Rafik Hariri philanthropic and developmental contributions are countless. The most remarkable being the multifaceted support to educate more than 36,000 Lebanese university students within Lebanon, and beyond.
You are here
Rafik Hariri Foundation - History and National Role
"Aspiring to have the doors of higher learning open to unrecognized Lebanese talents and potentials, was my real incentive for establishing the Hariri Foundation, being fully aware that the human being is the precious wealth of Lebanon, so if well attended to through education, culture and overall human development, he stands out to be the best means for Lebanon’s construction and reconstruction”.
With these impressive words, Rafik Hariri framed the mission, the vision and the strategic plan of action for the Hariri Foundation, refusing to see the Lebanese wealth, exemplified in youth talents and potentials, being wasted, simply because their families, mainly due to financial constraints, are unable to send them to universities.
Main Land marks in the history of RHF.
-
1979 marks the date when Rafik Hariri launched his diversified and multiple philanthropic social and humanitarian initiatives, initially from his home town Saida, under the umbrella of the “Islamic Foundation for Culture and Higher Education”
-
1980 marks the date when Rafik Hariri launched the highly advanced Kfar Fallous complex, which comprised then a university, a hospital and a high school.Regrettably the Complex was totally looted and destroyed by the year 1985, in the after-math of the Israeli invasion of 1982, thus wasting investments of hundreds of millions of dollars, that otherwise would have poured in Lebanon’s human and social development.
-
1983 marks the date when Rafik Hariri had the Hariri Foundation officially established, as a non-profit organization. It was missioned to render educational, cultural and social services to the Lebanese community, to disseminate an enlightened vision among the Lebanese youth, and to respond to national needs for reconstruction and development, following the devastating destruction in the Lebanese social, economic and educational structure, in the after math of the 1975 conflicts and the 1982 Israeli invasion.
-
The Foundation stood out as a role model for partnership and cooperation in between the civil society and the national state, mainly in undertaking a salvation task, it worked on to pull out the society at large from a crisis that threatened Lebanon with fanaticism, disintegrating and under-development, and contribute instead to its reconstruction
-
The Foundation also stood out, by international standards set for sustainable development as one of a kind N.G.O. with a pioneering developmental national role for reconstruction. To serve better its goals and objectives and to offer equal opportunities to all, the Hariri Foundation established in addition to Saida offices,branches at Tripoli and Bekaa’, thus reaching all the Lebanese youth irrespective of their religion, sect, gender or political affiliation, and giving them the needed support to be admitted into higher education institutions within Lebanon and beyond . Also, for further support and follow up, the Foundation opened offices in USA, France and England to attend to its students who were admitted in 1064 universities and higher education establishments in 27 countries, including Lebanon, western Europe, north Africa, Canada and USA.
RHF accomplishments: Facts and figures
- Granting financial support to 36000 students, for them to get quality higher education in more than 1064 prominent universities, located in more than 27 countries (1984-2012) (read more)
- Initiating linguistic rehabilitation programs (English and French) to enable those students with inadequate linguistic abilities to pursue successfully their university studies (read more)
- Initiating proficiency training programs for graduates in Engineering and Medicine discipline to keep them abreast of new developments in their respective fields (read more)
- Innovating a program for counseling and career guidance to orient students to the fields of studies that match best their potentials and preferences (read more)
- Initiating an annual award program for the outstanding students of the RHF (1992-1999) (read more)
- Establishing highly distinguished schools, three in the capital Beirut (LAK, HHSII, HSIII), and two in Sidon (RHHS, HBS) and one in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (read more)
- Establishing a multidisciplinary university in Meshref, the Rafik Hariri University (read more)
- Establishing the Aid and Relief Bureau (Later under Prime Minister Rafic Hariri 's office for Aid and Relief name ( 1984 to date) (read more)
- Establishing the Social Health Directorate which currently comprises 22 health centers scattered all over Lebanon ( 2000 to date) (read more)
- Funding a wide range of cultural and humanitarian initiatives and programs (read more)
- Publishing several research projects, studies and books in various subjects and disciplines (read more)
