Dr. Charbel Dagher, Professor at the University of Balamand (UOB), has been elected to the Lebanese Academy, Class of 2026, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to Arabic literature, poetry, literary criticism, and the study of Arab-Islamic art.

Established by governmental decree in 2022 and supported by the Lebanese Ministry of Culture, the Lebanese Academy recognizes distinguished individuals of Lebanese heritage for their contributions across the sciences, medicine, humanities, and arts.

Dr. Dagher has been part of UOB’s academic community since 1994, where he has made significant contributions to teaching and research in Arabic literature and the arts. His work explores literature, aesthetics, and cultural history, particularly the development of modern Arabic poetry and the study of Arab and Islamic visual culture.

Dr. Dagher holds two doctorates from Université Sorbonne Nouvelle–Paris III, in modern Arabic literature and the history and philosophy of art. His scholarly and literary work, written in Arabic and French, explores modernity, literary and artistic forms, cultural institutions, Arabic calligraphy, and visual expression.

His contributions have earned him several major distinctions, including the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literary and Art Criticism in 2019, the Abu al-Qasim al-Shabbi Prize in 2024, and the Great Arab Minds Award in Literature and Arts in 2025. ​