Studios & shops in the heart of Beirut.

In 1964, after returning to Lebanon following several years abroad, Mr. Jamil Dagher founded the Middle East Institute, driven by a vision to contribute to the fight against illiteracy and to make education accessible to a wider segment of Lebanese society.

Over the years, the institute earned a strong reputation for its educational contribution and continued to grow. As its reach expanded, a new branch was established in Tahwita–Furn El Chebbak in 1980, allowing the institute to serve an even greater number of students.

Together with his wife, Mrs. Maryam Mourad Dagher, Mr. Jamil Dagher dedicated many years to education and to the development of young Lebanese. Their commitment contributed to shaping generations of students who went on to achieve success in business, the arts, and technical and professional fields, both in Lebanon and abroad.

Believing that distance should never be an obstacle to education, they went beyond establishing branches across different regions of Lebanon. They also created a student residence at the institute’s main campus in Beirut, providing students from distant areas with a safe and comfortable place to live while pursuing their studies.

Today, decades later, Mr. Jamil Dagher’s children are carrying forward his vision and honoring his memory by renovating the student residence and preparing it for a new chapter. The residence is being modernized to accommodate a greater number of university students and to provide them with the comfort, safety, and modern facilities they need throughout their university years.

The student residence will soon reopen its doors. Its reopening represents more than the renewal of a building. It is a continuation of an educational and human legacy that began in 1964, carried forward by a new generation with the same commitment to education and to the future of Lebanese youth.