Established in 1953 as an extension of the AUB campus, AREC serves FAFS faculty members, students, and other AUB faculties interested in agriculture, health, environment and sustainable rural livelihoods. The location of AREC in the heart of the Beqaa valley which hosts the most significant agricultural activity in the country offers a unique real-life model for disseminating knowledge and innovation and for experimenting and applying agricultural research at a real-scale model. Moreover, the close knitted ties of participation and trust that FAFS developed over the past 66 years with the neighboring Beqaa communities offer a tangible and working model for the “Good Neighborhood Policy” of AUB. The center remains one of the region’s leading academic centers in the region catering to the needs of students, faculty, researchers and communities.