One of Lebanon’s most distinguished universities, the American University of Beirut (AUB), is suffering a hard hit by both the pandemic and the ever-worsening financial crisis of the country.
In a letter published on the AUB website, president Dr. Fadlo Khuri announced and explained the institution’s financial crisis in blunt detail.
He called it the “greatest crisis since the university’s foundation in 1899.” The AUB has faced difficulties before. After all, it is a survivor of the Lebanese civil war.
However, due to major losses in revenue, the university will be experiencing salary cuts, layoffs, and potentially closing departments. Dr. Khuri assured that the administration is doing everything in its power to finalize a new budget and save the university.
He ended the letter on a hopeful note: “We will do everything we can and must to save it. It is my deep conviction that Lebanon and the region have no hope whatsoever if AUB cannot fulfill its mission. Saving AUB must be our only priority. And save it we will.”
Many students took to Twitter pleading to “save AUB.” It is a shame to see such a prestigious school suffer.
AUB has been ranked among the top 200 universities worldwide, a standard it wishes to maintain coming out of the crisis.
