About FAFS

Message from the Dean

"Advances in medicine and agriculture have saved vastly more lives than have been lost in all the wars in history".

Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

Welcome to the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) at the American University of Beirut. Established in 1952, FAFS has continuously educated a growing number of students using a learner-centered approach to meet the needs of a changing world. Over the years our School has addressed through teaching, research, and service, challenges facing rural societies and has tackled issues of global interest related to the food industry, the natural environment, and nutrition, all aiming at enhancing the health and wellbeing of society.

FAFS is organized into four departments that offer outstanding undergraduate and many graduate programs in various disciplines. The departments of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Sciences, Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management, and Nutrition and Food Sciences currently offer four undergraduate degrees. These are in Agriculture, Landscape Design and Eco-Management, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Food Science and Management. Starting Fall 2007, the Department of Animal Sciences will offer a B.Sc. in Veterinary Science.

At FAFS, we promote interdisciplinary educational programs and we encourage students to think holistically outside narrow disciplines and seek collaboration and partnership with other Faculties. This is evident in our interfaculty programs and in the collaborative research we conduct. We have two graduate interfaculty programs; a nutrition program leading to an M.Sc. degree in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Health Sciences, and an ecosystem management program leading to an M.Sc. degree in collaboration with the Faculties of Engineering and Architecture, Medicine, Health Sciences, and Arts and Sciences.

Our campus is a green landmark situated in the center of Beirut, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and encompassing a rich history and legacy. The campus offers excellent facilities for teaching and research, including well-equipped classrooms, design studios, and laboratories. Hands-on experience is integral to all our programs, and we strive to connect our students to out-of-classroom activities that can truly prepare them for their working lives. FAFS has an
additional facility, the Agricultural Research and Education Center (AREC) in the Beqaa valley, where students enrolled in the agriculture science and landscape design and eco-management programs spend their residency requirements. The AREC campus is also used as an advanced
Research and Development center serving Lebanon, the Middle East, and North Africa.
I encourage you to visit our Web Site for further information and details.

With Best Regards

Nahla Hwalla

Professor and Dean

Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences