Strengthening roots in Lebanon as AUB stays put: University President

  • Date: 08-Feb-2021
  • Source: Al Arabiya
  • Sector:Education
  • Country:Lebanon
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Strengthening roots in Lebanon as AUB stays put: University President

The American journalist David Ignatius penned an op-ed last summer entitled: "The American University of Beirut deserves our aid.“

His plea to help AUB, came on the heels of an unprecedented drop in revenue due to, among other things, the collapse of the local currency.

TheLebanese economy is in a shambles with rampant corruption. Led by a failing political class that has been in power for decades, governance is seeped in cronyism and sectarianism at its core.

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Nationwide, anti-government protests continue, and the fragile situation in education is palpable.

Students, who traditionally were able to pay their fees in Lebanese pounds or US dollars saw tuition costs rise at AUB, exacerbated by a national shortage of the greenback, and an almost 80 percent devaluation of the local currency.

This, in turn, led to a dramatic drop in revenues at AUB, from both tuition fees and patients visiting the university's hospital, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC).

AUB President Fadlo Khuri pressed ahead with efforts to increase funding for the university, despite several media campaigns set out to tarnish the school's longstanding reputation.

Most recently, reports suggested that Khuri met with regional