American University of Beirut

The American University of Beirut (AUB) is a private, independent, non-sectarian university founded in 1866 in Beirut, Lebanon. It was originally founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in the 19th century. The name was changed to American University of Beirut on November 18, 1920.

Related Topics:
University - 1866 - Beirut - Lebanon - American - 19th century - November 18 - 1920

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AUB is a rigorous liberal arts college that features excellent programs in medicine and engineering. As a matter of fact, many have considered it to be the most important educational institution in the modern Middle East. Several notable political and social theorists, revolutionaries, and scholars have been a product of the school.

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The 73-acre AUB campus lies on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea on one side, and borders Bliss Street on the other. Bliss Steet is riddled with restaurants and is a popular hangout for students attending the university. Since AUB's campus is a closed campus, it is possible to enter the university through gates, namely Main Gate (facing Bliss Street), Medical Gate (near the American University Hospital), and Sea Gate (at the foor of the hill).

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On November 11, 1991, AUB's main administration building, College Hall, was the target of a car bomb that demolished it, and toppled its famous clock tower, which, for a century and a quarter, had been the symbol of the institution. It was rebuilt and re-inaugurated in 1999, and now boasts one of the most advanced security systems in the world.

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The current President of the university is Dr. John Waterbury.

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