Professor Philip S. Khoury, chairman emeritus of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Board of Trustees, is a distinguished academic leader and one of the preeminent historians of the modern Arab world. His contributions to the study of the Middle East, the advancement of higher education, and AUB's mission are indelible. An advocate for academic freedom, social justice, and geopolitical participation, Khoury's career spans decades of scholarship, leadership, and impact.
Born in 1949 in Washington, D.C., Khoury's deep-rooted connection to AUB runs through his family. His grandfather, Mansur Hanna Jurdak, a noted mathematician and astronomer, graduated from AUB, as did his mother, Dr. Angela Jurdak Khoury, AUB's first female instructor and Lebanon's first female diplomat. Khoury's academic journey began at AUB, where he studied in 1969-70, before completing his undergraduate degree with honors at Trinity College in 1971. He went on to earn his PhD from Harvard University in 1980.
Khoury joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) History Faculty in 1981, where he quickly established himself as a leading scholar. He served as dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences from 1991 to 2006 and was appointed the inaugural Kenan Sahin Dean of the school in 2002. In 2006, he was appointed vice provost of MIT, a position he still holds alongside his role as Ford International Professor of History.
Khoury maintained academic ties with Harvard University, where he served as professor of history in the School of Extension Studies from 1982 to 1990 and as faculty associate at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies from 1981 to 2000. He has been a visiting associate at St. Antony's College, University of Oxford, and is trustee emeritus of the National Humanities Center. Khoury has also served as chairman of the World Peace Foundation, vice chairman of the Trinity College Board of Trustees, trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, trustee of Underwriters Laboratories, and overseer at Koç University.
Khoury's leadership at AUB was transformative, leaving a lasting impact on the university and its community. He was elected trustee in 1997 and became board chairman in 2009. During his tenure, he helped steward AUB through times of exceptional growth as well as significant adversities, including Lebanon's severe financial crisis in 2019, the Beirut Port explosion in 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his guidance, AUB conducted the largest capital campaign in the MENA region, tripled student financial assistance, restored tenure after more than 30 years, and initiated major expansions, including at the AUB Medical Center and the launch of AUB Online. Khoury's visionary leadership also facilitated the opening of the university's first twin campus in Cyprus, AUB Mediterraneo, and the acquisition of AUB's first-ever community hospital, the Keserwan Medical Center. In 2024, after 15 years of exemplary service, Khoury stepped down as chairman of the AUB Board of Trustees, and was unanimously elected chair emeritus.
Khoury's career has been distinguished by numerous fellowships, including those from the Fulbright-Hays Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, and Thomas J. Watson Foundation. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Khoury has received honorary degrees from Trinity College and Earth University. He also served as President of the Middle East Studies Association. Among his many prestigious honors, Khoury received the George Louis Beer Prize in 1987 for his publication Syria and the French Mandate. In 2009, he was awarded the Distinguished AUB Alumni Award.
Khoury's contributions to education, scholarship, and global collaboration continue to inspire future generations, cementing his place as a transformative figure in the history of the American University of Beirut and the broader academic community.