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🛒 تسوق الآنUniversity of Benghazi Rises from War Ruins to Reclaim Libyan Dreams
University of Benghazi Rises from War Ruins to Reclaim Libyan Dreams
69,000 Students Near a New Era on 600-Hectare Campus
Destroyed almost completely between 2014 and 2016 during violent clashes between jihadist groups and forces loyal to Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the University of Benghazi is staging a remarkable recovery. Founded in 1955 as Libya's first and largest university, it today serves 69,000 students who still study in crumbling old buildings — but just nearby, a brand-new 600-hectare campus is nearing completion ahead of the next academic year.
How Libya's Largest University Survived Total Destruction
The devastation was near-total. University Rector Ezzedine Khalid Younes Al-Darisi told AFP that "terrorist groups carried out a criminal act — they placed gas pipes and destroyed them." The campus was completely destroyed, and extremists stole priceless Islamic manuscripts dating back 700 years, some with no surviving copies, before they were recovered. Instead of closing, the administration made a bold decision: using 45 primary and secondary schools as makeshift classrooms, hosting regular pupils in the morning and university students in the afternoon. "The university is life," Al-Darisi said. "In every home in Benghazi, there is a student, an employee, or a faculty member at the university."
Key Facts About the €2.7 Billion Reconstruction
- Campus Size: 600 hectares with a golden-domed main building, 5-star-standard dormitory, new library, and modern conference hall.
- Budget: 20 billion Libyan dinars (approximately €2.7 billion) from Libya's first unified budget in a decade, funded largely by oil revenues.
- Reconstruction Led By: The Development and Reconstruction Fund, headed by Belqasem Haftar.
- International Ties: New cooperation agreements, including one with a university in Milan, Italy.
- Fresh Start: 45 schools used as temporary classrooms during 2 years of war to keep 69,000 students on track.
Student Voices: From Surviving to Building Dreams
Maryam Al-Rifadi, 26, graduated last year and now teaches French through Telegram and Google Meet. "What we lived through was not easy. We did not know how we would get through that phase." Today, she feels "security" and "the ability to do everything: travel, start a project." She praises Benghazi's culture of "resilience" — a city "that remains vibrant after everything it has been through."
Aisha Al-Maqsabi, 19, an English student, remembers Libya at its lowest. "We had nothing. The education system was bad. We suffered a lot." Now she dreams of becoming a "life coach." Psychology, she says, taught her generation "we can give more to life than just dreaming of electricity, water, or food."
A Quiet Force for National Unity
The university's revival carries significance far beyond Benghazi. Students from Tripoli now study in eastern Libya, and a shared Libyan identity is growing among young people. "I feel we are all united," says Abdul Hamid Al-Ghuwail, 28, a French teacher and 2024 graduate. "When we go to the west, we feel we are in Libya." Ayman Al-Qarqouri, 29, a 2023 graduate who now runs a recruitment company, says "the future of youth is more promising than ever" as construction projects multiply across the city.
The Bigger Picture: Hope Over War
Rector Al-Darisi insists the university must remain free and open to students from every part of Libya. He believes restoring the university's standing will have a positive impact on "national reconciliation." With the new campus set to open this academic year, the message is powerful and clear: Libya's next generation refuses to let war define its future. The University of Benghazi has been reborn — and with it, the hopes of an entire nation.
— LibyaPress / Libya Desk
