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. The student body represents 45 countries.[13]
In 1839, French Jesuit missionaries came to Beirut and established a modest French catholic school.[15] Later, in 1855, the Jesuits missionaries 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.[3]
The creation of faculties and institutes gradually followed the establishment of the university. For instance, 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. Today, the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy has a reputation for excellence in education and research in the region.[8] 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.[16]
The School for French Law was established in 1913 under the patronage of the University of Lyon.[17] The Institute for Political Sciences was first established in 1920 and is now known as "SciencesPo Beyrouth."[18] 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 a rigorous and comprehensive approach to legal education, covering both French and Lebanese law in their entirety.[19] Students have the opportunity to study these legal systems side by side, exploring the similarities and differences between them. Most of the major law classes are taught in French. The Faculty of Law enjoys a strong reputation in corporate law, family law, private international law,[20] as well as in other areas of international law. Current faculty members have contributed to the development of the law in France, Lebanon, the Gulf countries, and other regions of the world.[18] The Institute of Political Science offers the Arab Master's in Democracy and Human Rights, widely regarded as the most prestigious program of its kind in the Arab world.[21]
A statue of Saint Joseph in the Social Sciences Campus commonly known as "Huvelin."
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.[22] For many years, USJ held a monopolistic position in engineering education in Lebanon and the Levant, training the first generations of engineers in the region.[23]
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.")[8] The university ranks very high for the quality of its publications.[26]
Academics
Saint Joseph University of Beirut has been consistently ranked as the second-best[27] university in Lebanon, and it has a historical rivalry with the top English-speaking university, the American University of Beirut (AUB).[2] 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.[5][6][7][28]
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:[29]
Faculty of Medicine (French: Faculté de médecine (FM)) which was founded in 1883. It operates a large university hospital, the Hotêl-Dieu de France, and includes:
The School of Midwifery (French: École de sage-femmes (ESF)) founded in 1922
The Institute of Physical Therapy (French: Institut de physiothérapie (IPHY)) founded in 1956
The Institute of Psychomotor Therapy (French: Institut de psychomotricité (IPM)) founded in 1999
The Higher Institute of Speech and Language Therapy (French: Institut supérieur d'orthophonie (ISO)) founded in 1966
The Institute of Occupational Therapy (French: Institut d'ergothérapie (IET)) founded in 2016
The Higher Institute of Public Health (French: Institut supérieur de santé publique (ISSP)) founded in 2016
Faculty of Pharmacy (French: Faculté de Pharmacie (FP)) founded in 1889 and which includes:
The School of Medical Laboratory Scientists (French: École de techniciens de laboratoires d'analyses médicales (ETLAM)) founded in 1946
The Institute of Oriental Letters (French: Institut de lettres orientales (ILO)) founded in 1936 and focused mainly on Arabic literature, islamic philosophy, islamic studies, and education in Arab countries
The Lebanese School of Social Work (French: École Libanaise de Formation Sociale (ELFS)) founded in 1948
The Institute of Theatre, Audiovisual, and Cinema Studies (French: Institut d'Études Scéniques, audiovisuelles, et cinématographiques (IESAV)) founded in 1988Logo of USJ's Institute of Theatre, Audiovisual, and Cinema Studies (IESAV). Nadine Labaki, a distinguished alumna of IESAV, shines as a prominent figure in the realm of artistic achievements.
Faculty of Languages and Translation (French: Faculté des langues et de traduction (FdLT)) founded in 1980 and which includes:
The School of Translators and Interpreters of Beirut (French: École de traducteurs et d'interprètes de Beyrouth (ETIB))
The Center for Modern Languages (French: Centre des Langues Vivantes (CLV))
Faculty of Education Sciences (French: Faculté des sciences de l'éducation (FSédu)) which includes:
The Lebanese Institute for Educators (French: Institut libanais d'éducateurs(ILE))
Faculty of Religious Sciences (French: Faculté des sciences religieuses (FSR)) with a long and rich history going all the way back to 1875. It includes:
The Higher Institute of Religious Sciences (French: Institut supérieur de sciences religieuses (ISSR)) established in 1980
Institute of Islamo-Christian Studies (French: Institut d'études islamo-chrétiennes (IEIC)) founded in 1977
Law, Political Science
Faculty of Law and Political Science (French: Faculté de droit et des sciences politiques (FDSP)) founded in 1913 and reorganized in 1946. It includes:
The Institute of Political Science (known as "SciencesPo Beyrouth") (French: Institut des Sciences Politiques (ISP)) founded in 1920
The Center for Legal Studies in the Arab World (French: Centre d'études des droits du monde arabe (CEDROMA)). CEDROMA was founded in 1997 following a partnership agreement between the University and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Its purpose is to promote a better understanding of the laws of Arab countries through a comparative law approach, particularly in relation to French law
University for All (French: Université Pour Tous (UPT)). UPT provides advanced-level courses that are accessible to everyone in Lebanon, without any requirements or registration, and do not confer academic degrees.
University Chapel, the Saint Joseph Church of the Jesuit Fathers on Monnot Street.
International cooperation
USJ has more than 275 partnerships with foreign universities, most notably with Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It also has more than 200 professors on missions abroad and a large administrative office in Paris, France.
The university belongs to the following associations which directly link it to over a 100 American, Arab, Canadian, and European universities:
^"L'USJ en chiffres" [The USJ in figures]. USJ.edu.lb (in French). St. Joseph University. 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
^ a bHerzstein, Rafaël (March 2010). "Une présence française en Méditerranée orientale : la fondation de l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (1875–1914)". Matériaux Pour l'Histoire de Notre Temps (3): 4–11. doi:10.3917/mate.099.0004. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^ a bHerzstein, Rafael (July 2008). "Saint-Joseph University of Beirut: An Enclave of the French-Speaking Communities in the Levant, 1875–1914". Itinerario. 32 (2): 67–82. doi:10.1017/S0165115300001996. ISSN 2041-2827. S2CID 154804454.
^Herzstein, Rafaël (2017). "La création de l'Université Saint-Joseph à Beyrouth (1875–1914)". Outre-Mers: 321–327. doi:10.3917/om.171.0321. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^ a b"Six universités libanaises dans le top 50 du classement arabe". L'Orient-Le Jour. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
^ a b"Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ)". www.fiuc.org. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^ a breporters, T. H. E. (14 December 2021). "Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2021: winners announced". Times Higher Education (THE). Retrieved 20 September 2022.
^ a b c"L'Université Saint-Joseph : diversification des formations, ouverture sur le monde et recherche". L'Orient-Le Jour. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^"USJ – 90 ans au compteur de la faculté de droit et des sciences politiques de l'Université Saint-Joseph Les premières promotions ont constitué l'épine dorsale de la vie publique (photo)". L'Orient-Le Jour. 3 November 2003. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^"Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ)". fiuc.org. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^"La faculté de droit de l'USJ fête ses cent ans : un établissement qui a pesé sur le destin du Liban". L'Orient-Le Jour. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^""Béryte, mère des lois" : plus qu'une devise, un legs historique pour la "thaoura" libanaise". L'Orient-Le Jour. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^"Programs in English 2021-2022" (PDF). usj.edu.lb. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
^"Saint Joseph University – Beirut". usj.edu.lb. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^ a b c d e f g hÉtienne F. Augé (2016). "Éducation et culture". Liban. De Boeck Supérieur. ISBN 9782804191078.
^Herzstein, Rafaël (1 December 2011). "Une présence française en Méditerranée orientale : la fondation de l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (1875-1914), French Presence in the Eastern Mediterranean : the Foundation of the Saint Joseph University in Beirut (1875–1914)". Matériaux Pour l'Histoire de Notre Temps (in French). 99 (99): 4–11. doi:10.3917/mate.099.0004. ISSN 0769-3206.
^"Entretien avec Fouad Maroun – 1875-2015 : l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth fête ses 140 ans - Les clés du Moyen-Orient". www.lesclesdumoyenorient.com (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2017.
^ a b"Site de l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth - USJ". www.usj.edu.lb. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^"Site de l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth - USJ". www.usj.edu.lb. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
^Gannagé, Pierre (2000). "Regards sur le droit international privé des Etats du Proche-Orient". Revue internationale de droit comparé. 52 (2): 417–427. doi:10.3406/ridc.2000.18102.
^"The Arab Master Programme on Democracy and Human Rights | The Danish Institute for Human Rights". www.humanrights.dk. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^"History". USJ.edu.lb. St. Joseph University. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
^Beyhum, Nabil; Tabet, Jade (1990). "Le rôle social des ingénieurs au Liban, idéologies de formation et stratégies sociales". MOM Éditions. 4 (1): 291–307.
^Nabil Sukkar (2017). "Forging Research Links Between Academia, Business and Industry in Syria and Lebanon". In Gómez, Aboujaoude; Feghali, Mahmoud (eds.). Modernizing Academic Teaching and Research in Business and Economics. Springer. p. 185.
^"Master Web Science et économie numérique". USJ.edu.lb. St. Joseph University. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
^"USNEWS rankings". Retrieved 8 October 2017.
^Chrabieh, Pamela (19 April 2013). "Where is Lebanon in World's university ranking?". pchrabieh.blogspot.se. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
^"Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth Rankings". topuniversities.com. Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
^"Université Saint-Joseph USJ". www.higher-edu.gov.lb. Retrieved 9 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
^"La faculté de droit de l'USJ fête ses cent ans : un établissement qui a pesé sur le destin du Liban". L'Orient-Le Jour. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
^"Bibliothèque Orientale de l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth". Retrieved 9 October 2017.
^"Ranked N° 3 Université Saint Joseph - Faculté de Gestion et de Management (FGM) in Lebanon among the 3 palms". www.eduniversal-ranking.com. Retrieved 9 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
^Rola el Husseini (2004). "Lebanon: Building political dynasties". In Volker Perthes (ed.). Arab Elites: Negotiating the Politics of Change. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 9781588262660.
^ a b c"La composition du nouveau gouvernement". www.lorientlejour.com. L'Orient Le Jour. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
^Amikam Nachmani, (1987) Israel, Turkey and Greece: Uneasy Relations in the East Mediterranean Routledge, ISBN 0-7146-3321-6 p 4
^Eliyahu Sasson: Public Activities Knesset website
^Joelle Khoury listed as having attended Saint Joseph University on page at brunel.ac.uk
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Université Saint-Joseph.