The Lebanese University, represented by its President Dr. Bassam Badran, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Directorate General of the Presidency of the Republic, represented by its Director General Dr. Antoine Choucair, in the presence of a number of deans of the university, as well as the Director General and senior officials of the Presidency of the Republic.

In welcoming President Badran and the university delegation, President Joseph Aoun affirmed that the Lebanese University is not merely an academic institution, but rather the educational conscience of the state and the institution in which Lebanon has placed its trust as a weapon against ignorance and marginalization and as a strategic bet on the human being in the absence of other resources.

He added: "The Lebanese University was born out of a national need to be a university for all Lebanese, with no distinction between one region and another, nor between the wealthy and the poor. Over the decades, the University has produced the best doctors, engineers, lawyers, and scientists who have held Lebanon’s name high wherever they went; it is the factory from which leaders have emerged, and the laboratory where the conscience of generations is shaped. For all these reasons, investing in it is an investment in the country itself.”

President Aoun considered this memorandum a national commitment to ensure that constitutional institutions serve as a pillar for academic institutions, and that the university, in turn, supports national policies in research and knowledge.

Dr. Choucair delivered a speech in which he said:

"The memorandum of understanding with the Lebanese University is an important step toward strengthening cooperation and advancing the work of our institutions, as well as a qualitative plan for capacity-building and skills development among professors and students of the national university and employees of the Office of the President in several fields, most notably training, organizing specialized workshops, holding scientific seminars, and exchanging documents, information, statistics, and scientific research.

Dr. Choucair expressed his hope that this partnership would establish a pioneering model to be emulated in cooperation between institutions and public administrations, thereby promoting the public interest.

President Badran delivered a speech in which he said:

“It is an honor for me, on behalf of the Lebanese University, to stand in this national and unifying institution to sign a cooperation agreement with the Directorate General of the Presidency of the Republic, embodying a shared commitment to serving the nation and its people.

Since its founding in 1951, the Lebanese University has been an incubator for generations who have shouldered the responsibility of building the country and society.

Today, as we renew our commitment with the Directorate-General, we affirm that education is not an end in itself, but rather a national mission that translates into serving the citizen and upholding the values of freedom, justice, and human dignity.

By signing this agreement, the Lebanese University declares its commitment to being an active partner of the Directorate-General in all efforts that strengthen national unity, foster a culture of citizenship, and unleash the potential of Lebanese youth toward a brighter future.

It also reaffirms the university’s position at the heart of the state and reinforces the firm conviction that knowledge is the cornerstone of national policy-making and the preservation of a unifying identity.

This agreement will enable the Lebanese University to actively participate in strategic projects across all fields, and will contribute to the empowerment of youth by involving them in national programs under the Directorate’s supervision, thereby strengthening their sense of belonging and channeling their energies toward community service.

We believe that the Lebanese University and the Directorate General of the Presidency complement each other in this agreement and share in promoting Lebanon’s image: a homeland of mission, a space for human dignity, and a field for creativity and innovation.

Let this agreement be a clear declaration: “That the cooperation between these two institutions converges in a single project, the project of national renaissance for the sake of Lebanon, the mission, and humanity.”

President Badran concluded: “Allow me to thank His Excellency President Joseph Aoun for his support for the Lebanese University.”

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