The Lebanese International University was established in April, 2001, as "The Bekaa University" under Presidential Decree No.5294 as, with its grand campus constructed within the western region of the Beqaa Valley; at Al-Khyara, the West Beqaa. Having graduated its first Freshman class in June 2002, a new campus in Beirut was opened and the name was changed to "Lebanese International University", or LIU in short. Another five campuses were later built: next to Sidon in south Lebanon, Tyr, Nabatieh, Tripoli and Mount Lebanon. LIU created buildings in Aden, Sana'a and Taiz in Yemen as well as two additional campuses in Mauritania and Senegal. LIU opened branches also in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Syria.
The campuses
LIU has nine campuses at different locations in Lebanon: Bekaa, Beirut, Saida, Nabatieh, Mount Lebanon, Tripoli, Tyre, Rayak and Halba-Akkar. Each campus provides facilities that include but are not limited to laboratories, libraries, audio visual rooms, and so on. The Bekaa Campus is the ‘mother’ of LIU’s many Lebanon based campuses. It has a main cafeteria with more than 500 seating capacity, several shops and eateries, dormitories for both female and male students, and a wide range of recreational facilities including an Olympic-size pool, a football stadium, several green fields and parking areas. The Beirut Campus is located not far from the Beirut Central District and consists of seven buildings. The campus also has cafeterias; large auditoriums, underground parking, and housing for female and male students in University owned apartment buildings adjacent to campus.
Beirut Campus
The Beirut campus is located within a residential area of Mouseitbeh in west Beirut. It consists of seven buildings, Blocks A to G. The first building, as shown on the picture, is Block-A. This building is about five to six stories high, and the office of the campus manager can be found at the fifth floor. The second building, Block-B, is much larger, and it is about eight stories high. Three stories below, the university has an underground parking space and two auditoriums. Major facilities for students, such as the registration office, the business office, and student affairs office, are located at the first floor of the building. The university cafeteria can also be found in this story. The third building, Block-C, is almost the biggest building among the Blocks, it is about nine stories high. Two stories below considered as parking, Block-C contains at his ninth floor the Mass Communication offices and Specialized Rooms as a Studio equipped with all the needed equipments for the students knowing that the Lebanese International University offers four different Bachelors in the Mass Communication department. Starting Autumn 2011-2012, three new blocks will be founded to acquire the upcoming number of students, named as Block D, E & G made of five stories each, in addition to the dorms made for the transferring students moving from other campuses to Beirut.
Saida Campus
The Saida Campus - the second largest in terms of enrolment among LIU campuses. The campus is situated near the Mediterranean coast, in the center of many educational facilities ranging from public elementary schools to public and private universities. LIU in general and the Tripoli Campus in particular pride itself on establishing the idea of a leader in students and instructors diversity. In its serene and tranquil setting, overlooking the cedars mountain of Lebanon and the City of Tripoli, in this widely open bell view of this urban area, where reality of learning takes over the dreams. The true diversity of the Lebanese textile interacts together in the most harmonious.
Nabatieh Campus
The Nabatieh Campus with its artistic buildings that are imbued with modern Lebanese touch have state-of-the-art computer, technology, biomedical, chemical, nutrition and food sciences, and engineering laboratories, arts and design studios, besides the roomy classes and exam halls. Students facilities are not only limited to an ever-growing shelf and e-library, but also encapsulate a warm atmosphere cafeteria and a set of sports courts and a green field. The Mount-Lebanon Campus located in the eastern suburb of Jdedieh lies in the center of a residential commercial area which makes most of the malls and shopping centers easily accessible. The campus also houses a cafeteria, computer labs equipped with the latest software, and hi tech engineering and science laboratories properly equipped to help students develop their practical and analytical skills, and an instructional resource center that encompasses ample variety of books, periodicals and article as well as internet access.
Tyre Campus
The Tyre Campus is the first university in history of the Tyre region which offers students a choice from more than 40 degree programs. Surrounded by wide green areas, the Campus is located in a vital region and is feasibly reachable by students from tens of villages to the South, East and North of Tyre. The Rayak and Halba-Akkar campus is the newest of LIU campuses.
International expansion
In September 2006, the university announced the opening of its Yemeni campus in Sana'a. The University also has campuses in Yemen, Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania.
The School of Arts & Sciences includes the following different Majors: Degrees Offered The School of Arts & Sciences offers programs leading to the Bachelor Degrees in all major areas listed above. The School also offers a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology as a Graduate Program.
The Scope is the official student-run magazine published by the Lebanese International University. It covers LIU news on all campuses as well as recent accomplishments by schools, instructors and students.
Name Change
In June 2017, LIU changed its name to International University of Beirut in all but the Bekaa campuses - Khiara and Rayak - where it remained LIU.
