The Advancing Research Enabling Communities Center (AREC) is located at Haush-Sneid in the Beqa'a Valley, 80 kilometers from Beirut, 25 kilometers northeast of Zahle and 14 kilometers southwest of Baalbeck. It includes a research farm, an agricultural library, a clinic, several staff resident houses, a student cafeteria and dormitories, classrooms, laboratories, a weather station, a seed bank, cold storages, workshop, and recreation and sport facilities, all run by a body of qualified personnel (see accompanying chart). Cattle, sheep, goat and poultry, are maintained with modern equipment and housing facilities. A good portion of the land is devoted to teaching, research, and demonstration in the production of fruits, vegetables, cereals, forage and various other field crops, while the rest of the farm is used to produce locally adapted crops. The 100-hectare farm provides excellent opportunities for students to obtain practical experience in various sectors of agriculture.
The geographic location and the tranquil atmosphere make AREC an ideal place for workshops and seminars. Two classrooms and a large acclimatized lecture hall equipped with screens, projectors, sound system, LCD's, and PC’s, are located in the New Edgecombe Hall Building.
Main campus university rules and regulations are applied at AREC. Because of its remote location, the center offers board and lodging to students, visiting faculty members, trainers, and trainees.
Detailed information can be obtained by calling: +961-8-345151 ext. 100/110
AREC is a collection of six divisions: