BEIRUT: Graduate and doctoral-level studies at Lebanese universities are not up to international standards, a high-ranking official from the Education Ministry said Wednesday.

“It is unfortunate to say, but many universities in the country have become more like [high] schools and I don’t have much confidence in their competency,” said Ahmad Jamal, the Director General of the Education Ministry.

Speaking during a workshop organized by the American University of Culture and Education at UNESCO Palace, Jamal said that the ministry understands the inadequacies of some programs of higher education in the country, but prefers to give universities a chance to implement reform independent of government intervention.

“Several countries have passed to us their complaints over the quality of graduate and doctoral education received by Lebanese students, but the ministry has decided to remain silent in order to preserve educational ethics,” Jamal explained.

Private universities are licensed through the government, yet they operate independently. Lebanon has one public university and 28 private universities registered with the ministry.

According to Jamal, many university branches also lack a proper academic atmosphere and facilities. “What we have seen in university branches throughout the country is that they don’t carry out studies and some don’t even have libraries,” Jamal added.

Such inadequacies create a disparity between main campuses and their related branches, said Jamal, who expressed hope that innovation and eco-friendly initiatives would help bridge the gap between university campuses.

The workshop, entitled “Innovation through Green Information and Communication Technologies in Higher Education,” gathered entrepreneurs and AUCE administration to discuss tools and resources to decrease the environmental footprint of universities across the nation.

For Pierre Gedeon, president of AUCE, strengthening the quality of education in all of university branches requires proper management. “The work to spread the quality among all branches requires our university to change its management structure,” said Gedeon.

Founded in 2000, AUCE received accreditation from the British Accreditation Council in April of last year and has a number of branches spread out across the country.