Planning & Development   Alumni   SDG  
Planning & Development   Alumni   SDG  

SDG 11.4.7: IUL works with local authorities to address planning issues/development, including ensuring that local residents are able to access affordable housing

Lebanon hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in the region. UNHCR estimates that over one million refugees currently reside in Lebanon, in addition to at least 50,000 Palestinian Refugees from Syria (PRS). 

UNHCR, UNHabitat, and with the support of the Islamic University of Lebanon conducted an assessment of housing, land, and property (HLP) issues related to the Syrian refugee crisis. This report reviews the impact of the crisis in four specific areas: (i) shelter options available to refugees; (ii) HLP rights of refugees and host communities; (iii) housing and property markets; and (iv) land-use, particularly in heavily impacted cities and towns, but also in rural areas. The purpose of this research study is to inform humanitarian and government entities and help in designing policies, planning decisions, and programs so as to ensure that refugees and vulnerable Lebanese families have access to safe, affordable, and adequate shelter. 

A qualitative study was to investigate how higher education institutions address youth unemployment in Lebanon. Using a descriptive study design, it maps out the issues and potential solutions within the environment the universities are embedded from the perspectives of leading policymakers in the field of higher education in the country. The policy perspectives of university rectors, government officials, and private sector employers are charted and then compared in relation to youth unemployment, jobless graduates, and the higher education institutional role. Addressing issues of socio-economic inclusion of youth can help governments in addressing employment-related issues. For example, a number of aspects relating to youth transition into adulthood have gone unrecognized by governments similar to Lebanon. Marriage and housing are among these issues besides education and employment. Researchers believe that improving these transitions would have a favorable impact on the labor market and employment trends in the country.

In this study, the Islamic University of Lebanon participated in search of guarantee that local residents can access affordable housing and have a better quality of life.