International Affiliations
PDF Print E-mail

Given the spirit behind the Lebanese International University -LIU and its mission, Internationalization is therefore essential for the University to fulfill its mandate to create and share knowledge, and to provide a learning environment that prepares students, faculty, and staff to function effectively in an increasingly integrated, global environment. This can be partly be done by introducing them to the languages, cultures, and intellectual traditions of other nations.

The purpose and aim of any contacts and visits with foreign institutions of Higher Education is to pursue discussions about productive partnerships between the Lebanese International University and other universities .The principles and values that guide the international initiatives and activities so entered into must support the LIU's mission, and enhance its standing in Lebanon and abroad as a leading comprehensive university. To such end, part of the University's strategy is to implement a small number of comprehensive exchange arrangements with targeted universities that include graduate and undergraduate student exchanges, faculty and staff exchanges, research collaboration, etc.
LIU- Commitment to internationalization
The universality of knowledge in the information age, coupled with the increasing rate of cultural exchange dictate that the international dimension of higher education must keep pace with changes occurring globally. Internationalization is therefore essential for the University to fulfill its mandate to create and share knowledge, and to provide a learning environment that prepares students, faculty, and staff to function effectively in an increasingly integrated, global environment.

Principles and Values that Guide Internationalization at LIU
International activities must support the University’s mission, and enhance its standing in Lebanon and abroad as a leading comprehensive university.
Internationalization of the University should enrich the educational and professional experience of students, faculty, and staff, by introducing them to the languages, cultures, and intellectual traditions of other nations.
Activities should embody the principles of partnership and mutual benefit with the universities involved.

Elements of Internationalization at LIU

  • International student recruitment
  • Student mobility programs
  • Faculty/staff mobility

Goal and Strategy Statements for LIU’s International Activities

  • Encourage Faculties, where appropriate, to internationalize courses and programs by:
  • Infusing content and materials from different countries, cultures and perspectives
  • Including different methodologies and cultural approaches to the subjects taught:
  • Including material that encourages an awareness of global diversity
  • Including and valuing our international partners’ academic knowledge and contributions

 

LIU Student Mobility
Strategy

  • Implement a small number of comprehensive exchange arrangements with targeted universities that include graduate and undergraduate student exchanges, faculty and staff exchanges, research collaboration, etc.
  • Strengthen existing exchange ties, and establish a small number of select new exchanges
  • Enhance promotional efforts through academic departments, schools and Faculties
  • Seek out funding for mobility scholarships and awards
  • Work to identify appropriate exchange and research partners that can provide an international experience related to research, study and professional activities

Faculty / Staff Mobility
The goal is to create mobility opportunities for the permanent LIU community through staff exchanges, faculty exchanges, and an enhanced visiting lecturer program.
Strategy

  • Implement a small number of comprehensive exchange arrangements with targeted universities, to complement graduate and undergraduate student exchanges, research collaboration, etc.
  • Encourage and support the recognition of international experience and research as part of the career development of faculty and staff
  • Create more visiting faculty rooms in planned new residence space, to be allocated to visiting lecturers, researchers, and scholars.

University Advancement
Goal is to attract increasing levels of support for LIU and its programs from individuals and organizations resident outside Lebanon.

Strategy

  • Maintain contact and foster relationships with individuals and organizations that have links with LIU
  • Present opportunities to potential donors to support activities or projects of particular interest to them
  • Involve LIU faculty and staff in identifying prospective donors who show special interest in LIU


International Research
Goal
To support and facilitate international research relationships and activities that are an integral component of each faculty member’s academic career
Strategy

  • Develop and maintain a database of faculty members’ international research activities
  • Share this information, where appropriate, amongst faculty to provide synergy in such activities
  • Ask faculty to represent the University, where appropriate, when traveling internationally on University business
  • Help develop strong, comprehensive institutional relationships by according high priority to faculty members’ research interests and to the potential for future research collaboration, when selecting partner universities in other countries


LIU's International Partner Institutions

The Lebanese International University has a growing set of partnerships with quality higher education institutions around the world managed by the Office of International Relations. They offer a variety of educational opportunities ranging from student exchange to faculty collaboration and joint research
These institutions presently are:

United States

Ohio University
Established in 1804 in the state of Ohio in Athens, Ohio University is the oldest public U.S. institution of higher learning. The terms of partnership include, but are not limited to, such areas as collaborating to build the capacity of LIU’s English language program; welcoming LIU faculty members or students to pursue a master’s in Applied Linguistics, a doctorate in Higher Education Administration or other graduate programs as appropriate at Ohio. As well as exploring other opportunities for collaboration over time such as, developing Arabic language programs for Ohio students, study abroad programs, faculty and staff exchanges or LIU faculty and staff earning doctorates at Ohio in Education or other fields.

Montana State University
Founded in 1893, Montana State University- Bozeman has a national and international reputation for its excellence in undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and sciences, agriculture, architecture, education, engineering, health and human development, and nursing. Montana State University is in the top tier of research universities in the United States. A new classification system by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognizes MSU as one of 94 research universities with "very high research activity." Other such institutions are Yale University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Washington and Oregon State University.

Europe
The Lebanese International University is a signatory to the Tarragona Declaration for the dialogue and cooperation between the Euro-Mediterranean universities. Taking part in the Third Mediterranean University Forum organized by the International Office of the University of Malta, LIU was among the 203 universities in the Euro Med region and beyond, who discussed the construction of a Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education area. One of the aims is to help build an infrastructure that allows for increased mobility of academic staff and students between universities in the region.

Kaunas University of Medicine
Kaunas University of Medicine (KMU) is the largest specialized health education institution in Lithuania-Europe. It was established in 1919, and the University maintains close international connections and has 60 international cooperation agreements with European, American and Asian universities and international organizations, which enable student, faculty and researchers to join in various collaborative programs.
As part of the Collaborative Agreement signed between LIU and Kaunas University of Medicine, a joint degree program has been established that offers LIU students or graduates the advantage of studying for a degree in Medcine, Dentistry, or Public Health at KMU where the language of instruction is English.
After doing their first year at LIU, students with training either in Biology, Biochemistry, or Biomedical Sciences will be able to transfer to KMU to join the second-year class at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Graduates of Kaunas University of Medicine are eligible: to take the Lebanese Licensing Examination; to take The United States Medical Licensing Examination; and to be certified by the Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates. Graduates of KMU are equally eligible to continue postgraduate studies (PhD or residency) at Kaunas University of Medicine or in Europe.
One other option, after the Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences or Pharmacy, students will be able to transfer to KMU join the third-year at the Faculty of Medicine or the one-and-half year Master’s (MPH) program at the Faculty of Public Health.

In furtherance to already signed Agreements by LIU; other universities in the United States and Canada were visited including: Northeastern University; University of North Carolina; Montana State University; Concordia University; Carleton University; Michigan State University, and Wayne State University. As a result of such contacts, these universities showed great interest in having collaboration and linkages, in one form or another, with LIU.