Bashar al-Assad is the current President of Syria, having been in office since 2000. He is the second son of former President Hafez al-Assad and has continued aspects of his father's authoritarian rule. Originally not the first choice to succeed his father, Bashar was studying ophthalmology in London when his older brother and heir apparent, Bassel, was killed in a car accident. Despite his lack of military and political experience, Bashar was called back to Syria, where he was groomed to take his brother’s place. He was enrolled in the military academy and trained intensively to prepare for leadership. He assumed power in 2000, following his father's death. While his early years in office saw some initiatives that contributed to a brief period of relative openness, this quickly changed, with his regime using threats and arrests to suppress pro-reform movements. In recent years, his government has faced a major uprising that escalated into a civil war. Despite international condemnation, Assad has maintained his hold on power, showing a willingness to use extreme measures to do so. While there were initial hopes he would modernize Syria, he has largely followed in his father’s authoritarian footsteps.