CIRCL | Center for Collaborative Design

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  Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut is a teaching-centered research university based on the American liberal arts model of higher education. AUB has over 8,000 students and 800 faculty members. The University encourages freedom of thought and expression and seeks to graduate men and women committed to creative and critical thinking, lifelong learning, personal integrity, civic responsibility, and leadership.
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Our Approach

We envision a world where creativity is not a luxury or a profession, but an essential — and learnable — tool for change.

Through hands-on courses tackling real-world problems, collaborative studios and workshops, and partnerships on and off campus, we teach human-centered design to students from any major. We empower you with the creative confidence necessary to make impactful change in a world where the path is unclear, the stakes are high, and you can’t put a box around the answer. We’ll help you practice design thinking as a civic, ethical, and imaginative act rooted in the realities of our region and oriented toward the futures we need.

Come Create with Us!

Reflections From Our Community

“Even after my master’s, internships, and PhD, I’ve never experienced anything like Intro to HCD class. It changed the way I think permanently. I learned things still carry with me.”

Tarek Tohme reflecting on his experience of the Intro to Human-Centered Design course

“I thought human-centered design was obvious, of course engineers design for people. But I realized how much we actually overlook the human side.”

Rawan Hoteit reflecting on her journey as a CIRCL design fellow

“FYP always felt like a looming, unbeatable mountain. The FYP workshop showed me a path, It turned my intimidation into actionable steps, helping me shape it into something that finally felt like me.”

Alaa Ayyad reflecting on the CIRCL Graphic Design FYP Workshop.

Hear more from previous design fellows here.

Our partners

CIRCL Design Library

Dive headfirst into a curated digital and physical library of books on design thinking, strategy, visualization, problem-solving, creativity, productivity, and beyond. Whether you are sharpening your skills or exploring new ways of thinking, our Design Library is open to everyone. Built as a reliable resource for curious minds, it is a space to learn, grow, and level up your knowledge.

Explore our Library

Contact Us

For various questions, please try contacting us via social media first!
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Privacy Statement

We take data privacy seriously and adhere to all applicable data privacy laws and regulations.
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Copyright and Disclaimer

Written permission is needed to copy or disseminate all or part of the materials on the AUB website.
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Title IX, Non-Discrimination, and Anti-Discriminatory Harassment

AUB is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment to all members of its community.
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American University of Beirut