The President of the state-run Lebanese University (LU), Professor Bassam Badran, held a press conference with the Minister of Education Abbas Al-Halabi, in which the Lebanese University’s affairs were discussed.
As of yet, no effective strategies have been put forward in preparation for resolving the crisis.
“The Cabinet failed to approve the files required to keep the Lebanese University’s standing,” Al-Halabi said. “I will not accept that it collapses during my reign, and we have an opportunity through Parliament soon to raise its budget.”
He also commented that the university’s essential files need a new government formation to approve it as a part of the solution.
Badran also suggested establishing a public transportation network for students at affordable prices in cooperation with municipalities and civil society actors.
But with the fuel prices going high, the chances for this strategy to work are at the lowest.
Badran noted that “the donors will not disburse funds to help the Lebanese University if the university’s doors are closed.” This argument is being used to put pressure on the teachers to cancel the open strike they started a week ago.
Chairman of the Executive Board of the Lebanese University Professors, Amer Halawani, confirmed the continuation of the open strike at the Lebanese University, especially since the Minister of Education talked about the university’s problems without giving solutions, according to local media.
On the other side, the Lebanese University students are being affected by the teachers’ open strike as they lost scholarships abroad due to the postponing of their final exams until further notice.
Related: Lebanon’s Government Formation Still On Hold, Here’s What We Know
