Beirut:Lebanese students are hopeful and fearful as they return to university for thefirst time since last month's clashes between government and oppositionfactions in which three people died and 150 were hurt. 

Amid heavy security measures by the Lebanese army, studentscrowded the streets leading to the ArabUniversity in Beirut's Tarek Jedidah district, where theJan 25 violence was sparked by a row between two of their colleagues over thepolitical situation in the country. 

Students were Monday subjected to searches and identitychecks to make sure that all those entering the university - where more than75,000 students are enrolled from different parts of the country - wereenrolled in courses on the campus. 

Fear and tension was apparent among the groups of studentsentering the campus, which included Lebanese from various sects and politicalaffiliations. 

University president Amer Jalal El-Adawi said theauthorities would do all they could to prevent further unrest.

. "Studentsshould come here to study and have a healthy atmosphere. This is not a placewhere they will be tense and afraid," he said. 

His comments were echoed by Education Minister KhaledQabbani, who expressed his hopes that violence would not return to Lebaneseuniversities. 

The president of the state-run Lebanese University, ZuheirChaker, toured campuses in areas close to the predominantly Shia southernsuburbs of Beirut to observe the first teaching day on Monday. 

"The day is going well so far and the situation isnormal. We want the students to feel they are safe coming to the campus andthat they are all coming here for one purpose, which is to study," Chakeradded. 

Despite these assurances and the stringent security measuresin place, students are still fearful that political divisions could againexplode into violence. 

"I am bit tense and afraid at the same time. It is ourfirst day on campus after the deadly day...so anything can happen," saidstudent Dalia Kattan. 

"We are here to study and learn. Let us keep thepolitics outside the campus and live peacefully with each other," saidstudent Mustapha Mardini. 

Following the riots, state-run and private universities in Beirut had decided toshut down to prevent any friction between the students. 

A statement by the LebaneseUniversityon Jan 25 said the decision to suspend classes until Feb 5 was adopted inconsultations between university chiefs and Qabbani. The statement said themove was "aimed at "consolidating a positive atmosphere" inrelations between students. 

The violence had erupted at the BeirutArabUniversity betweenstudents backing anti and pro-government factions and spread throughout thecapital. The Lebanese army enforced a 10-hour curfew to contain the spirallingviolence. 

The opposition is led by the Shia Movement Hezbollah, whilemost of the government followers are mainly Sunni Muslims.