University of Balamand


The University of Balamand is a private university in northern El-Koura, Lebanon. The university is affiliated with the Orthodox Church in Lebanon">Eastern Orthodox Church">Orthodox Church in Lebanon, but operates as a quasi-secular institution, welcoming faculty, students, and staff from all faiths and national or ethnic origins.
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Name

The name ā€˜Balamandā€™ comes from, ā€œBel monde,ā€ a French description which was the first given name for the ā€œbeautiful worldā€ the Crusaders discovered after crossing Tripoli city in the twelfth century. Such naming is not unique; for example ā€œBellaā€ village, one of the most picturesque spots in Becharreh region and ā€œTerre belleā€ an almost 500 meters high volcanic mountain reigning over Tripoli city, are two of hundreds if not thousands of European-origin names given to city and towns names in Lebanon.

History

It was founded by the Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch in 1988.
The University of Balamand was founded by the Patriarch through the inspiration and endorsement of the Orthodox Antiochan committee, 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.
Formerly conceived as just a project in the Koura District, it fused administratively with the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts and St. [John of Damascus Institute of Theology] to become a full-blown university.
As of 2014, the implementation of its Master Plan at the mount of long heritage, Balamand, proceeds steadily.

Divisions

Administratively, the university consists of 9 faculties:
The university's main campus is adjacent to Balamand Monastery, but it has three other campuses in Dekwaneh Beirut, Souk El Gharb and Beino Akkar.

Notable alumni