Table Of ContentTHE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN ADDRESSING YOUTH 
UNEMPLOYMENT IN LEBANON 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
by 
Hana Addam El-Ghali 
BA, American University of Beirut, 2002 
MA, American University of Beirut, 2006 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of 
the School of Education in partial fulfillment  
of the requirements for the degree of 
Doctor of Philosophy 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
University of Pittsburgh 
2011
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This dissertation was presented 
 
by 
 
 
Hana Addam El-Ghali 
 
 
 
It was defended on 
April 13, 2011 
and approved by 
John C. Weidman, PhD, Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies  
John L. Yeager, PhD, Associate Professor, Administrative and Policy Studies 
Fatma El-Hamidi, PhD, Adjunct Faculty, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs 
 Dissertation Advisor: Maureen W. McClure, PhD, Associate Professor, Administrative and 
Policy Studies 
 
 
  ii
Copyright © by Hana Addam El-Ghali 
2011 
  iii
THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN ADDRESSING YOUTH 
UNEMPLOYMENT IN LEBANON 
Hana Addam El-Ghali, PhD 
University of Pittsburgh, 2011
 
 
This  qualitative  study  investigates  how  higher  education  institutions  address  youth 
unemployment in Lebanon. Using a descriptive study design, it maps out the issues and potential 
solutions within the environment the universities are embedded from the perspectives of leading 
policy  makers  in  the  field  of  higher  education  in  the  country.  The  policy  perspectives  of 
university  rectors,  government  officials,  and  private  sector  employers  are  charted  and  then 
compared  in  relation  to  youth  unemployment,  jobless  graduates  and  the  higher  education 
institutional role. The theoretical framework, which has been derived from the human capital 
literature  and  higher  education  institutional  theories,  guides  analysis  of  interviews  with 
institutional  policymakers.  The  core  study  finding  offers  support  for  the  compilation  of 
fundamental data and official demographic statistics, which will influence any potential policy 
reform to be considered. Results suggest that there are differences and similarities between the 
different participant groups in identifying the roots, risks and responses to the problem of youth 
unemployment in the Lebanon. Additional findings point to a centrality of institutional role in 
the mitigation of the crisis of jobless graduates in the country. Among policy recommendations 
to follow the data compilation are joint efforts to address policy reform in the higher education 
subsector in Lebanon. 
  iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... XI 
1.0  INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 
1.1  CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM ...................................................................... 2 
1.1.1  Regional Context.............................................................................................. 3 
1.1.2  Local Context ................................................................................................... 4 
1.1.3  Institutional Context...................................................................................... 10 
1.2  RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE ......................... 13 
2.0  LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 15 
2.1  DEMOGRAPHICS ............................................................................................ 15 
2.2  MARKET/EMPLOYMENT OPPROTUNITIES........................................... 21 
2.3  POLICY SOLUTIONS ..................................................................................... 28 
2.3.1  Government Sector ........................................................................................ 29 
2.3.2  Private Sector ................................................................................................. 32 
2.3.3  Higher Education Subsector ......................................................................... 34 
3.0  CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................. 36 
3.1  THE HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY ............................................................... 36 
3.1.1  Macro-Level Human Capital Perspective ................................................... 37 
3.1.2  Micro-Level Human Capital Perspective .................................................... 43 
  v
3.1.3  Human Capital and Complimentary Capitals ............................................ 45 
3.1.4  Critique of the Human capital Theory ........................................................ 47 
3.1.5  Capital Creation and Youth Unemployment in Lebanon .......................... 50 
3.2  HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONAL THEORY ................................ 57 
3.2.1  Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Society ................................. 57 
3.2.2  Higher Education Institutions and Societal Change .................................. 60 
3.3  SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 65 
4.0  RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 67 
4.1  RESEARCH DESIGN ....................................................................................... 68 
4.2  PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................... 69 
4.3  DATA COLLECTION ...................................................................................... 71 
4.3.1  Elite Interviews .............................................................................................. 72 
4.4  DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................. 75 
4.4.1  Data Coding.................................................................................................... 75 
4.4.2  Data Interpretation........................................................................................ 76 
4.4.2.1  Perceived Role of Higher Education Institutions ....................... 79 
4.4.2.2  Policymakers’ Awareness ................................................................ 80 
4.4.2.3  Other Emergent Themes .................................................................. 81 
5.0  FINDINGS .................................................................................................................. 83 
5.1  INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA............................................................. 84 
5.1.1  Findings Category 1: Awareness of the Youth Unemployment Crisis ..... 85 
5.1.1.1  University Leaders .............................................................................. 86 
5.1.1.2  Other Leaders ...................................................................................... 88 
  vi
5.1.1.3  Summary: Awareness ......................................................................... 91 
5.1.2  Findings Category 2: Roots of the Youth Unemployment Crisis .............. 91 
5.1.2.1  University Leaders .............................................................................. 91 
5.1.2.2  Other Leaders ...................................................................................... 94 
5.1.2.3  Summary: Roots .................................................................................. 96 
5.1.3  Findings Category 3: Risks of the Youth Unemployment Crisis .............. 97 
5.1.3.1  University Leaders .............................................................................. 97 
5.1.3.2  Other Leaders .................................................................................... 100 
5.1.3.3  Summary: Risks ................................................................................ 100 
5.1.4  Findings Category 4: Responses to Address the Youth Unemployment 
Crisis  101 
5.1.4.1  University Leaders ............................................................................ 101 
5.1.4.2  Other Leaders .................................................................................... 104 
5.1.4.3  Summary: Responses ........................................................................ 107 
5.2  SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ........................................................................... 107 
6.0  RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................. 111 
6.1  DISCUSSION OF STUDY RESULTS........................................................... 112 
6.2  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 119 
6.3  LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................. 120 
6.4  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION ...................................................... 122 
6.4.1  Best Practices and Emergent Policies ........................................................ 124 
6.4.1.1  Syria.................................................................................................... 125 
6.4.1.2  Jordan ................................................................................................ 126 
  vii
6.4.1.3  Tunisia ................................................................................................ 127 
6.4.1.4  Morocco.............................................................................................. 128 
6.4.1.5  Yemen ................................................................................................. 129 
6.4.2  Lebanon Context Relevant Policy Recommendations ............................. 131 
6.5  CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 133 
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................ 135 
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................ 137 
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................ 139 
APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................ 140 
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 141 
  viii
LIST OF TABLES 
 
Table 1 Ranking MENA Countries by Unemployment Rates (most recent year) ........................ 18 
Table 2 Unemployment Rate by gender for the age group 15 and above (2007) ......................... 23 
Table 3 Unemployment by Major (1994-1998) ............................................................................ 24 
Table 4 Lebanese Emigrants by Country/Region ......................................................................... 25 
Table 5 Distribution of Labor Force Sample according to Education .......................................... 28 
Table 6 Return to Education in Lebanon ...................................................................................... 29 
Table 7 Labor Freedom Index ....................................................................................................... 33 
Table 8 Gross Enrollment Ratios in Lebanon, by Education Level and Gender, 2004 ................ 51 
Table 9 Student Enrollment in Lebanon, by Education Level and Type of School, 2006–2007 . 53 
Table 10 Intersection of Research Questions and Interview Questions ....................................... 74 
Table 11 Level of Awareness of University Leaders .................................................................... 86 
Table 12 University Leaders’ Perceived Roots of Youth Unemployment in Lebanon ................ 91 
Table 13 Perceived Role of University in Mitigating the Youth Unemployment Crisis ............ 102 
Table 14 Summary of Findings................................................................................................... 108 
Table 15 Youth Unemployment Reform in Select Countries of the MENA .............................. 130 
Table 16 Participating Universities ............................................................................................. 137 
  ix
LIST OF FIGURES 
 
Figure 1 Student Enrollment Trend .............................................................................................. 13 
Figure 2 Population pyramid for residents of Lebanon ................................................................ 19 
Figure 3 Population pyramid for native residents of Lebanon ..................................................... 20 
Figure 4 Lebanon Population Pyramid in Thousands – 1980, 2010, 2040 ................................... 21 
Figure 5 Impact of Education on Economic Growth and Development ....................................... 41 
Figure 6 Growth in Universities in Lebanon 1886-2001 .............................................................. 52 
Figure 7  Parental Occupation of Higher Education Students ...................................................... 54 
Figure 8 Research Study Development......................................................................................... 78 
Figure 9 Trends in Youth Unemployment Rates ........................................................................ 126 
Figure 10 Snapshot of Treenode ................................................................................................. 139 
  x
Description:literature and higher education institutional theories, guides analysis of interviews with  the mitigation of the crisis of jobless graduates in the country. Among  factors that impact youth employment opportunities in Lebanon. capital theory and transition management, and their implications for yo