature in Syria, translated into Spanish, in a Spanish cultural magazine.
• Participation in the Documenta exhibition in Kassel, documenting art worldwide.
• Publications and participation in international exhibitions in several countries around the world.

Writing:

A collection of short stories and prose entitled “In the Chess Palace,” currently being published in Egypt and the Gulf states.

Awards

Naturally, these remarkable achievements have been crowned with numerous awards and honors, most notably five awards and honors in the field of caricature and cartooning. In 2008, his caricatures were evaluated in Brazil as the best works of art in the world.

As part of his current projects, Mr. Osama is contributing to the construction of schools using a modern approach and concept in the city of Kassel, as part of a government plan to restructure schools in Germany using modern educational concepts. Regarding the future, he says, “I seek to apply the knowledge and experience I have gained to benefit our societies, especially in the Levant.”

Facing and Overcoming Challenges

On a personal level, the most important factor that drives Mr. Osama Salti to achieve success in his field is his passion. Despite the many challenges he faced, including the difficulty of the German language, his lack of experience in management at the time before gradually acquiring it, and the limited time available compared to the responsibilities and tasks he was assigned with, he was able to overcome and surpass them, driven first by passion, then by organizing, consistency, patience, endurance, and his love of knowledge and continuous learning—these are the tools he advises aspiring scholars to implement and to develop a clear plan to achieve their goals.

We cannot be prouder of such individuals who have broken the barriers of language and alienation, achieving success after great effort and hardship, becoming a vital part of their new countries, and contributing to the development of their countries of origin with the rich experience they have gained.