American University of Beirut stands tall in spite of all that Lebanon has endured

The entrance to the American University of Beirut, which was founded in 1866. Getty Images

In a region that desperately needs shining examples of resilience, perseverance and growth under the most difficult circumstances, the American University of Beirut remains a towering beacon of excellence. This month, AUB’s first Lebanese president, Fadlo Khuri, commemorates a decade at the helm of this unique institution.

AUB is unlike most outposts of American education in the Arab world. It was founded in 1866 as the Syrian Protestant College, and was registered and remains accredited as a New York state university. A degree from AUB isn’t an American-style education or from a satellite campus of a US university, but a fully accredited US university degree.

The legacy of the institution is prodigious and much of its gorgeous campus dates back well into the 19th century. It has produced countless world-class scholars and continues to add to that profound body of knowledge, particularly in its medical school.

When Dr Khuri – for full disclosure, a good friend of mine since we were infants – inherited the leadership of the school, there was considerable alienation among the faculty and student body. The first thing he did to stabilise the institution, by no means an easy feat, was to restore the institution of tenure for faculty. This is essential for allowing the academic freedom necessary for true scholarship to function, and is considered a rarity in the region.

The catalogue of crises that have stricken Lebanon, and therefore AUB, during his tenure can hardly be overstated. By my count, there has been one major challenge for every year of his decade in leadership – many of them almost immeasurable.

First was the huge “thawra” protests against all established leaders following a madcap effort to tax WhatsApp use, which led to the downfall of the government. Shortly thereafter was the Beirut Port explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear urban explosions in human history, which devastated much of the city.

Third came a total economic collapse when it became clear that most of the money supposedly held in the banking system had been surreptitiously stolen and removed to parts unknown by persons unknown, rendering most bank account holders utterly impoverished and the Lebanese currency devalued by more than 90 per cent.

Fourth, Lebanon was hit with a gigantic wave of about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, straining all social services. Fifth, the country was hit by recurrent waves of wildfires that destroyed much of the countryside.

Sixth, the judicial system melted down, proving completely incapable of investigating either the port explosion or the robbery of most of the money supposedly held in the banking system. Seventh was a protracted period of political paralysis following the completion of the term of president Michel Aoun.

Eighth, the Covid-19 pandemic hit Lebanon along with the entire globe – although AUB was instrumental in getting virtually the whole country eventually vaccinated.

People receive a Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine dose during a coronavirus vaccination campaign at Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, on February 16, 2021. Reuters

Ninth, the national infrastructure remains in deep debilitation, and in some senses in decline.

And finally came the devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah last year and the subsequent cancellation of Unifil, the UN peacekeeping mission in that part of the Levant.

AUB has remained largely untouched by all sides during the various conflicts that have swirled around it since 1975

That’s one shattering crisis per year of his tenure. So it’s all the more extraordinary that AUB remains such a dynamic and potent presence. It is the second-largest employer in the country after the government. And under Dr Khuri’s leadership, it has established an online learning centre and a second campus in Cyprus – part of the university’s well-thought through “Vital 2030 Strategy”. Any country in the region ought to be honoured to host a third or even a fourth such outpost.

The university’s world-class hospital has provided invaluable medical care for crises running from the pandemic to the 2024 war.

Remarkably, in the last year AUB jumped forward 91 slots in the US news global education ranking. In the QS world rankings, it was placed in the top 17 per cent of universities globally. But what really makes AUB stand out is the combination of its commitment to excellence and to humanistic, tolerant, diverse and secular values in a region that often falls victim to irrational prejudices, suspicions or unjustifiable preferences.

Dr Khuri has chosen to lead by example, working tirelessly on behalf of all communities in Lebanon and beyond, and seeking to make sure that the university is an asset not merely to its students and faculty but to the community in general. It has worked hard to revive traditional crafts in rural villages. And it has sought to integrate public service, especially to local underserved communities, as part of its training and degree programmes.

AUB has remained largely untouched by all sides during the various conflicts that have swirled around it since 1975 – with the obvious exceptions of the assassination of its then-president Malcolm Kerr in 1984, some kidnappings and the bombing of its College Hall clock tower in 1991.

One key reason has been the university’s steadfast refusal to take sides in any confrontation. But another is the fact that almost all factions in Lebanon have recognised that they benefit from the ongoing vitality of the university and would gain nothing by destroying it.

While the 10 years under Dr Khuri have been beyond tumultuous, they have also given the university an opportunity – that he has taken full advantage of – to strongly reinforce this understanding among potential antagonists. Even when the government can’t function, AUB can and does.

If someone’s legs have been blown off, no one at the hospital is going to stop and interrogate them about their political orientation. And all Lebanese students, plus huge numbers from abroad, are welcome to apply on an equal basis.

The university has thrived over the past 10 years, but it has had to endure exceptionally painful cuts in budget and staff because of the financial and other crises besetting the country. It richly deserves much more support from western and Arab donors and funders, including individuals, institutions and governments.

The rate of return on investment in terms of the functionality, civility, stability and productivity of the region cannot be overstated. And as he reaches this milestone of 10 unbelievably tumultuous and trying years at the helm of this flagship university, Dr Fadlo Khuri deserves a hearty round of collective regional and global applause and continued support.