The Lebanese University (LU; Arabic: الجامعة اللبنانية) is the only state-funded public university in Lebanon. Established in 1951, the Lebanese University has played a major role in expanding general education in Lebanon.

Lebanese University
الجامعة اللبنانية
TypePublic
EstablishedDecember 3, 1951; 72 years ago (December 3, 1951)
Endowment386,596,272,000 LBP (2018)
PresidentBassam Badran
Academic staff
5,465
Administrative staff
2,834
Students80,874 (2018–2019)
Location
Lebanon
CampusMain Campus in Hadath, Baabda District, Urban, 705,000 m2[1]
AccreditationsHcéres
Colors
  • Red • White • Green
  •      
Websitewww.ul.edu.lb

The university's main campus was originally located in Beirut, but a few satellite campuses were opened due to travel restrictions during the Lebanese Civil War.[2] It has three geographically distributed campuses: Rafic Hariri Campus, Fanar Campus and North Campus.[3]

The university currently enrolls thousands of students and is organized into 16 faculties. It offers a range of degree programs, include undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. The primary language of instruction is Arabic.[2]

History edit

The creation of the Lebanese University was an idea first mentioned in the speech of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hamid Frangieh, during the closing ceremony of the Third UNESCO Conference in Beirut held on 11 December 1948, during which he said: "Lebanon hopes to see the creation of a Lebanese university having the spirit of UNESCO."

The establishment of the Lebanese University came as a result of a popular and student mobilization initiated on 23 January 1951 with a general strike that lasted for a long period during which, secondary and university students, mostly from Saint Joseph University participated. The movement included demonstrations and clashes with security forces that lead the Council of Ministers to meet on 5 February of the same year.[4]

University presidents edit

Since its inception, the Lebanese University has been headed by:

Khalil Al-Jurr (1951–1953)
Fouad Afram al-Bustani (1953–1970)
Edmond Naim (1970–1976)
Boutros Dib (1977–1980)
Georges Tohme (1980–1988)
Michel Assi (1988–1990 by delegation)
Hashem Haidar (1990–1992 by commission)
Asaad Diab (1993–2000)
Ibrahim Qubaisi (2001–2006)
Zuhair Shukr (2006–2011)
Adnan Al Sayed Hussein (2011–2016)
Fouad Hussein Ayoub (2016–2021)
Bassam Badran 2021–present

and it has been headed by Bassam Badran[5] since 2021.

Faculties and campuses edit

The university issued successive decrees since its inception, establishing faculties and institutes, which contributed to its expansion and development until reaching 16 faculties:[6]

Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences[7]
Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences[8]
Faculty of Sciences[9]
Institute of Social Science[10]
Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture[11]
Faculty of Pedagogy[12] (which replaced the Higher Teachers Institution)
Faculty of Information[13]
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration[14]
Faculty of Engineering[15]
Faculty of Agronomy[16]
Faculty of Public Health[17]
Faculty of Medical Sciencesx[18]
Faculty of Dental Medicine[19]
Faculty of Pharmacy[20]
Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management[21]
Faculty of Technology,[22] in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in France

In addition to three Doctoral Schools:

Doctoral School of Literature, Humanities & Social Sciences[23]
Doctoral School of Law, Political, Administrative and Economic Sciences[24]
Doctoral School of Science and Technology[25]

The university is also affiliated with the Institute of Applied Sciences and Economics[26] (CNAM-ISAE), which operates in cooperation with CNAM in France.

Honorary doctorates edit

The university awarded honorary doctorates to a number of heads of state and officials, including in chronological order:

The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1957)
The King of Morocco, Mohammed V (1960)
The Tunisian President, Habib Bourguiba (1965)
The Senegalese President, Leopold Senghor (1966)
The Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie (1967)
The Romanian President, Nikolai Ceausescu (1972)
The Armenian President, Robert Kocharian[27] (1999)
The Iranian President, Seyed Mohammad Khatami (2003)
The Saudi Minister of Interior, Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2009)
The Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad[28] (2010)
Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan (2013)
The German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier[29] (2018)

In 2009, the Lebanese University started awarding honorary doctorates to Lebanese personalities, including:

Minister Fouad Boutros, Minister Ghassan Tueni, Minister Laila Solh Hamada, Former Head of Press Syndicate Mohamed Baalbaki, As-Safir's Editor-in-Chief Talal Salman, Governor of the Banque du Liban Riad Salamé, Archbishop Grégoire Haddad, writer and poet Salah Stétié, Architect Rahif Fayad, Professor Philip Salem, and artist Majida El Roumi.

Tuition Fees edit

The Lebanese University collects registration fees from its affiliated students for the academic year 2023-2024 as follows:

A- Lebanese students, students born to Lebanese mothers, and Palestinians:

For the bachelor’s degree in theoretical colleges, the amount is 12,500,000 LBP.

For the bachelor’s degree in applied colleges, the amount is 12,500,000 LBP.

For the postgraduate level, the amount is 17,500,000 LBP.

For the doctoral studies stage, the amount is 22,500,000 LBP.

B - Foreign students:

For the bachelor’s degree in theoretical colleges, the amount is 60,000,000 LBP.

For the bachelor’s degree in applied colleges, the amount is 60,000,000 LBP.

For the postgraduate level, the amount is 100,000,000 LBP.

The doctoral studies stage: an amount of 300,000,000 LBP.

C - Participation fee for the entrance competition in colleges and institutes to which affiliation is subject to the competition condition: 500,000 LBP.

E- Foreign language course fees: 50,000 LBP

Mission edit

The Lebanese University is the only public institution in Lebanon carrying out the functions of the public higher education with its various majors and degrees, scientific research, and continuous training.[30]

Rankings and reputation edit

University rankings
Global – Overall
QS World[31]577 (2024)
THE World[32]1001–1200 (2023)

In the 2024 QS World University Rankings, the Lebanese University ranks 577 worldwide, a record-high after being placed 701–750 in 2021.[33]

Notable alumni edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Lebanese University Campus Hadath". archinect.com. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b Najem, Tom; Amore, Roy C.; Abu Khalil, As'ad (2021). Historical Dictionary of Lebanon. Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East (2nd ed.). Lanham Boulder New York London: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-5381-2043-9.
  3. ^ "Campuses". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. ^ "History". Lebanese University. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Fouad Ayoub nommé recteur de l'Université libanaise". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 6 October 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Faculties". Lebanese University. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Faculty of Science". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Institute of Social Sciences". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Faculty of Pedagogy". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Faculty of Information". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Faculty of Economics and Business Administration". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Faculty of Engineering". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Faculty of Agronomy". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Faculty of Public Health". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Faculty of Medical Sciences". Lebanese University. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Faculty of Dental Medicine". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Faculty of Pharmacy". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Faculty of Technology". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Doctoral School of Literature, Humanities & Social Sciences". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Doctoral School of Law, Political, Administrative and Economic Sciences". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Doctoral School of Science and Technology". Lebanese University. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  26. ^ "Conservatoire national des arts et métiers | Homepage |". Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  27. ^ "Armenian President Robert Kocharian received an honorary doctorate from the Lebanese University". The Daily Star. Retrieved 22 February 2020.[dead link]
  28. ^ "Iranian president receives honorary doctorate in Lebanon". The Jerusalem Post. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  29. ^ "German President visits Lebanese University, receives honorary doctorate". The National News Agency. 30 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  30. ^ "Mission". Lebanese University. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  31. ^ "QS World Rankings Lebanese University". Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  32. ^ "THE Rankings Lebanese University". Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  33. ^ "Lebanese University". Top Universities.

External links edit

  Media related to Lebanese University at Wikimedia Commons

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