The below is attributable to Spokesperson Jessica Jennings:
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with the President of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri to discuss USAID and AUB’s long-standing partnership in higher education and commitment to empowering youth to shape Lebanon’s future.
Administrator Power thanked AUB for being an indispensable ally in promoting shared values of scholarship, free speech, leadership, inclusion, and civic-mindedness in Lebanon. The Administrator reflected on her visit to the Beirut campus in November 2022 and shared how the scholarship-recipient students she met at AUB were full of passion and drive. Administrator Power also underscored USAID’s continued commitment to investing in the future of youth in Lebanon. The Administrator and University President Khuri discussed the importance of investing in education at all levels to build pathways to success for Lebanon’s youth.
Since 2011, USAID has invested more than $70 million to provide full undergraduate scholarships to more than 700 academically-gifted students from all regions of Lebanon at AUB who might not otherwise be able to attend a university. USAID also recently awarded AUB a cooperative agreement of up to $30 million, subject to the availability of funds, for a new scholarships program to enroll approximately 240 Lebanese and refugee scholars starting the academic year 2023-24 who can no longer afford tuition amidst Lebanon’s economic crisis.