press releases 2009

U.S. Government Gives Gift of Education to Lebanese American University Students in Need

October 14, 2009

On October 14, 2009 U.S. Ambassador Michele J. Sison and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Lebanon Mission Director Denise Herbol presented a check for $298,710 to Lebanese American University (LAU) President Joseph Jabbra for student scholarships. The United States has provided over $2.3 million in scholarship support to LAU this year, enabling approximately 500 students with demonstrable financial need, from all over Lebanon, to pursue their higher education at one of the top universities in the Middle East.  Without this assistance, these students would not have been able to study at LAU.

During her visit to LAU’s Byblos campus, Ambassador Sison spoke with Lebanese LAU students who have received scholarships funded by the United States. They told her about their studies and career objectives, and how the U.S.-funded scholarship program enabled them to achieve their goals.  At the event, Ambassador Sison applauded the role LAU has played in developing the potential of Lebanese youth:  “The United States believes deeply that an investment in Lebanon’s young people is an investment in the future prosperity of Lebanon.  LAU is an outstanding American educational institution, upholding the values of fairness, transparency, and success through hard work.  The service LAU provides to this country, educating the next generation of leaders in Lebanon, is a tangible symbol of the enduring commitment of the United States to the Lebanese people.”

USAID support for LAU and other American educational institutions in Lebanon reflects the inherent value the U.S. government places in the American education system and teaching methods, and their role in promoting a democratic and economically prosperous Lebanon.  Over the past ten years, the United States has provided over $78 million dollars to support students at the American educational institutions in Lebanon.