Mission
The Neighborhood Initiative mobilizes the full power of AUB (intellectual, human, corporate) for the public good in Ras Beirut, promoting the neighborhood’s livability, vitality, and diversity through innovative outreach activities and multidisciplinary research.
The mission of the Neighborhood Initiative echoes the mission of the university at large, which highlights the importance of service and civic responsibility in Lebanon and the region. The university’s mission to provide excellent education and advance knowledge through research is enhanced, made more relevant, by engagement with local issues.
Vision
The Neighborhood Initiative serves as a model of place-based engagement for universities in Lebanon and the region, benefiting the university itself and the districts of Beirut surrounding it.
Values statement
- Responsive: In general we do not impose academic priorities on the neighborhood, but respond to what concerns neighbors.
- Participatory: A participatory approach guides our work inside and outside the university.
- Promoting critical citizenship: We encourage critical citizenship, giving faculty and students the opportunity to apply critical thinking through practical problem-solving.