Notre Dame University - Louaize (NDU) was founded in 1987 by the Maronite Order of the Holy Virgin Mary.
NDU first came into being under the name of Louaize Center for Higher Education (LCHE) in 1978. LCHE was a joint venture between Beirut University College (BUC), now Lebanese American University (LAU) and the Maronite Order of the Holy Virgin Mary.
Later, the Order decided to start a new chapter in its history by founding an independent university. The legal finalization of this project was the promulgation by the President of The Lebanese Republic of the decree number 4116 on August 14, 1987, granting the Order the right to operate an independent university. Thus, Notre Dame University - Louaize was born, the only Catholic university adopting the American education system, not only in Lebanon but also in the entire Middle East. Three years later, in June of 1991, the University awarded its first bachelor degree to seventy-two graduates.
In 1990, NDU established an Off Campus Program in North Lebanon, which in 1999 moved to a new campus located in Barsa, Koura, now known as North Lebanon Campus (NLC). The campus lies on a piece of land of 50,000 square meters donated by the village of Barsa. The first building of the Barsa Campus, totaling 10,000 square meters of floor space, was completed in June 1999.
After establishing itself as one of the leading universities in Lebanon, NDU’s administration, guided by the needs of the Shouf region and neighboring communities, decided to start a new chapter in its history by founding a new campus in Deir El-Kamar within the Shouf district. The proposal was approved by the Board of Trustees in its meeting of March 8, 2001. The Shouf Campus was officially inaugurated on October 26, 2001.
Christelle Maalouf