Surjada was one of the Cardassian Institutes of Higher Education. Like Bamarren, those who attend are selected at a young age and rise through the different levels. Those who succeed can join the Obsidian Order.

In 2357, Corbin Entek told Iliana Ghemor that, although it would have been better for her to been identified at an early age and risen through the levels at Surjada or Bamarren, she could still become an excellent operative for the Order, due to her already established and cultivated talents. (DS9 novel: Fearful Symmetry)