Saint Joseph University of Beirut (French: Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, commonly known as USJ) is a private Catholic research university in Beirut, Lebanon, founded in 1875 by French Jesuit missionaries and subsidized by the Government of France during the time when Lebanon was under Ottoman rule. As the oldest French university in Lebanon, it promotes Lebanese culture and upholds a policy of equal admission opportunity without consideration of ethno-religious affiliations. It advocates trilingual education, offering instruction in Arabic, French, and English. It is known in Lebanon and the Middle East for its university hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu de France, and for its Faculty of Law, modern Lebanon's oldest law school and the first law school in Lebanon since the ancient Roman law school of Berytus. The 12,650-student enrollment is served by an academic staff of 2,000 and a support staff of 540, distributed over its 13 faculties, 24 institutes and schools, across five campuses in Beirut, with regional university centers in Sidon, Tripoli, and Zahlé, as well as one foreign center, the USJ-Dubai, located in Dubai, UAE. USJ is the only university in the Middle East and the Arab world to follow the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), as well as having official recognition and compliance with the higher education regulations of Lebanon. USJ has partnerships with over 275 institutions in 42 countries, including Francophone, Jesuit, and Arab universities.

History

In 1839, French Jesuit missionaries, including Maksymilian Stanisław Ryłło, came to Beirut and established a modest French Catholic school. Later, in 1855, the Jesuits founded a bigger seminary-college in Ghazir. The seminary moved to Beirut in 1875, where it merged with the first school established earlier in 1839. Public authorities quickly graced the new school with the title of "university," which allowed it to grant academic degrees, with a focus on doctoral degrees in philosophy and theology. In his audience of 25 February 1881, Pope Leo XIII bestowed the title of pontifical university on USJ. The Institute of Medicine, founded in 1883, became the French Faculty of Medicine in 1888, and later the French Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in 1889. A maternity clinic opened in 1896, followed by the Oriental College in 1902. The university has since been noted for establishing a continuous French presence in the eastern Mediterranean. The School for French Law was established in 1913 under the patronage of the University of Lyon. The Institute for Political Sciences was first established in 1920 and is now known as "SciencesPo Beyrouth." They both evolved into the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Saint Joseph University in 1946. Today, the Faculty of Law continues to offer education covering both French and Lebanese law. Most of the major law classes are taught in French. The Faculty of Law offers courses in corporate law, family law, private international law, as well as in other areas of international law. The Institute of Political Science offers the Arab Master's in Democracy and Human Rights. The French School of Engineering also founded in 1913 became the Higher School for Engineering of Beirut (French: École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Beyrouth (ESIB)) in 1948. For many years, USJ offered the only engineering education in Lebanon and the Levant, training the first generations of engineers in the region. The university launched Berytech, a business development center, in 2008. In 2012, the Faculty of Economics launched a new master's degree in web science and digital economy, the first of its kind in the Middle East region. The saying goes that "[i]t is Saint Joseph University of Beirut that has healed, legislated, and built Lebanon." (French: "C’est l’USJ qui a soigné, légiféré, et construit le Liban.") The university ranks very high for the quality of its publications.

Academics

Saint Joseph University of Beirut has been consistently ranked as the second-best university in Lebanon, and it has a historical rivalry with the top English-speaking university, the American University of Beirut (AUB). It has also established itself as the foremost French university in the nation and ranks among the most prestigious academic institutions in the Middle East. The University has 13 faculties, 24 institutes and schools, spread out across five campuses in the city of Beirut, as well as regional centers in three other major cities of Lebanon, and a foreign center in Dubai. It is structured as follows: The Social Sciences Campus (commonly known as "Huvelin" after its founder Paul-Louis Huvelin) is known for its competitive bachelor programs that prepare students to pursue advanced master's degrees in top business and law schools in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, other Member States of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada. Additionally, USJ proudly showcases prestigious institutions such as the Center for Arab Christian Research and Documentation (French: Centre de documentation et de recherches arabes chrétiennes (CEDRAC)), the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory, the Mim Museum for minerals and fossils and its two theaters: Le Béryte and Théâtre Monnot. USJ houses the Bibliothèque Orientale, one of the oldest and most prominent research libraries of the Near East, and a repository for ancient valuable Oriental books and manuscripts. The business school has received an "excellent" ranking from Eduniversal.

Campuses

Saint Joseph University of Beirut campuses include: The three regional centers are located in Sidon (Southern Lebanon), Zahlé (Beqaa Valley), and Tripoli (Northern Lebanon). In 2008, Saint Joseph University opened Saint Joseph University - Dubai, a branch that offers a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a Master of Laws (LLM), and a Master of Arts (MA) in translation. The campus is located in the Dubai International Academic City. The university is accredited by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority of the Emirate of Dubai.

Notable alumni and academics

USJ's graduates includes seven Lebanese Presidents, a Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon, two Presidents of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon, Governors of the Banque du Liban, numerous legislators, ministers, judges, and high-ranking civil servants, including Commanders of the Lebanese Armed Forces and executives of the Internal Security Forces.