Higher Education Capacity Development Program

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon:

Context and Considerations for HECD

January 2020

Jeffrey Ayala Milligan

Florida State University Learning Systems Institute

This study is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID.) The contents of this are the sole responsibility of Education
Development Center, Inc. (EDC) and Florida State University (FSU) and do not necessarily reflect the views
of USAID or the United States Government.
Executive Summary
Higher education in Lebanon seems caught between a proud history of providing high-quality university
education to local and regional elites and an economically uncertain present that cannot absorb their
graduates and does not need the skills the system has traditionally equipped them with. This challenge is
exacerbated by a decline in opportunities abroad, the traditional safety valve for highly educated
Lebanese. The system badly needs a greater degree of communication, cooperation and collaboration
with the employer sector but is hampered in doing so by the lack of effective policies and labor market
data traditionally provided by governments, the lack of institutional structures and processes designed to
facilitate that employer engagement, and a lack of confidence among employers in universities’ capacity
and willingness to meet their needs. The result is high levels of unemployment, underemployment and
social unrest among the youth which threatens the political stability of the Lebanese government and
disrupts hope for economic recovery.
The ongoing economic and political crises, along with the lingering effects of the war in
neighboring Syria, create environing conditions that HECD has little control over but which, nevertheless,
have a significant impact on HECD’s abilities to achieve its goals. That said, there are areas in which HECD
can work with partner universities to improve this particular part of the educational and economic picture.
These areas include a) enhanced engagement, communication and cooperation with employers in the
regions and/or sectors served by individual universities, b) more systematic collection, analysis and
utilization of labor market and student data to inform institutional decision-making on programming
relevant to local labor market needs, c) collaborative curriculum review and revision to ensure that
university programs appropriately reflect the current needs of local labor markets, d) more deliberate
development of soft skills such as effective communication, problem-solving skills, leadership and critical
thinking that will enhance the ability of university graduates to succeed in the workplace, and e) enhanced
university-based career services that more effectively assist university students in transitioning from
academe to the world of work. In so doing, HECD can help Lebanese universities to cooperate effectively
with employers and ensure that their graduates have the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to
meet the needs of Lebanese employers and thus contribute not only to their own well-being but to the
future well-being and prosperity of the Lebanese people as well.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 1
Overview

Higher Education in the Lebanese Republic has long enjoyed a reputation of being among the best systems

of higher education in the Middle East. Resting upon the legacy of institutions such as the American

University of Beirut and St. Joseph University, established in the late 19th century, the Lebanese American

University, established in the early 20th century, as well as highly respected universities established in the

1940s and 1950s, this reputation drew students to Lebanon from around the region for decades and gave

Lebanon one of the most highly educated populations in the Middle East.1 This reputation has suffered,

however, in recent decades as political mismanagement, civil war, inadequate funding, the proliferation

of small, private institutions—some of dubious quality—and the failure to respond adequately to changing

labor markets have contributed to the erosion of both perceived and actual overall educational quality in

the country. As a result, Lebanon’s university graduates are squeezed between a Lebanese higher

education system disconnected from local labor market needs and a Lebanese economy increasingly

unable to absorb the graduates of that system. This is the context that USAID’s HECD program must take

into consideration during program design and delivery over the next five years.

Higher Education Governance and Structure

The governance structure of higher education in Lebanon is rather loose, by international standards, and

consequently has a limited impact on the operation of Lebanese universities.2 Ostensibly, the Ministry of

Education and Higher Education, through its Directorate General of Higher Education, has oversight

responsibility for Lebanese universities.3 However, the Lebanese University, which is the only public

university in the country, enjoys an autonomous status while the Directorate’s authority over the growing

number of private universities is limited to their initial licensure. In practice, therefore, the Directorate’s

1
Alain Hasrouny (2010). “Private Universities in Lebanon: Performance Indicators, Accountability and Value-for-
the-Money,” The Muhanna Foundation, p. 13.
2
Charbel Nahas, “Financing and Political Economy of Higher Education in Lebanon,” Economic Research Forum.
April 2009, p. p. 13.
3
Nahas, p. 16.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 2
authority over individual universities is somewhat limited.4 It appears that de facto authority over

Lebanon’s university rests largely with the leadership and boards of trustees of individual institutions.

There are three types of higher education institutions in the country: universities, university

colleges, and higher institutes of technology. Higher education institutions consisting of a minimum of

three faculties offering nine major fields of study at the baccalaureate level and above are classified as

universities.5 University colleges are institutions comprised of at least one faculty offering one or two

major areas of study at the baccalaureate level. There are currently 36 universities and eleven university

colleges in the country.6 Only one university—the Lebanese University—is public while the rest are

private. These include well-established private institutions such as the American University of Beirut,

established in the late 19th century, the Lebanese American University, established in the early 20th

century, and a handful of others such as St. Joseph’s University, established in 1885, and Haigazian

University, established in the 1950s. The remainder are of relatively recent vintage, having been

established after the Lebanese civil war in the early 1990s.7 Higher education institutions are commonly

described as American, French, or Arabic reflecting the cultural origins of their establishment and the

medium of instruction they deploy. Eight of the universities, representing 21% of total enrollment in the

sector, are religiously affiliated.8

The third category of higher education institutions is the higher institutes of technology, which

offer one or two years of postsecondary study in technical training as well as vocational studies. In the

Lebanese context vocational studies refers to preparation for manual occupations while technical

education addresses trades requiring higher scientific and technological skills addressed through general

4
European Training Foundation, “Labour Market and Employment Policy in Lebanon,” p.11.
5
European Commission, “Higher Education in Lebanon,” n.d., pp. 3-4.
6
European Commission, “Overview of the Higher Education System: Lebanon,” Erasmus. February 2017, p. 3.
7
Nahas, p. 11.
8
Ashley Craddock, “Education in Lebanon,” World Education News and Reviews. May 2, 2017.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 3
education.9 There are more than 400 of these institutions enrolling a large proportion of all the Lebanese

students enrolled in the higher education sector.10 Given the size of this sector and its direct connection

with employment this is an important area for educational reform in Lebanon. It may be better positioned

than universities to provide the middle level skilled labor needed by the Lebanese economy.11

At present the one public university—the Lebanese University—is by far the largest higher

education institution in the country with an enrollment of more than 79,000 students. The sector is

dominated however by the private institutions which enroll approximately 131,000 students or 60% of

total enrollment in the higher education sector and, in many cases, enjoy a stronger reputation for

educational quality and, consequently, a higher social status than the Lebanese University. Of the almost

200,000 students enrolled in higher education in Lebanon approximately 56.8% are women.12 Thus overall

access to higher education in the Lebanese context appears to be less determined by the student’s gender

than by economic and/or regional disparities.

Until 1975 all higher education institutions were located in the Beirut area. As a result of the civil

war, branches of the Lebanese University as well as “community” universities were established in different

areas reflecting the sectarian divisions of the country. The higher status private universities remain

concentrated in Beirut. Thus the Lebanese University is “dominant in the peripheral areas of the

country.”13 These campuses tend to offer fewer programs of study in high-status/high-need fields such as

education, engineering, agriculture, natural sciences, pharmacy, dentistry, tourism, etc. A higher

proportion of LU students in these campuses are enrolling in humanities (60%) and their counterparts in

private universities (20%).14 Thus there would appear to be geographical disparities in access to quality

9
BankMed, “Analysis of Lebanon’s Education Sector.” June 2014, p. 19.
10
Nahas, p. 15.
11
European Training Foundation, p. 17.
12
BankMed, p. 23.
13
Nahas, p. 51.
14
Nahas, pp. 51-52.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 4
and relevance of higher education in Lebanon even if there is not a significant disparity in access to higher

education in general.

Lebanese higher education institutions offer the full range of degrees as well as technical

certificates. Universities offer three-year academic courses of study leading to bachelor of arts and

bachelor of science degrees as well as pre-service teacher education programs consisting of the BA/BS

and one year of additional training in professional education. Selected universities also offer graduate

degrees at the masters and doctoral levels. University colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in applied fields

of study. According to World Education News and Reviews, university-level institutions can also offer

associate degrees after two-year programs of study, though it is not clear how many institutions offer this

credential.15 The higher institutes of technology offer technical diplomas after two or three years of study

in technical fields.16 This overlap could offer opportunities for collaboration between universities and

higher institutes of technology that expand the range of workforce-relevant programs available to their

students without the considerable expense of starting new programs on their own.

Given the fact that the vast number of universities are private and the one public university is

autonomous, higher education curricula are not effectively regulated at the national level beyond a few

general rules promulgated by the Council on Higher Education.17 While a National Quality Assurance

Framework was proposed in 2012, its development has been stalled for the past several years.18

Curricular decisions therefore are largely a matter for individual institutions and any external accrediting

bodies they have chosen to affiliate with.19 Such external accrediting organizations, as well as individual

institutions’ own internal processes, are the primary mechanisms for assuring the quality of academic

15
Craddock, p. 1.
16
Ibid.
17
MERIC-Net, “The Higher Education System in Lebanon: National Report,” Erasmus. June 2019, pp. 13-14.
18
Ibid.
19
European Union, “Higher Education in Lebanon,” p. 6.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 5
programs at Lebanese universities. This relative autonomy suggests a level of flexibility that might enable

some institutions to experiment with curricular changes that are more responsive to labor market needs.

The Lebanese government’s funding of higher education has not kept pace with the growth of

higher education funding in many other countries in the region. Approximately .5% of Lebanon’s GDP is

allocated for the Lebanese University, the only public university in the country.20 Private universities are

dependent on student tuition and endowments; therefore, tuition is relatively expensive, ranging from

$3200 to $25,000 per year.21 Household spending therefore exceeds government spending on higher

education.22 The combination of low government funding and heavy reliance on tuition-dependent

private institutions skews curricular offerings and, consequently, popular student majors toward relatively

low-cost higher revenue generating programs in the social sciences and humanities. For instance, recent

figures reveal that 27% of students are majoring in business and economics and 14.8% are majoring in

literature and the humanities while 11.7% are enrolled in traditionally high status fields like engineering.23

Such enrollment patterns do not reflect the needs of the local labor market, which results in high

unemployment among university graduates and low salaries for those who do manage to find jobs.24 This

gap between the relatively high cost of private higher education and the disappointing salaries university

graduates can command in the labor market—if they are able to find jobs—incentivizes graduates of

Lebanese universities to seek opportunities abroad and contributes to the social unrest currently plaguing

the country.25

20
Ibid., p. 5. European Union, “Overview of the Higher Education System,” p. 2.
21
MERIC-Net, pp. 13-14.
22
Nahas, p. 17.
23
BankMed, p. 24.
24
UNDP, “Mind the Gap: A Labour Needs Assessment for Lebanon.” 2016, p. 8.
25
Nahas, p. 25

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 6
Economic and Labor Market Context

The Lebanese economy is heavily concentrated in the services sector, particularly banking, tourism and

healthcare.26 Reports from 2013 indicated the presence of approximately 500 small to medium

enterprises in the country employing approximately 90,000 workers.27 Since 2009 however economic

growth has been slow. In fact, the Lebanese economy would need to produce six times more jobs than it

is currently producing just to absorb annual new entrants into the labor market.28 This significant gap

between job creation and new labor market entrants obviously exacerbates unemployment, under

employment, low wages and out migration of labor, which in turn feeds current social tensions in the

country. Young people, particularly university graduates, are deeply frustrated by the lack of jobs and low

wages and increasingly disillusioned about their future prospects in Lebanon.

Paradoxically, shortages of skilled labor exist in certain sectors of the economy even as there

appears to be an excess of labor overall. This paradox is caused in part by deeply entrenched cultural

preferences for high status fields of study such as law, medicine, engineering, pharmacy and dentistry—

fields in which the labor supply exceeds the demand—and shortages of interest in fields perceived as

lower status, such as tourism or agriculture, or where there is potential growth, such as ICT, creative

industries such as film and television production, or the nascent oil and gas industry.29

Unfortunately, the Lebanese government has been unable to put into place effective mechanisms

and strategies to promote job growth or address the mismatch between labor market supply and demand.

The Ministry of Labor is described as understaffed and lacking in technical capacity.30 Moreover, the

country lacks an integrated labor market information system.31 Reports from as recently as 2015 assert

26
European Union, “Overview,” p. 1.
27
European Training Foundation, p. 2
28
Mind the Gap, p. 3.
29
European Training Foundation, p. 3; USAID, “Economic Growth Assessment,” 2019.
30
Ibid, p. 11.
31
Ibid, 13. Ghneim, Oussama, “Review of Labor Market Information System (LMIS) in Lebanon,” Beirut: UNESCO,
2018.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 7
that the Lebanese government had no specific national employment strategy.32 Labor market data is

scant, incomplete, and often contradictory.33 What labor market analyses that have been done in recent

years have been conducted by international organizations focused on particular sectors of the economy.

While the National Employment Office does list jobs available and register job seekers it only employed,

as of 2018, seven job counselors in three offices.34

The combination of low or stagnant job growth and the mismatch between labor supply and labor

market needs has led to high rates of youth unemployment. Youth between 15 and 29 years of age

comprise approximately 27% of the Lebanese population. 34% of this population is unemployed.

Paradoxically, youth unemployment appears to be higher among more educated youth with 36% of

secondary school graduates unemployed and almost 22% of university graduates lacking jobs.35 In

addition, finding the first job is taking a long time for those youth who do manage to find work. This

combination of high unemployment and long, frustrating job searches contributes to high rates of

inactivity among youth who should be starting their careers.36 Many simply give up.37

Those youth who do find jobs commonly earn salaries that are inadequate and do not reflect their

levels of education. For instance, recent surveys have found that the average salary of primary school

graduates is approximately US$ 600 per month while secondary school graduates earn on average only

US$33 more per month. The average salary of university graduates is only US$ 753 per month.38 Many

university graduates are unwilling to take jobs at these salaries. Such low wages, coupled with the

relatively high tuition ($3200-$27,000) per year in the private universities which are believed to offer a

higher quality education than that offered by the more affordable public Lebanese University, mean that

32
European Training Foundation, p. 13.
33
USAID Lebanon, “Economic Growth Assessment: Final Assessment Report,” Beirut, February 2019, p. 70.
34
Ghneim, pp. 25, 27.
35
European Training Foundation, pp. 16, 3.
36
Ghneim, p. 10.
37
European Training Foundation, p. 7.
38
Mind the Gap, p. 10.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 8
the individual return on investment in education is quite low.39 Encountering such harsh economic

realities after investing years of effort and tens of thousands of dollars in the dream of a brighter future

cannot help but be deeply disillusioning for Lebanese youth, thus, again, contributing to out-migration

and social unrest.

Despite the fact that they constitute well over half of total enrollment in the higher education

sector, women’s participation in the labor market is remarkably low, approximately 21% in 2009.40 Though

women’s participation is higher among university educated women (45%) at one end of the economic

spectrum and among the poorest women on the other end, the overall rate is quite low. This is not

attributed to cultural barriers to women’s employment outside the home but rather to structural barriers

to women’s participation in the labor market such as school and work schedules and women’s cultural

responsibilities for care of children and the elderly that may make choosing to work more expensive than

not working outside the home.41

The Role of Lebanese Universities

While the older, well-established private universities of Lebanon are widely recognized as very reputable

academic institutions, the public Lebanese University—due in part to its low levels of government funding

and high enrollment—has a more uneven reputation in the country.42 The more recently established

private institutions are also perceived as being of uneven quality. Regardless of their reputation for

academic quality however few, if any, are effectively meeting their students’ needs in the transition from

academe to work. Though some institutions are turning their attention to this challenge, there is little

cooperation between universities and employers.43

39
Nahas, p. 40.
40
Ibid, p. 53.
41
Ibid.
42
Ibid, pp. 58-59.
43
MERIC-Net, p. 19.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 9
 Lebanese universities also play a minimal role in job placement for students because career

counseling services are limited. Some universities—particularly the English medium institutions—do offer

limited career services such as job fairs, informational events, employer visits and internship programs,

comprehensive, professionally-staffed career centers like those increasingly common in major modern

universities are in short supply.44 As a consequence, graduates rely upon personal and family contacts to

look for jobs. One survey of employed graduates found that 55% of respondents found their job through

family or personal contacts while only 5% found their jobs with the help of the higher education institution

they attended.45

This lack of cooperation between universities and employers and the absence of a nationally

integrated labor market information system leave cultural biases regarding the relative status of different

fields unchallenged by concrete labor market data that could enable students to make more informed

career choices.46 The result is a severe mismatch between the studies students pursue and the skills in

demand in the labor market. 55% of employers—double the rate elsewhere in the world—cite this as a

problem.47 41% of employees say their education is irrelevant to the job they currently hold.48 Even as

universities continue to produce graduates at a rate that far out paces job growth, employers report a

shortage of 15,000 skilled workers in industry and a shortfall of 30,000 workers with the mid-level

technical skills required of the tourism sector.49 Moreover, a shortage of soft skills such as effective

communication, leadership, problem-solving skills and critical thinking exacerbates the lack of preparation

of otherwise well-educated university graduates for the labor market that actually exists.50 The problem

44
European Union, “Overview,” p. 23.
45
Ibid, p. 14.
46
European Union, “Higher Education in Lebanon,” p. 7.
47
Mind the Gap, p. 10.
48
Ibid, p. 3.
49
Ibid., p. 2.
50
European Training Foundation, p. 9.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 10
is so acute that the World Bank has asserted that education in its current form is a major obstacle to

employment in Lebanon.51

Higher Education Capacity Development Needs

Our review of recently published reports by governmental and non-governmental bodies on the current

strengths and weaknesses of the higher education sector in Lebanon and its potential role in enhancing

the economic prospects of Lebanese university students suggest several areas of potentially fruitful

engagement between the universities and HECD. These areas include a) enhanced engagement,

communication and cooperation with employers in the regions and/or sectors served by individual

universities, b) more systematic collection, analysis and utilization of labor market and student data to

inform institutional decision-making on programming relevant to local labor market needs, c)

collaborative curriculum review and revision to ensure that university programs appropriately reflect the

current needs of local labor markets, d) more deliberate development of soft skills such as effective

communication, problem-solving skills, leadership and critical thinking that will enhance the ability of

university graduates to succeed in the workplace, and e) enhanced university-based career services that

more effectively assist university students in transitioning from academe to the world of work.

Effective employer engagement is critical to the future success of students once they leave the

university and enter the workforce.52 While there is inherent value in learning for learning’s sake, for

cultivating the knowledge, the appreciation of art and culture, and the values and dispositions that make

for a fulfilling and worthwhile life, the vast majority of us also need to make a living. We must learn not

only to know and to be but to do. And the workplace is one of the critical places where that doing takes

place, particularly the doing that makes one a living. Therefore, universities cannot know whether they

51
Ibid.
52
MERIC-Net, p. 19.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 11
are adequately preparing graduates for this important aspect of their lives unless they are in constant

communication with employers.

This communication does not mean that universities must subordinate their entire mission to the

needs of employers, but it does mean that they must be aware of employers’ needs and whether their

students are adequately meeting those needs if they are to be successful in fulfilling this particular part

of their mission. This requires the collection, exchange, and analysis of data. Universities must make

thoughtful use of labor market data from government agencies, but they must also be equipped to

conduct their own analyses of the local labor markets they serve. What are the placement rates of

graduates of various university programs? What is the range of salaries graduates are typically earning in

different areas of employment? What are the areas of job growth in the institution’s service region? What

job areas are in decline? Then universities must be willing and able to make decisions to revise, open or

close programs informed by that data.

Employer engagement must go beyond the collection and exchange of data to include more face-

to-face forms of communication such as employer advisory boards, surveys or focus groups. Such forms

of engagement can provide opportunities for employers to collaborate with university faculty to review

and, if necessary, revise curricula to equip students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions demanded

by the workplace as it exists today or will exist tomorrow rather than the workplace of the past.53 Part of

the university’s mission is, of course, to transmit the wisdom, knowledge, and achievements of past

generations to future generations. But the university’s mission must also include the development of

individuals’ capacity to realize their own achievements in a world that is constantly changing. This requires

openness to changes in curricula and the implementation of new majors based on the input of those

directly engaged in the businesses where students will be employed even as the university holds to

traditions that have stood the test of time.

53
Ghneim, p. 29.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 12
 While universities have always sought to shape the values, dispositions and social skills of their

students, they have not always explicitly attended to these “soft” skills in the context of the workplace.

Yet the lack of such skills in their employees is frequently cited by employers—including Lebanese

employers—as a more critical shortcoming than the lack of technical skills. Therefore, universities that

want to adequately prepare their graduates for life after college need to explicitly teach the soft skills

required by employers. These include traditional academic skills such as effective written and oral

communication and critical thinking but also less tangible skills such as effective problem-solving,

listening, cooperation, collaboration, risk-taking, creativity, etc. Some of these skills may be taught

through normal academic work, but some will need to be taught in their own right.

Such efforts to adequately prepare students for success in the workplace will require institutional

structures and processes that go beyond those traditionally associated with the administration of

educational institutions or the delivery of instruction. One such structure is a comprehensive career

services center. Modern university-based career centers can serve as bridges facilitating the student’s

transition from academe to work, but they are also bridges enabling employers to engage with the

university and prospective employees, to communicate their needs to the university and provide feedback

on the merits and shortcomings of its graduates.

Their work does not merely serve as an adjunct or afterthought to the university’s educational

mission in the months or weeks prior to graduation, but rather begins the moment the student enters the

university with career counseling and testing services that help students recognize their strengths and

interests and see their connections to programs of study and future careers. They also provide information

on different career choices, including the knowledge, skills and dispositions required in various jobs and

their relative growth or decline in the labor market. Comprehensive career centers can equip students

with practical skills like resume writing, job search and interviewing skills not typically addressed in

academic coursework. They provide links to volunteer and internship opportunities designed to give

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 13
students opportunities to gain valuable experience and understand the expectations of different

employers. Finally, they also provide opportunities for students and prospective employers to meet

through fora such as on-line job boards and resume data banks, job fairs and interview days. They are, in

short, one of the most important venues for university-employer engagement.

Within this framework of enhancing communication, cooperation and collaboration between

universities and employers, HECD might profitably target interventions in particular areas of need or

opportunity that could enhance the program’s impact. For instance, HECD could target interventions

designed to address the gap between women’s overall participation in higher education and their

relatively low rate of participation in the labor market. Likewise, selection of higher education partners in

the regions beyond Beirut could help address discrepancies in access to higher quality employment-

relevant programs of study. Such a focus on gender and regional disparities would suggest greater

attention to programs designed to impact mid-level technical skills rather than more traditional

baccalaureate-level programs in the universities. It might also suggest a greater emphasis on

entrepreneurship programs designed to help students create their own jobs rather than relying solely on

preparing students for jobs in an economy that is not producing enough of them.

HECD might also usefully promote institutional partnerships both among Lebanese institutions

and with U.S. universities. For instance, in the U.S. and in many other countries around the world, there

is a growing recognition of the need to revitalize the level of post-secondary education between secondary

school completion and the baccalaureate degree granting institution. In modern, developed economies

most workers will require more than a secondary education but do not require a bachelor’s degree. This

is leading to increased emphasis on the post-secondary TVET sector as well as closer collaboration

between this sector and universities through partnerships, articulation agreements, etc.54 Partnerships

54
Based on Florida State University’s experience implementing the Community College Administrator Program in
ten countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America for the U.S. Department of State.

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 14
between Lebanese universities could take advantage of mutual strengths and shared resources that

benefit Lebanese students without imposing undue costs on the partner institutions.

Finally, while the particular mix of challenges Lebanese higher education faces is peculiar to

Lebanon, most of the challenges themselves are not. For instance, higher education almost everywhere

requires more funding than can be generated by government appropriations or student fees. Institutions

are thus becoming more entrepreneurial in obtaining external grants and generating other revenue to

cover the financial shortfall. Thus partnerships and/or exchanges between Lebanese and U.S. institutions

of higher education could be useful in generating novel approaches to solving common problems.

Contextual Constraints and Considerations

It is important to acknowledge that there are aspects of the Lebanese economic and higher education

landscape described here that are beyond the scope of HECD and therefore beyond the capacity of HECD

to change. Several of the reports reviewed here highlight the inability of the Lebanese Ministry of Labor

to implement an integrated labor market information system or even to provide timely labor market data.

In an ideal world, this sort of information would be available to universities to help them understand the

labor markets their students will be entering. These reports also point to the lack of national employment

policies that could provide guidance to university decision-makers and employers. Moreover, cultural

biases based on perceptions of the relative status of one program of study or occupation over another

are deeply entrenched. HECD can have little effect on these environing conditions, but they can and likely

will have a significant impact on what HECD is able to achieve.

The university landscape itself is also both a constraining and potentially enabling factor for HECD.

On the one hand, the reality of one large, inadequately funded public university operating in a politically

complex sectarian environment presents both the perhaps impossible task of moving such a fragmented

institution in a particular direction as well as the prospect of having an impact at scale were HECD

successful in doing so. On the other hand, the outsized role of private institutions in the higher education

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 15
sector offers different opportunities and constraints. The relatively small size and unequal quality of these

institutions suggest that not all of these institutions are viable HECD partners. There is a likely subset—a

sweet spot—of institutions large enough to provide HECD with a platform to impact at scale but willing

enough and nimble enough to cooperate with HECD to effect change.

Private institutions’ dependence on tuition and endowments will likely also have an impact on

their ability and willingness to engage with HECD. They may find it easier and cheaper to continue offering

programs that are popular or enjoy a perception of high status whether or not their graduates find jobs

commensurate with their training. In fact, they might not see it in their interest to inquire too deeply into

placement rates or salaries of their graduates let alone share that information with their students.

Dependence on tuition revenue might lead institutions to the conclusion that it is cheaper, and therefore

more profitable, to offer programs in the social science or humanities that might accommodate 30 or 50

students in a class than to offer a technical laboratory that might serve 10 when they are all paying the

same tuition. Benefactors may be particularly invested in more traditional, high status programs of study.

On the other hand, the sensitivity of private institutions to the higher education marketplace could make

them more responsive to innovations that expand opportunities for their graduates and thus improve

their marketability and competitiveness in that higher education marketplace. A clear-eyed understanding

of the incentive structures within which private universities operate will be critical to HECD’s ability to

identify willing university partners and work with them to achieve HECD goals.

Finally, recent developments in Lebanese society and politics introduce a layer of uncertainty onto

the higher education and economic landscape described above that simply enhances the importance of

HECD goals even as it complicates their achievement. The ongoing Syrian crisis, for instance, continues to

affect Lebanon economically and politically by disrupting regional trade, undermining tourism, and

introducing the burden of caring for the highest per capita population of refugees in the world. In addition,

the wave of country-wide protests that began to erupt in Lebanon this past October reflects many

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 16
Lebanese citizens’ impatience with the government’s reform efforts and introduces even more economic

and political uncertainty into the higher education landscape .55

Many parts of Lebanese society have been disrupted amidst the protests, which have caused the

closing of banks, schools, and businesses all over the country. The resignation of the prime minister

provides no clear end in sight for the protests, and much of the protesters’ anger is directed at the entirety

of the Lebanese political establishment, not just one politician in particular. With protests entering their

third month, demonstrators are still in the streets, demanding more action from the government.56 Given

the current stalemate it is unclear how the situation will develop in the coming months.

Conclusion

In conclusion, HECD can have little direct impact on these environing conditions, even as these

conditions can and will impact HECD’s ability to achieve project goals. At the same time, these conditions

highlight the urgency of HECD’s fundamental goal to develop the capacity of universities to better prepare

graduates for the workplace and thus contribute to employment and economic development in Lebanon.

While HECD is not mandated to create a national integrated labor market information system or advise

the Lebanese government on employment policy or economic development and cannot change culturally-

based perceptions of status, it can make an important contribution to one key component of the system:

Universities that cooperate effectively with employers to ensure that their graduates have the knowledge,

skills and dispositions needed to meet the needs of Lebanese, regional and international employers and

thus contribute not only to their own well-being but to the future well-being of the Lebanese people.

55
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/protests-erupt-lebanon-plans-impose-taxes-191017194856354.html
56
https://www.newsweek.com/lebanon-mass-anti-corruption-protests-enter-second-month-1472242

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 17
 References

Aljazeera. (17 October 2019). Protests erupt in Lebanon over plans to impose new taxes. Retrieved from

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/protests-erupt-lebanon-plans-impose-taxes

191017194856354.html

BankMed (June 2014). Analysis of Lebanon’s Education Sector. Retrieved from

https://www.bankmed.com.lb/BOMedia/subservices/categories/News/20150515170635891.

Bassam, Laila and Perry, Tom. (November 17, 2019). Lebanon slips deeper into crisis after Safadi

withdrawal. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-protests/lebanon-

mired-deeper-in-crisis-after-safadi-withdrawal-idUSKBN1XR0F4

Chehayeb, Kareem and Sewell, Abby. (November 2, 2019). Why Lebanese Protesters are Taking to the

Streets. Foreign Policy. Retrieved from https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/02/lebanon-

protesters-movement-streets-explainer/

Craddock, Ashley. (May 2, 2017). Education in Lebanon. Retrieved from World Education News and

Reviews https://wenr.wes.org/2017/05/education-in-lebanon

European Training Foundation. (2015). Labour Market and Employment Policy in Lebanon. Retrieved

https://www.etf.europa.eu/sites/default/files/m/33A1850E6A358308C1257DFF005942FE_Empl

oyment%20policies_Lebanon.pdf

European Commission. (February 2017). Overview of the Higher Education System: Lebanon.

Retrieved from https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/eacea-

site/files/countryfiches_lebanon_2017.pdf

European Commission, Tempus. (February 2017). Retrieved from

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/eacea-site/files/countryfiches_lebanon_2017.pdf

Ghneim, Oussama. (2018). Review of Labor Market Information System (LMIS) in Lebanon, Beirut:

UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/labor_02.pdf

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 18
Hasrouny, Alain. (2010). Private Universities in Lebanon: Performance Indicators, Accountability and

Value for the Money. Muhanna Foundation. http://muhanna.org/wp-

content/uploads/2016/01/1Private-Universities-in-Lebanon-Performance-Indicators-

Accountability-and-Value-for-Money.pdf

Lemon, Jason. (November 17, 2019). Lebanon’s mass anti-corruption protests enter second month,

with demonstrators and government in ‘stalemate.’ Newsweek. Retrieved from

https://www.newsweek.com/lebanon-mass-anti-corruption-protests-enter-second-month-1472242

MERIC-Net (June 2019). The Higher Education System in Lebanon: National Report. Retrieved from

http://www.meric-net.eu/files/fileusers/3760_Lebanon_National%20Report_MERIC-Net.pdf

Ministry of Education and Higher Education. (n.d.). The Lebanese Higher Education System: A Short

Description. Retrieved form http://www.tlqaa.org/?q=system/files/LHE_System_v1.1.pdf

Nahas, Charbel. (April 2009). Financing and Political Economy of Higher Education in Lebanon.

Economic Research Forum. Retrieved from

http://www.charbelnahas.org/textes/Economie_et_politiques_economiques/HigherEducationFi

nancing-Lebanon.pdf

Nahas, Georges N. (March 2008). The University Experience, a Way to Meet the Other: A Lebanese

Case. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/683138/The_University_Experience_a_way_to_meet_the_Other_A

_Lebanese_Case

News Lebanon. (19 October 2019). Ministers resign after third day of protests in Lebanon. Retrieved

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/tens-thousands-protest-day-lebanon-191019180840017.html

NUFFIC. (2016). Education System Lebanon: Described and Compared with the Dutch System.

Retrieved from https://docplayer.net/50729823-Education-system-lebanon-the-

lebaneseeducation-system-described-and-compared-with-the-dutch-system.html

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 19
Reuters. (October 18, 2019). Lebanon’s PM cancels cabinet meeting. Retrieved from

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-economy-protests-meeting/lebanons-pm-cancels-

cabinet-meeting-al-manar-tv-citing-minister-idUSKBN1WX0ZG

The Ministry of Higher Education, Lebanon. (2011). The Ministry of Education and Higher Education

Achievements: 2010. Retrieved from http://www.databank.com.lb/docs/MEHE-

Progress%20Report_of_Ministry%20of_Education_18_5_2011_(Repaired).pdf

UNDP. (2016). Mind the Gap: A Labour Needs Assessment for Lebanon. Retrieved from

https://www.undp.org/content/dam/lebanon/img/SocialandLocalDevelopment/Mind%20the%2

0gap%20final%2022%20March%20.pdf

UNICEF. (2017). UNICEF Annual Report 2017: Lebanon. Retrieved from

https://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Lebanon_2017_COAR.pdf

USAID Lebanon. (2019). Economic Growth Assessment: Final Assessment Report. USAID: Development

Experience Clearinghouse.

Yee, Vivian. (October 29, 2019). Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, Steps Down in Face of Protests.

New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/world/middleeast/saad-hariri-stepping-

downlebanon.html

An Overview of the Higher Education Landscape in Lebanon: Context and Considerations for HECD 20