Private Universities in Lebanon and their Intellectual and Cultural Role (the American University of Beirut as a model 1920 – 1958)

Abstract

The objective of the study is to show, monitor and analyze the role of one of the Private Universities in Lebanon, like the American University of Beirut, in terms of the intellectual and cultural aspect, because it is considered an entry point to the understanding of the foundations and roles it played in the intellectual life and social, cultural and scientific development in modern Lebanon. The contributed to spreading a special kind of culture that aims to create a directive social political thought and diplomatic and economic activity that has an intellectual and cultural impact on the mentality of the reality of Arab societies. The university also established a territory for the competition with French and British influence and engage with their culture as major pivot in Lebanon and the Arab Levant and its efforts have actually paid off in creating distinguished leadership elites. The university has played a leading and pioneering role in promoting intellectual and cultural openness and the emergence of ideas in an ideological manner, as it emphasized building the student’s personality and shaping it in accordance with Western American secular literature and cultures, which led to a significant impact on social life in Lebanon. It established also intellectual movements and cultural clubs such as the Al-Urwa Al-Wuthqa Association in order to awaken Arab nationalist sentiment and comprehensive Arab unity. The represented a university diverse mosaic fabric that included many sects, tenets and religions without any impact on their national, social and cultural relationship and their national intellectual activities.