Content deleted Content added
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
m Removed invisible unicode characters + other fixes (Task 55), removed: |
||
Line 24:
}}
The '''Holy Spirit University of Kaslik''' ('''USEK'''; {{lang-ar|جامعة الرّوح القدس – الكسليك}}, ''Jāmiʿah al-Rūḥ al-Quddus – al-Kaslīk'') is a private, non-profit, [[Catholic]] [[university]] in [[Jounieh]], [[Lebanon]]. The university was founded in 1950 and ratified under the new Higher Education Law of 1962. USEK is the first university in Lebanon to be established by Lebanese citizens.
The university began as a one-building scholasticate founded by the [[Lebanese Maronite Order|Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM)]] in 1938 before expanding in 1950 to include new buildings leading to the current purpose-built twelve acres (49,000 m2) campus at the same site. The campus buildings for six schools and one faculty, a nursing institute, a center for learning and teaching, a center for continuing education, an infirmary, administration offices, library, amphitheater, archeological museum, sports center, bookshop, female dorms, and guest house which are arranged around a central tree-lined walkway, connected to a central plaza and green spaces.
Line 30:
When USEK officially became a higher education institution in 1962, it already stood out as a liberal arts university, adding a new faculty or school every 5 to 10 years to include all the major academic fields - the arts, architecture, business, engineering, humanities, and sciences. Initially, these were taught primarily in French and Arabic until the university converted to the American Credit System in 1997, and since then almost all courses are taught in English.
USEK has rankings in three major league tables for the Near/Middle East. In 2021, it was ranked 2nd best university in Lebanon according to SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR). Also, in 2021 it was ranked 1st Green University in Lebanon for the 4th consecutive year, 3rd in the Arab World and 117th worldwide according to UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. In 2020 it ranked 30th in the Arab region according to QS Arab University Rankings and among the top 650 universities in the world according to QS World University Rankings.
With a focus on comprehensive internationalization, the university has more than 250 international partnerships worldwide and is a member of around 150 international associations specialized in different fields. USEK was the only university outside the Americas to be part of the Internationalization Laboratory of the American Council of Education in the USA.
Along with seven other universities in Lebanon, it is a member of E-TALEB, an EU co-funded professional standards framework for excellence in Lebanese universities. The current president is Father Talal Hachem, since 2019.
Line 38:
'''Fun facts about the university'''
Religious treasures on campus include relics of Saint Charbel placed in the foundations of the original chapel in 1948, and Our Lady of Ilige, a 10th-century icon representing the Virgin Mary, the oldest Maronite icon, is conserved in the university archeological museum.
The USEK Library is home to one of the few surviving copies of the Book of Psalms, printed in 1610 on the first-ever printing press of the Levant region. This version is written in Garshouni, a script that Turkish rulers at the time could not understand.
Gibran Khalil Gibran, undoubtedly Lebanon’s most famous literary figure, features prominently at the University, which has restored hard copies of his works. As a show of gratitude, a license has been granted to keep digitalized copies of the complete collection for research purposes.
Lebanon’s iconic Martyrs’ memorial statue, which was damaged during the civil war in Beirut, was transported to USEK a few years after the end of hostilities to be restored by the university’s Sacred Art Department and local experts. It was returned to Downtown Beirut after its restoration.
== History ==
Line 56 ⟶ 55:
'''Key dates which culminated in establishing the university, the bedrock of the OLM’s educational mission.'''
'''1584''' Pope Gregory XIII’s established the Maronite College in Rome which provided full scholarships to promising young Maronites who returned to Lebanon to educate their communities.
'''In 1624''', the first Maronite seminary, the school of Hawqa, was founded in Mount Lebanon by returnees from Rome, and taught liturgy and theology, Arabic, Syriac, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Italian languages, in addition to logic and mathematics.
'''In 1706''' the Maronite Order became officially known as the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM).
'''In 1789''', the educational mission of the OLM became much more inclusive. The Ain Warqa School ran for two hundred years. This school made education accessible to the wider community until it was closed in 1940.
The educational gap was strongly felt across the country and led the OLM to establish its scholasticate (a college-level school of general study for those preparing for membership in a Roman Catholic religious order) in 1938 in Kaslik, which was transformed into the university in 1950. It was one of the first educational establishments to be validated by the new education law in the Ministry of Education.
== Campus ==
The purpose-built campus is located in Kaslik, Jounieh 19.7
'''Kaslik Campus'''
The Kaslik site has been expanded and remodeled at regular intervals over the last 50 years. The north side of the campus has a view of the southern end of Mount Lebanon (
{| class="wikitable"
Line 97 ⟶ 96:
'''Regional University Centers'''
The university opened its three regional university centers (RUCs) in 2000 and 2001 as part of its sense of duty to make education accessible across the country. The educational mission and objectives of the RUCs are the same as those of the University.
The three RUCs include:
RUC Chekka – located
RUC Rmeich – located 115 KM south of Beirut - offers an undergraduate program specializing in the field of business.
RUC Zahle - Located
'''Other off-site campus buildings'''
The Medical School
The latest expansion of the university was completed in 2018 with the official opening of the Francois Bassil Medical Building, an off-campus Medical School, which is located 24.5
'''Kaslik Library'''
The monasteries and seminaries of the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM) have always had well-appointed libraries. In the 1980s and 1990s, generous donations to the university enabled the [https://www.usek.edu.lb/library library] to transform and develop its collection, and from 2000 onwards, in addition to newly acquired collections of print books and journals, the library updated its systems and increased its range of electronic resources.
Line 125 ⟶ 124:
Established in 2002, the Conservation and Restoration Center manages the conservation and restoration of heritage collections including manuscripts, rare and valuable books, archives, maps, and photos to enable the library to make its collections accessible for research.
The center also provides conservation and restoration services for the private collections of individuals, families, collectors, dioceses, municipalities, and universities.
''The Digital Development Center''
Line 131 ⟶ 130:
Between 2014 and 2015 DDC has been upgraded to the digitization of all library collections and rare materials and make them available to teachers, researchers, individuals in the USEK community, and visiting library users.
''The Phoenix Center for Lebanese Studies''
Home to a large archive of Lebanese heritage for researchers and students of cultural and scientific research.
Line 154 ⟶ 153:
The university works on many internal levels to cultivate the mindset of sustainability within the community.
The establishment of the Office of Sustainability and academic and research centers in 2010, and the Green Committee in 2016 consolidated efforts between on-campus partners and built a robust and workable sustainability strategy to advance the environmental management of the institution, increase its environmental and social performance, and embed sustainable practice across the campus.
In 2017, the university launched its Material Recovery Facility (MRF), located next to the student parking, where collected recyclables are stored and dispatched to local eco-driven companies for safe disposal. The university’s recycling program complies with the LEED materials and resources requirement.
Line 160 ⟶ 159:
2018 the university committed to the UN Sustainable Goals (SDGs) and the UN Global Compact to help frame and guide its activities.
'''Sustainable Rankings - GreenMetric and Times Higher Education UN SDGs'''
Within a year of the creation of the Green Committee, USEK was ranked by GreenMetric World University Ranking 2017 as 1st Green University in Lebanon and among the 10 ‘Greenest’ Universities in the Arab World.
In 2019 - 1st Sustainable and Green University in Lebanon and 3rd Most Sustainable and Green University in the Arab World of that year.
In 2020 - 1st sustainable and Green University in Lebanon for the third consecutive year, and 4th most sustainable and Green University in the MENA Region
In 2021, USEK was ranked by UI GreenMetric Worldwide as 1st Green University in Lebanon for five consecutive years, 3rd in the Arab world and 117th worldwide.
In 2021 USEK ranked 1st, joint-1st and 2nd in Lebanon in the Times Higher Education Impact rankings for the UN SDGs, No Poverty, Reduced Inequalities and Affordable and Clean Energy.
Line 255 ⟶ 254:
| Accreditation Award || Accreditation Body
|-
|
|}
Line 285 ⟶ 284:
In 2020 - 25% of the total amount of tuition fees were covered by the financial aid compared to 16% in
2011
In Fall 2021
Line 373 ⟶ 371:
IDEA: Involvement in the University Community - Green Committee
'''Sports'''
The university has teams for basketball, volleyball, football, futsal, table tennis, ski, tennis, chess, fencing, combat sports and athletics. Specialized trainers coach the teams to represent USEK in national and international university competitions, and students are regularly selected to represent Lebanon in national teams.
Line 379 ⟶ 377:
Intercollegiate sport
USEK teams participate in a number of intercollegiate sporting events
Achievements/Wins:
Line 413 ⟶ 411:
''Training Camp for all sports teams in Loutraki, Greece''
September
120 members - Sports Teams:
Basketball (Men & Women)
Line 427 ⟶ 425:
'''The Choir'''
The Choir of Kaslik was founded in the same as the University, in 1950. This first all-male choir consisted of young scholastics (
The importance of this choir plays an ecclesial and liturgical role, and an artistic and patrimonial role in the preservation and the promotion of authentic Arabic and Lebanese music. This choir was the principal execution tool of liturgical and musical reforms that took place within the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik had an influence on the Maronite Church in Lebanon and beyond its borders. Through concerts and records, the choir revitalized an authentic Lebanese and Arabic musical heritage.
'''Student Chapters'''
Line 449 ⟶ 447:
''The USEK University Pastoral''
Founded by the Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon in 1979 and officially recognized by the Lebanese State in 1988, Pastoral provides a space for all USEK students leading a Christian life and engaged in spiritual reflection.
''The Marian Apostolic Movement''
Line 455 ⟶ 453:
A Christian secular movement founded originally in Lebanon in 1973 and 2017 at the university. It honours the Blessed Virgin Mary as their role model. The USEK branch of this movement brings together current and former members with the aim of supporting the mission of the Lebanese Maronite Order at the University.
''Scout Spirit''
Founded in 2017, Scout Spirit brings together students from all the different scout associations in Lebanon to celebrate the values of the scouting movement through a range of activities.
Line 472 ⟶ 470:
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1961]]
| |||