Established in 1953 as an extension of the AUB campus, the Advancing Research, Enabling Communities (AREC) supports teaching, research, and outreach in agriculture, health, the environment, and sustainable rural livelihoods. Located in the heart of the Bekaa Valley - Lebanon’s most significant agricultural region-AREC provides a unique, real-world setting for knowledge dissemination, innovation, and the application of agricultural research at scale. Over more than six decades, FAFS has built strong relationships of trust and collaboration with neighboring Beqaa communities, offering a practical model of AUB’s Good Neighborhood Policy. Today, AREC remains one of the region’s leading academic centers, serving students, faculty, researchers, and communities alike.

