USJ Welcomes the Ambassador of Spain to Lebanon

On June 22, 2026, Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) welcomed H.E. Mr. Miguel de Lucas González, Ambassador of Spain to Lebanon, accompanied by Mr. José Luis Gonzalez, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Spain. The meeting took place at the Rectorate in the presence of Prof. François Boëdec, SJ, Rector of USJ; Ms. Carla Eddé, Vice-Rector for International Relations; Ms. Gina Abou Fadel Saad, Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation; Ms. Yasmina Sabbah, Head of the USJ Choir; as well as representatives of the faculty, administrative staff, and students.

The visit provided an opportunity to reaffirm the strong ties between USJ and Spain. Today, the University maintains more than forty agreements with around twenty Spanish institutions across a wide range of disciplines. These partnerships support student and staff mobility, double-degree programs, joint research projects, and several European Union-backed initiatives.

The Rector recalled that USJ’s social mission remains at the heart of its identity. He spoke about the University’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s middle class through successive crises and to promoting equal opportunity, with more than 60% of students receiving financial assistance. He also reaffirmed USJ’s commitment to academic excellence, research, and international engagement within a trilingual environment, emphasizing the vital role international partnerships play in the University’s continued development and outreach.

Ms. Carla Eddé then spoke about the cooperation between USJ and Spain. She highlighted the double-degree programs developed with IQS School of Management and the collaborations established with several Spanish universities in fields ranging from languages and humanities to engineering, management, and dentistry.

She also stressed the importance of Erasmus+ projects, which have enabled around one hundred students and nearly the same number of faculty and administrative staff members to take part in international mobility over the past five years.

Ms. Gina Abou Fadel Saad, Dean of FdLT, introduced the Faculty and its different departments, particularly the Center for Modern Languages (CLV), which offers foreign language courses, in addition to English and French, as open electives for USJ students.

She pointed out that among the languages taught by CLV (Armenian, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish), Spanish attracts the largest number of students at USJ, accounting for 47% of enrollments in the 2025-2026 academic year. Spanish is taught by four instructors, including a language lecturer who has been made available by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), with the support of the Embassy of Spain, for the past twenty years. Courses are offered from the beginner level through B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Ms. Saad thanked the Ambassador of Spain for his continued support, which extends beyond language instruction to cultural activities for USJ students and workshops introducing children to the Spanish language and culture. She also spoke about the Faculty’s partnerships with several Spanish universities, including the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), the University of Granada, Comillas Pontifical University, and CADMUS.

She concluded by expressing her hope of extending these partnerships to other universities and language centers offering Arabic courses in Spain through cooperation agreements in Arabic language instruction and preparation for the Diploma in Arabic as a Foreign Language (DALE), developed by the Faculty’s Center for Arab Research and Studies (CREA).

Faculty members and students also shared how these partnerships have enriched their academic experience, language learning, and international mobility opportunities.

The meeting also highlighted the cultural collaborations developed by the USJ Choir. Ms. Yasmina Sabbah presented several projects featuring renowned Spanish artists as part of the Choir’s longstanding collaboration with the Embassy of Spain. She also expressed her hope of expanding these collaborations and promoting the Choir’s presence on Spanish stages.

For his part, H.E. Mr. Miguel de Lucas González reflected on the idea that “the university is universitas,” a community open to the universal where dialogue, freedom of thought, and tolerance are cultivated. He emphasized the importance of understanding others, encouraging intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and embracing diversity as the foundation of sustainable societies. Recalling the historical ties between Spain and the Jesuit tradition, he reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening cooperation between Spanish academic institutions and USJ.

The visit reflected the strong relationship between USJ and Spain and opened the door to new opportunities for collaboration in education, research, and culture.

Also read: L’USJ reçoit l’ambassadeur d’Espagne au Liban

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