Under the patronage of President Bassam Badran, the Department of History at the Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences — Branch 4, in collaboration with the Scientific Research Center in Azhar Albekaa, the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Beirut, the Arab Academics and Scientists Union, and the Lebanese International University, organized the first international scientific conference entitled “The Bekaa in History — People, Place, Memory.”

The two-day conference, hosted by Azhar Albekaa, brought together a select group of researchers from Lebanon and several Arab countries. Its program featured 90 research papers distributed across 15 sessions covering the history of the Bekaa from ancient and medieval times through the modern and contemporary eras.

During the conference’s opening ceremony, President Bassam Badran announced that work is underway to lay the cornerstone for the Lebanese University building in Zahle, emphasizing that the university’s role extends beyond education to the preservation of national memory.

He added: “The conference’s themes constitute a comprehensive map of knowledge, enabling researchers to shed light on various aspects of this region’s history, to connect the past with the present, and to look toward the future through a rigorous scholarly analysis.”

President Badran considered that holding this conference in the Bekaa is not merely an investment in the location, but rather a declaration that human beings are capable of transforming their memory into living history, and to make his land a beacon of science and culture.

He concluded by saying: “Let us all remain faithful to this mission, and let us make this conference the beginning of a long journey of research and cooperation, so that the Bekaa may remain a testament to the fact that Lebanon, despite all challenges, is a homeland alive with its memory, rich in its people, and firmly rooted in its place.”

The Mufti of Zahle and the Bekaa, Dr. Sheikh Ali al-Ghazawi, affirmed that an understanding of the Bekaa’s history is inseparable from an understanding of Lebanon’s present and future, stressing that the Bekaa is not a marginal region within the state and calling for balanced development that preserves the Bekaa’s role and national standing.

Sheikh al-Ghazawi called for sound governance of the state and adherence to the Constitution and Taif Agreement, noting that the balanced development stipulated by the Taif Agreement constitutes a fundamental gateway to achieving justice among regions and strengthening the state’s presence.

Archimandrite Dr. Elie Bou Chaaya delivered a speech on behalf of Archbishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, Archbishop of Furzol - Zahle, and the Bekaa for the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, affirming that the Bekaa is a land of life, generosity, thought, history, and civilization.

Following that, MP Hassan Mourad, Chairman of Parliamentary Education Committee, spoke, affirming that the Bekaa is an open chapter in the history of the Arab Levant and a corridor for civilizations and the convergence of peoples, noting the importance of the conference as an academic forum for examining the past, linking it to the present, and envisioning a future for Lebanon based on partnership, science, culture, and balanced development.

Conference Chair Dr. Ahmad Rabah emphasized that the Bekaa is not merely a geographical area but is the history of Lebanon itself, while the Director of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, former Minister Dr. Nasser Yassin, stressed that the lack of development in the Bekaa is unjustifiable.

Dr. Soha El Samad, Dean of the Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences and conference supervisor, highlighted the Bekaa’s historical role in the emergence of civilizations and trade routes in the region.

Dean El Samad emphasized that this conference lies at the heart of the mission of the Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences, which views scientific research as a tool for rediscovering Lebanon in all its regions, diversity, and richness.

Dr. Youssef Akoury, Director of FLHS — Branch 4, emphasized the importance of strengthening scientific cooperation and research studies between the Lebanese University and its partner institutions.

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