University of Balamand
Encyclopedia
The University of Balamand (UOB; ) is a private, secular university
located at El-Koura
, Lebanon
. It was founded by the Orthodox
Patriarch
Ignatius IV of Antioch
in 1988. The university's main campus is adjacent to Balamand Monastery
, but it has two other campuses in Beirut
: One is in Sin el Fil
, which houses the majority of the faculty for fine art
s, and the other is neighbouring Saint George Hospital in Achrafieh
, which houses the faculty for medicine
and medical sciences.
Formerly, it was a project at the Koura District
, which North Lebanon
’s department came to continue as an inter-cultural message in 1988, and to fuse under its administration the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts
(ALBA) and Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology.
The University of Balamand was founded by the Patriarch through the concept of a Kouranian
engineer called Elias Abi Shaheen, in which the concept formed between years 1983 and 1987, in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War
. The project started soon after Governmental Clearance in 1988.
As of 2010, the Master Plan at the mount of long heritage in the Balamand region, is still incomplete.
There are also plans for future faculties which include:
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located at El-Koura
Koura District
Koura or El Koura is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon.Koura is one of the 36 districts of Lebanon, which is very popular for the olive tree cultivation. It is known by its dark green color....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. It was founded by the Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Ignatius IV of Antioch
Ignatius IV of Antioch
Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and All The East is the current primate of the "Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East".-Life:...
in 1988. The university's main campus is adjacent to Balamand Monastery
Balamand Monastery
The Balamand Monastery , is an Antiochian Orthodox monastery founded in 1157 in Balamand near Tripoli, Lebanon.- References :...
, but it has two other campuses in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
: One is in Sin el Fil
Sin el Fil
-Etymology:The name literally translates "tooth" of "the elephant" . Being geographically closer to the ancient city of Antioch and far remote from natural elephant habitat, it is believed that the town name may have been a derogation of Saint Theophilus of Antioch.-Geography:With a rich red soil...
, which houses the majority of the faculty for fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s, and the other is neighbouring Saint George Hospital in Achrafieh
Achrafieh
Achrafieh, , is one of the oldest Christian districts of East Beirut, Lebanon.-Overview:It is located on a hill in the eastern part of Beirut alongside the shore. Achrafieh is both a residential and commercial district characterized by narrow winding streets and prestigious large apartment and...
, which houses the faculty for medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and medical sciences.
Formerly, it was a project at the Koura District
Koura District
Koura or El Koura is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon.Koura is one of the 36 districts of Lebanon, which is very popular for the olive tree cultivation. It is known by its dark green color....
, which North Lebanon
North Lebanon
North Lebanon may refer to:*North Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania*North Governorate, Lebanon...
’s department came to continue as an inter-cultural message in 1988, and to fuse under its administration the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts
Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts
The Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts was originally a stand-alone Lebanese institute, now one of the nine current faculties at the University of Balamand, teaching courses in fine art. It was founded in 1937, and it was the first national institution of higher education in Lebanon...
(ALBA) and Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology.
The University of Balamand was founded by the Patriarch through the concept of a Kouranian
Koura District
Koura or El Koura is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon.Koura is one of the 36 districts of Lebanon, which is very popular for the olive tree cultivation. It is known by its dark green color....
engineer called Elias Abi Shaheen, in which the concept formed between years 1983 and 1987, in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
. The project started soon after Governmental Clearance in 1988.
As of 2010, the Master Plan at the mount of long heritage in the Balamand region, is still incomplete.
Faculties
The university consists of nine faculties since the year 2000, and they are as follows:- Lebanese Academy of Fine ArtsLebanese Academy of Fine ArtsThe Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts was originally a stand-alone Lebanese institute, now one of the nine current faculties at the University of Balamand, teaching courses in fine art. It was founded in 1937, and it was the first national institution of higher education in Lebanon...
(Found in both the main campus and Sin el FilSin el Fil-Etymology:The name literally translates "tooth" of "the elephant" . Being geographically closer to the ancient city of Antioch and far remote from natural elephant habitat, it is believed that the town name may have been a derogation of Saint Theophilus of Antioch.-Geography:With a rich red soil...
) - Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Business and Management
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Saint George’s Faculty of Post Graduate Medical Education (Found in the AchrafiehAchrafiehAchrafieh, , is one of the oldest Christian districts of East Beirut, Lebanon.-Overview:It is located on a hill in the eastern part of Beirut alongside the shore. Achrafieh is both a residential and commercial district characterized by narrow winding streets and prestigious large apartment and...
campus) - Faculty of Medicine & Medical Sciences (Found in the Achrafieh campus)
There are also plans for future faculties which include:
- The Issam Fares Institute and Technology (To be founded in Beino, AkkarAkkar DistrictAkkar is a district in the North Governorate, Lebanon. It covers an area of and has a population of 198,174. The capital lies at Halba....
) - Programs for arts and social sciences, business and management, engineering, health sciences for a new University of Balamand campus in Souk El-Gharb.
- A seven-story Balamand hospital in El-Koura (to be constructed)
External links
- Official website
- http://www.cin.org/east/balamand.html