Message from the President

August 6, 2020

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

LAU, much like the rest of the country, is still pondering with sadness the enormity of the disaster that has befallen Lebanon yesterday. Our hearts and prayers go to the victims and the injured as well as their families. Our solidarity and sympathy with all who have suffered from this catastrophe are only matched by our resolve to do all we can to help our country and community rise from under the debris, and heal as quickly as possible.

The depth of the abyss we have experienced yesterday will scar all of us for a long time to come. Surrender, however, has never been part of what LAU stands for and never will be. The LAU Medical Center - Rizk Hospital has been helping hundreds of cases many, very serious. Our medical teams and health care providers worked tirelessly all night under strenuous conditions exacerbated by the damage our hospital buildings have sustained. Health care assistance continues round the clock led by our health providers. 

What matters most, however, is the safety of all of our LAU family. We have reached out to as many of our faculty and staff as possible to offer assistance. If you need any support at this time, please contact immediately your immediate supervisor and we will do all we can to help.

Many have reached out to us asking about our safety and campus conditions. Our Beirut campus sustained some damage and several of our facilities have been temporarily decommissioned pending repairs assessment. Repair works have already begun.

LAU is heartened by the wonderful cohesion of our community that came together and acted as one big family where the “one for all and all for one” maxim was movingly visible. With the full support and encouragement of our Board of Trustees, LAU will always be at the forefront of such a scene solidly committed to serving our society and relentlessly devoted to its welfare. This, after all, is our mission and the very core of our values.

LAU will be closed until August 10 while we work in earnest on restoring priority operations. Our Medical Center (LAUMC-RH) will continue to be a hub for the hundreds who need medical help and we will surely keep you apprised of all subsequent developments having a bearing on our operations.

As we have always been, we are one with our university family and broader community, feeling its pains and sharing its difficult moments. All LAU resources are mobilized to this end as we stand firm by our commitment to serving society and keeping the glimmer of hope aglow.

Please keep well and stay safe with your families and loved ones.

With gratitude,