Ever since the Jesuits founded it in 1875, the French medium Saint-Joseph University (USJ) has fruitfully cooperated with others on the international scale. This international cooperation was fostered by the University′s adoption of the European System of Transferable Credits (ECTS) in 2003, for it allowed USJ to develop a wide network of partner universities across Europe, the United States, and the Arab world. This increased student and staff mobility, opening the doors for hundreds of foreign students to come study at USJ every year within the framework of bilateral agreements and other international exchange scholarship projects.
Choosing to study at USJ in the cosmopolitan country that is Lebanon means that both the University and its students must shoulder some specific responsibilities. On one hand, foreign students must be able to make the most of their stay, gaining an understanding of a different culture all while thriving in their studies. On the other hand, USJ has an essential duty to provide quality education for its foreign students.
Welcome to Saint Joseph University!
Salim Daccache, S.J.
Rector
Internationalization Strategy
Internationalization has been at the heart of the foundation of Saint Joseph University resulting on one hand, from cooperation that has been made between Jesuits of different nationalities and on the other, from relations with the Ottoman Empire, the Vatican and France.
The diplomas awarded by USJ were French diplomas up until 1975 when Saint Joseph University became a Lebanese University and started issuing Lebanese diplomas. The privileged relations with France still exist in the form of numerous cooperation agreements. Currently, USJ boasts agreements with 275 partner institutions that spread across 42 countries around the world, including Francophone, Jesuit and Arab institutions.
USJ is also a member of numerous international networks such as: the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), the International Association of Universities (IAU), the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), the European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE), the Association of Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education in Europe and Lebanon (ASJEL), the Association of Arab Universities (AAU), the Euro-Mediterranean University Tethys, the Permanent Forum of European Universities (EPUF), the Anna Lindh Foundation, and the Talloires Network for Civic Engagement, to name a few.
In 2005, an International Relations office was created with seven key strategic objectives in mind:
- Enriching academic programs through the contributions of over 400 visiting professors as well as 400 outgoing teaching mobilites every year;
- Developing hosting facilities related to students and staff mobility;
- Developing new international programs;
- Developing cooperation relations in new geographical areas;
- Committing to the Arab world and Francophonie;
- Promoting existing partnerships and researching new strategic collaborations;
- Being involved in European cooperation programs.