The Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies (SCTS) provides a pioneer model of international cooperation for the establishment of sustainable research base in a developing country setting. It addresses the need to create local expertise not only in research methodology, but also in research support and fund raising areas.

The SCTS was established in 2002 under the auspices of the Syrian Society Against Cancer. The overall goal of the center is to forge a sustainable institution which draws on a wide range of complimentary expertise and resources from developed and developing nations and serves as a model of scientific excellence and commitment to the health of people in the developing world.

This project is part of an initiative by the World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health, administered by the Fogarty International Center, in response to the tobacco industry's increasing targeting of the developing countries with their marketing tactics, as well as the devastating effects of smoking on these countries.