Lebanese University

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**Lebanese University**

Established	1951
Type	Public
President	Ibrahim Kobeissi
Location	Beirut, Lebanon
Website	www.ul.edu.lb

The Lebanese University (Arabic: الجامعة اللبنانية‎, French: Université Libanaise) is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. Founded in 1951, it has 17 faculties as of 2006 and serves various cultural, religious, and social groups of students and teachers.

The independent university enjoys administrative, academic, and financial freedom. Among its educational goals are creating a unique mix of cultures and providing the basic and necessary education to allow students to enter various professions.

1 History
2 Faculties
3 Objectives
4 Activities and Accommodations
5 External links

[edit] History

The Lebanese University was established in 1951 to serve the diverse social groups that comprise Lebanese society, and to provide a high-level institution in which students can acquire university degrees. It was launched amid a growth in of students in grades 10-12.

The first departments were The High House of Teachers and The Statistics Center. On December 3, 1951, the first class of 68 students entered the university. On February 26, 1953, official decree No. 25 founded a center for financial and administrative at the university, called The Institution of Finance and Administration. The High House of Teachers was renamed to The High Teachers Institution .

The next big change was 1959's regulating decree No. 2883, which, along with many others between 1960 and 1972, added more material into the structure of the university and legalized all of its activities, requiring students to take part as administrators within the different faculties.

[edit] Faculties

The 17 faculties, including two institutions that were annexed to the university, are:

The Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences
The Faculty of Law, Political and Administrative Sciences
The Faculty of Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Fine Arts
The Faculty of Pedagogy (replacing the High Teachers Institution)
The Faculty of Journalism and Documentation
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economical Sciences
The Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Agriculture
The Faculty of Public Health
The Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Dentistry
The Faculty of Pharmacy
The Faculty of Tourism and Hotels
The Institution of Applied Sciences
The Academic Institution of Technology

Until 1975, the physical locations of all faculties and institutions were in Beirut and its suburbs, but during 1976 and due to the Lebanese Civil War additional branches were founded in Beirut and the governorates of Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, South Lebanon and Bekaa. The increasing difficulty of traveling within the war-torn areas due to the tense atmosphere the country was suffering from led to this decision. However, the curricula and educational content were consolidated among all branches. The head office and main administration remained in Beirut, near the public museum area.

[edit] Objectives

The university's official goals are:

Creating qualified human work force of the finest quality
Improving the social level of service through constant studies and training to accommodate the needs of the society.
Spreading knowledge and education.
Securing the democracy of learning and maintaining an excellent quality.
Enriching the social and national mix.
Making a well-known name on the national and regional as well as international front.
Rooting the human norms in citizens.

[edit] Activities and Accommodations

The university provides field trips and sports activities to its students, as well as exchanging with other students locally and from outside the country. There is a library in each branch of every faculty. The students are also offered apprentice training in private and public sector. Special scholarships for pioneers are provided to continue their studies abroad. All students also enjoy health insurance by joining social insurance. Certificates and awards are given to graduates in graduation ceremonies.