“Lebanon Debate”
In light of the continuing delay in completing the file for full-time contract professors at the Lebanese University, and six months after the issuance of Council of Ministers Resolution No. 17 dated February 16, 2026, the atmosphere for contract professors is heading towards escalation, with the approaching of September 1, the date set for the start of the first batch of full-time professors.
The Committee of Hourly Contracted Professors at the Lebanese University had conducted a questionnaire about the escalation steps that could be taken in the event that the government continued not to approve the names, and its results showed, according to the committee, a broad and clear commitment from the professors concerned to the option of striking.
In this context, a member of the hourly contract professors committee, Dr. Muhammad Shukr, announced that the professors no longer have much room to maneuver, after they waited a long time for the implementation of the Council of Ministers’ decision, indicating that the option of a comprehensive strike has become seriously on the table if the names are not approved before the first of September.
Shukr stressed that what is required is not to take a new decision, but rather to implement a decision previously taken by the Council of Ministers, considering that continued delay and procrastination are no longer acceptable after six months have passed since the decision was issued. He stressed that the professors are waiting for the decision to be translated into practical steps and for the names to be approved within the specified deadline.
Based on the results of the questionnaire and the committee’s conclusion that there was broad support for the action, the Committee of Hourly Contracted Professors at the Lebanese University issued a statement in which it announced that September 1 would be a decisive date, so either Resolution 17 would be implemented and the names approved, or go on a comprehensive strike.
The committee issued a statement:
Six months after the issuance of Cabinet Resolution No. 17 dated February 16, 2026, regarding the completion of the file for full-time contract professors at the Lebanese University, and with the approaching of September 1, the date set for the start of the first batch, the government is still procrastinating in approving the names.
The government is required to implement a decision issued by it and fulfill a right it previously decided.
After the questionnaire conducted by the Contracted Professors Committee, which showed a broad and clear commitment from the professors concerned to the option of striking if the names were not approved before September 1, the committee announces the following:
First: A comprehensive strike by hourly contract professors at the Lebanese University, starting on September 1, 2026, if the names are not approved before this date.
This strike is a direct result of the government not implementing its decision, after a long wait and exhausting all means of follow-up and demands. Professors are not responsible for disrupting the academic year if the government chooses not to implement what it has decided on its own.
Accordingly, the committee calls on the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers to shoulder their responsibilities and approve the names before September 1, out of respect for the Council of Ministers’ decision, in fairness to the professors, and in order to preserve the stability of the Lebanese University.
September 1 is the implementation date, not a date to start a new wait.
Implement Resolution 17 and approve the names before September 1, otherwise there will be a general strike.
