The Faculty of Humanities Ramez G. Chagoury at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut was established in 1976. This collective decision by former leaders of the renowned School of Languages in Beirut aimed to fill the significant gap left by its closure and ensure continuity through a suitable successor. For thirty years, the School had been a beacon of excellence in humanities education across Lebanon and the Middle East.

Initially inaugurated in October 1977, the Faculty of Humanities began with six departments, including French literature, philosophy, history and geography, psychology, and sociology. Over time, it expanded to include the Institute of Oriental Studies, renamed the Department of Arabic Studies in 1996. Additionally, the departments of history and geography were separated into distinct entities.

Subsequently, the Faculty incorporated additional institutions such as the Center for Arabic Research and Studies and the Center for Modern Arab Studies in 1977, the Lebanese School of Social Work in 1978, and the Lebanese Institute of Educators in 1979 (later becoming part of the Faculty of Education in 1999).

These initiatives aimed to unify scattered efforts and integrate diverse disciplines, schools, and research centers into a unified hub, sharing a common goal: to establish a center dedicated to teaching and research in humanities, steadfast in its commitment to the profound humanistic values cherished by the Jesuits, who had originally founded the Oriental Faculty seventy-five years earlier. In pursuit of this vision, the Faculty expanded its influence by establishing key entities: The Center for Language Studies (in 1977), the Institute of Languages and Translation (in 1980, later becoming the Faculty of Languages and Translation in 2012), and the School of Translators and Interpreters of Beirut, the Institute of Theatre, Audiovisual and Cinematic Studies (in 1988), and finally, ESMOD Beirut (in 2020). In 1986, the Faculty of Humanities Ramez G. Chagoury also acquired collections from the library of the former School of Languages, which have since grown to encompass over 125,000 titles.

Since its inception, the Faculty has continued to grow. It has developed new programs in tourism, environmental and spatial planning, international relations, information and communication, leadership, and human resources management. It has also established several laboratories, including the Laboratory of Mapping and Geographic Information System, Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Modeling, and the University Observatory on Social and Economic Reality (OURSE), as well as research centers like the Michel Henry Center for Phenomenology, the Center for Strategic Studies and Research (CERGES), etc. In 1997, the Monnot Theatre was inaugurated in the underground spaces of the Jesuit residence, followed in 2000 by the Museum of Lebanese Prehistory. That same year, the Faculty relocated from its original Huvelin Street premises to new facilities on Damascus Road, which include a splendid library and another theater, Béryte. Year after year, the Faculty has introduced new programs and numerous master’s degrees, such as the Master in Art Criticism and Curatorial Studies, Master in Event Planning, Master in Clinical and Pathological Psychology: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Master in Leadership and Human Resources Management. These additions have significantly enriched the academic offerings of one of the Saint Joseph University of Beirut’s most dynamic faculties.