American University of Beirut facts for kids
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الجامعة الأميركيّة في بيروت
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Former name
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Syrian Protestant College (1866–1920) |
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| Motto | Ut vitam abundantius habeant (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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That they may have life and have it more abundantly |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1866 |
| Endowment | $779.3 million (2020) |
| Chairman | Philip S. Khoury |
| President | Fadlo R. Khuri |
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Academic staff
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1,200 instructional faculty |
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Administrative staff
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4,340 |
| Students | 9,408 (2019) |
| Undergraduates | 7,782 (2019) |
| Postgraduates | 1,626 (2019) |
| Location |
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Lebanon
33°53′59.87″N 35°28′56.22″E / 33.8999639°N 35.4822833°E |
| Campus | Urban, 61-acre (250,000 m2); and a 247-acre (1.00 km2) research farm in Beqaa Valley |
| University Press | AUB Press |
| Student newspaper | Outlook |
| Colors | Burgundy (color) & white |
| Mascot | Phoenix |
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The American University of Beirut (AUB; Arabic: الجامعة الأميركية في بيررروت, romanized: al-Jāmiʿa l-Amērkiyya fī Bayrūt) is a private and independent university located in Beirut, Lebanon. It was started in New York. AUB is managed by its own special group of leaders called a board of trustees.
The university offers many different study programs. Students can earn bachelor's, master's, MD, and PhD degrees. The main language used for teaching at AUB is English.
AUB has a large campus with 64 buildings. These include the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), which is a hospital with 420 beds. There are also four libraries, three museums, and seven dorms for students to live in. Many students come from outside Lebanon to study at AUB. Graduates from AUB live and work in over 120 countries around the world.
Contents
History
The idea for a college in Beirut that would include medical training came about on January 23, 1862. W. M. Thomson suggested it, and Dr. Daniel Bliss was chosen to be its first president. On April 24, 1863, the State of New York officially approved the creation of the Syrian Protestant College.
The college opened its doors to 16 students on December 3, 1866. Daniel Bliss led the university until 1902. At first, Arabic was the teaching language because it was common in the area. But in 1887, English became the main language of instruction. In 1920, the college changed its name to the American University of Beirut.
Many AUB graduates have become important leaders around the world. For example, 20 AUB alumni helped sign the United Nations Charter in 1945. This was more than from any other university globally. AUB graduates continue to work as presidents, prime ministers, doctors, scientists, and teachers in many countries.
During the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), AUB worked hard to keep teaching. Some university staff faced difficult times, including kidnappings. In 1984, the university president, Malcolm H. Kerr, was sadly killed outside his office. In 1991, a car bomb damaged a main building, and one staff member died.
In early 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, AUB had to close down for a while. The university also faced financial challenges. In May 2020, the president announced that the university would need to reduce its staff. About 850 jobs were cut, including layoffs and not renewing contracts. Later that year, tuition fees were adjusted due to changes in the local currency exchange rate. This led to some student protests.
Presidents
Here is a list of the university presidents since it started:
- Daniel Bliss (1866–1902)
- Howard S. Bliss (1902–1920)
- Bayard Dodge (1923–1948)
- Stephen B.L. Penrose Jr. (1948–1954)
- Constantin Zureiq (1954–1957)
- J. Paul Leonard (1957–1961)
- Norman Burns (1961–1965)
- Samuel B. Kirkwood (1965–1976)
- Harold E. Hoelscher (1977–1981)
- Malcolm H. Kerr (1981–1984)
- Calvin Plimpton (1984–1987)
- Frederic P. Herter (1987–1993)
- Robert M. Haddad (1993–1996)
- David S. Dodge (1996–1997)
- John Waterbury (1997–2008)
- Peter F. Dorman (2008 – June 2015)
- Fadlo R. Khuri (September 2015–present)
Campus
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The American University of Beirut campus is about 61 acres (247,000 square meters) in size. It sits on a hill with views of the Mediterranean Sea. The campus has 64 buildings, seven dormitories, and several libraries.
Students can also use the Charles W. Hostler Student Center. There is an Archaeological Museum and a Natural History Museum on campus. AUB also has a large 247-acre research farm in Beqaa, Lebanon. This farm is used by students and teachers for agricultural and food science studies.
Faculties
AUB has different "faculties," which are like separate schools or colleges within the university. Each faculty focuses on a specific area of study.
- FAFS, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
- FAS, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- FHS, Faculty of Health Sciences
- FM, Faculty of Medicine
- HSON, Rafic Hariri School of Nursing
- MSFEA, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
- OSB, Suliman S. Olayan School of Business
Students
In 2018, more than 9,000 students were studying at AUB. This included over 7,000 undergraduate students and nearly 2,000 graduate students.
Academics
AUB offers many different study programs. There are 141 undergraduate and graduate programs. Students can also earn 36 different certificates and diplomas. In 2007, the university started offering PhD programs again. AUB also has many research centers where experts study different topics.
Rankings
University rankings help show how good a university is compared to others. In 2023, the QS University Rankings placed AUB as the 4th best university in the Arab world. It was ranked 2nd in 2022 and 1st in 2018. However, AUB is ranked 1st in the region for how well its graduates find jobs and for its focus on sustainability.
AUB Medical Center
The AUB Medical Center (AUBMC) is a hospital and teaching center for the Faculty of Medicine. It is a private, non-profit hospital. AUBMC has 420 beds and provides advanced medical care. It also trains doctors, nurses, and other medical staff.
Throughout its history, AUBMC has helped people during conflicts. It cared for injured people during World War I and World War II. It also helped during the Lebanese Civil War and other regional conflicts. More recently, it has provided care for Syrian refugees.
AUB has had a nursing school since 1905. In 2008, AUB's Rafic Hariri School of Nursing became the first school outside the United States to join a major American nursing organization. In 2009, AUBMC received a special award called the Magnet designation. It was the first hospital in the Middle East to get this award.
In 2011, AUB announced a plan called the AUBMC 2020 Vision. This plan included building a new medical complex with 12 buildings. This would allow the hospital to have almost 600 beds. The university wants to be a leader in solving global health challenges.
AUBMC now includes several modern buildings. These include the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing Building and the Pierre Abu Khater Outpatient Building. There are also special centers for treating specific health issues. These centers focus on problems common in the Arab region, like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
American University of Beirut Press
The American University of Beirut Press (also called AUB Press) is a publishing house supported by the university. It publishes books and collections of writings, especially about Lebanon and the Middle East.
The press started in its current form in 1969. In 2001, the university began publishing books under the "American University of Beirut Press" name.
University museums and collections
AUB has three museums for students and visitors to explore:
- The Archaeological Museum is one of the oldest museums in the Near East. It has over 16,000 objects and 10,000 coins. You can see ancient pottery, tools, sculptures, and even musical instruments. The museum has also helped dig up ancient sites in Lebanon and Syria.
- The Geology Museum has a collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils from all over the world. It's a great place for students to learn about Earth's history.
- The Natural History Museum shows the different kinds of plants and animals found in the area. It is famous for its collection of 63,000 plant samples.
AUB also has special collections of old documents and photos. These include important papers about the university's founding in 1866. There are also many materials about Lebanon and the region. These include old maps, photographs, and political posters from the 1940s.
The university is also working to promote art in the region. It has new art spaces, like the Rose and Shaheen Saleeby Museum. This museum has paintings by famous artists from different time periods.
AUB also helps with the Palestinian Oral History Archive (POHA). This project collects stories from people about Palestinian history.
Libraries
The university has several libraries for students and researchers:
- Nami Jafet Memorial Library
- Engineering and Architecture Library
- Saab Medical Library (for medical and health sciences students)
- Science and Agriculture Library
The Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC) in the Beqaa Valley also has a small library.
AUB's libraries have a huge collection of books and other materials. They have over 400,000 print books and more than 1 million electronic books. They also have many online databases for research. Students can access many library resources from anywhere. The libraries also have computer labs and offer workshops to help students use their resources.
Newspaper
AUB Outlook is a student newspaper at the university. It started in 1949 and is run by students. The newspaper is independent and aims to be fair and unbiased.
Accreditation
Accreditation means that a university meets high standards for its education. AUB was first accredited in 2004 by a group called the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. This accreditation has been confirmed several times since then.
Many of AUB's specific programs also have special accreditations. For example, the Public Health Program was the first outside North America to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The nursing programs are also accredited. The Suliman S. Olayan School of Business is accredited by AACSB, a top international agency for business schools. The engineering and architecture programs are accredited by ABET. The Nutrition and Dietetics program is accredited by ACEND.
Notable alumni
AUB has over 64,000 living graduates. They live in more than 120 countries around the world. As mentioned before, 20 AUB graduates helped sign the United Nations Charter in 1945.
One very notable graduate is Angela Jurdak Khoury. She was the first known woman to earn a master's degree from AUB in 1938. She later became Lebanon's first woman diplomat. She received a very high award from Lebanon in 1959.
Other famous women who studied at AUB include:
- Reem Acra: A business graduate who became a well-known fashion designer.
- Zaha Hadid: She studied mathematics at AUB and became a famous architect. She designed the Issam Fares Institute building at AUB.
- Rula Ghani: A former first lady of Afghanistan and was named one of the world's most influential people by Times magazine.
- Ghada El Samman: A famous Arab writer who started her own publishing house.
- Karimeh Abbud: She graduated with a degree in Arabic Literature and is considered the first female photographer in the Arab world.
- Dr. Amal Mudallali: The first Lebanese woman to become Lebanon's UN ambassador.
- Edvick Jureidini Shayboub: A women's rights activist, writer, and radio journalist.
- Lina Abu Akleh: A human rights advocate.
See Also
In Spanish: Universidad Americana de Beirut para niños
- Alumni of the American University of Beirut
- American University (disambiguation) for a list of similarly named institutions
- The American University in Cairo (AUC)
- American University of Sharjah (AUS)
- American University of Iraq - Baghdad (AUB)
- American University of Iraq - Sulaimani (AUI)
- Education in the Ottoman Empire
Images for kids
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Plaque at the university's main gate
