“It’s a wonderful and unique opportunity for our brightest students to join a network of similarly motivated and ambitious professionals across the world,” said Abbas Tarhini, assistant professor of information technology at the Adnan Kassar School of Business, during a ceremony to initiate the LAU chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society (BGS) and celebrate the induction of its first members.

Twenty-eight LAU students and recent graduates were awarded a lifetime membership to Beta Gamma Sigma, the premier honor society recognizing business excellence. Each member had, by the end of the spring semester, achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.86.

The value of BGS membership to those lucky few who receive it is immense, stressed LAU accreditation and continuous improvement coordinator Samar Aad Makhoul, initiator and administrator of the new chapter, and MC for the evening. “It is a symbol of academic excellence that gives each member an edge in this highly competitive business world.”

Tarhini, faculty advisor for the chapter, stood beside the Interim Dean of the School of Business Said Ladki, School patron Adnan Kassar and LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra to personally congratulate each of the honorees and present them with a certificate, a pin, an honor cord with tassel and a medal.

“The name Beta Gamma Sigma means honor-wisdom-earnestness,” explained Ladki to the crowd of students, alumni, board members and friends of LAU gathered in the courtyard of the school. “Indeed, the BGS honor society cultivates and celebrates leadership and professional excellence to advance societal values.”

President Jabbra also took to the podium to congratulate the school and its students and to address its patron. “Thank you for all you do in society in Lebanon and beyond … . Today we are benefiting from your indefatigable efforts to make sure that Lebanon is in good health,” said the president before placing a blue and yellow BGS honor cord with tassel around Kassar’s shoulders.

The unveiling of a 100kg key to mark the initiation of the LAU chapter of BGS followed, and was succeeded by a cocktail reception with live music enjoyed by students, alumni and faculty. “I am very proud to see many of my students inducted into the society,” enthused faculty member Rabih Abi Ammar, who graduated from LAU with a degree in accounting and an M.B.A. “LAU has the standards and now has the associated accreditation. This is a true reflection of what our university is about and makes it more prestigious for me to belong to LAU.”

Newly inducted member of the BGS honor society Karine Monsef concurs. “I expect that this will open many doors for me and help me achieve my goals,” said the third year student of banking and finance. She was one of the 21 women of a total of 28 LAU students and recent graduates to receive the prestigious lifetime membership.

President Jabbra also took to the podium to congratulate the school and its students and to address its patron. “Thank you for all you do in society in Lebanon and beyond … . Today we are benefiting from your indefatigable efforts to make sure that Lebanon is in good health,” said the president before placing a blue and yellow BGS honor cord with tassel around Kassar’s shoulders.

Twenty-eight LAU students and recent graduates were awarded a lifetime membership to Beta Gamma Sigma, the premier honor society recognizing business excellence. Each member had, by the end of the spring semester, achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.86.

The value of BGS membership to those lucky few who receive it is immense, stressed LAU accreditation and continuous improvement coordinator Samar Aad Makhoul (left), initiator and administrator of the new chapter, and MC for the evening. “It is a symbol of academic excellence that gives each member an edge in this highly competitive business world.”

LAU faculty and administrators came together on October 7 at the Byblos campus for the first faculty meeting of the academic year. The gathering culminated in the presentation by LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra of two major faculty awards. Introduced by LAU Provost George K. Najjar, the prizes represent, in his words, “a celebration of our commitment to excellence in both teaching and research.”

The Teaching Excellence Award went to Associate Professor of English and Applied Linguistics Rula Diab who, in an emotional and moving acceptance speech, dedicated it to her recently deceased father, former AUB Dean of Arts and Sciences Lutfi N. Diab.

According to Mona Majdalani, LAU’s assistant provost for academic affairs, the award “recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching innovation,” based on a range of criteria, from “novel and innovative teaching methods, new ways of engaging students in the learning process,” to “major curricular restructuring and/or program development,” among others.

Currently the Chair of the English department and Founding Director of LAU’s Writing Center, Diab values “active learning and teaching methods that promote critical thinking and encourage students to go beyond the required course readings.” In addition to employing multiple techniques that reflect different learning styles — including lectures, extensive classroom discussions, and practical hands-on activities — Diab evaluates students through such means as peer evaluation, self-evaluation, portfolio assessment and journal writing.

“I find these various assessment tools provide a much more reliable and fair general evaluation for each student rather than simply relying on exam performance,” Diab notes. “Not only do they help students become engaged in the learning process but they also make them more conscious of what is involved in the learning and teaching process.” Beyond pure pedagogical methods, however, Diab’s success as a teacher comes from her general enthusiasm and ability to “stimulate interest in the subject matter,” a winning combination with her efforts to “create a positive and supportive atmosphere in the classroom.”

To receive a Research Excellence Award, faculty members “must have achieved an exceptional contribution in their discipline and must have succeeded in communicating the results of the work to a wide audience,” says Majdalani. This year, Guy Assaker, associate professor of Hospitality and Marketing shared the award with Azzam Mourad, associate professor of computer science. Assaker was unable to attend the ceremony but was recognized by Najjar.

Mourad has conducted groundbreaking research along several different yet fundamentally related tracks. “My research is always directed toward solving cutting-edge and real-life problems in the latest emerging fields and technologies such as security, mobile computing, cloud computing and social networks,” he explained. In the area of security — his main research field since the time of his Ph.D. — he has most recently led a research team in addressing security issues across web and cloud services, vehicular and mobile networks, as well as social networks. In addition, four years ago he began to investigate resource management, among other things, looking into mobile cloud computing using optimization solutions and vehicular traffic solutions based on VANET (Vehicular ad hoc networks) and traffic estimation models.

But it is not only the contemporary relevance of the research topic that guaranteed Mourad the award committee’s highest recommendation. Over the years, he has consistently published in top-tier journals, received numerous research grants both in Lebanon and abroad, jointly built a research unit and teams involving local and international collaborators, and served as editor and chair of top journals and conferences.

Throughout, Mourad’s work has reflected the mission of LAU to serve the society in which we live. “I look at research as the major part of my career,” he says, “in which I am able to serve society through supervising and graduating excellent students while solving socially relevant problems,” adding that “the support of the university, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the department of Computer Science and Mathematics has definitely been essential to the success of my research.”

LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra and Provost George Najjar pose with recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award, Associate Professor of English and Applied Linguistics Rula Diab, and co-recipient of the Research Excellence Award Azzam Mourad, associate professor of computer science.

Committed to innovation in education and joint course delivery, LAU’s School of Pharmacy recently launched an “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” elective, tailor-made for its students. The course aims to equip pharmacy students with the knowledge and aptitude to apply entrepreneurial skills such as strategic thinking, decision-making and communication of ideas in order to reach their professional goals.

As part of this semester’s curriculum — delivered by Assistant Professor of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship Jamal Maalouf — the school hosted a talk by Joelle Richa, founder and corporate director of the consultancy company, Health First.

“The entrepreneurship course should be considered by all students in the pharmacy school, since it is important for everyone to be exposed to business models and mindsets.” Richa said, addressing the students of pharmacy and of the school’s Career Opportunities course at Frem Civic Center, LAU Byblos Campus.

Speaking of her professional journey since graduating with a Pharm.D., Richa revealed that she had not envisioned a future for herself in a laboratory or a pharmacy, and took up a job as a pharmaceutical representative instead. She later joined the international pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly where she held various positions from general manager, marketing director to marketing transformation leader. By the time she started her own business, she had garnered more than 20 years experience in the multinational pharmaceutical industry in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

“You can start somewhere and then end up somewhere else,” she said, advising the students to expand their academic horizons, and remain “lifelong learners” with a “growth mindset.” Even though the students may not pursue careers as pharmacists, she added, their undergraduate degree would help them to better understand the business side of the pharmaceutical industry. The course, therefore, was a stepping-stone for the young undergraduates who, like Richa, may decide to be entrepreneurs in the field. 

Such is the case with LAU P2 or fourth-year pharmacy student Yara Osta who is exploring her options as she is inclined to pursue the business side of pharmacy. The course, she says, “is a reminder that there’s more to pharmacy than the clinical side and that the healthcare field is filled with opportunities.”

With its multidisciplinary focus, the elective indeed provides invaluable insight for pharmacy students into the variety of professional paths available to them.

For Nicholas Antaki, also a P2 pharmacy student, it covers “general concepts and skills of entrepreneurship, which [he] did not have the opportunity to tackle before, such as carrying out a feasibility study or establishing a business model” — valuable tools that he will apply in group projects, the pharmaceutical field, and in his career.

Maalouf shed light on the innovative nature of the course that will be run jointly by faculty from the Adnan Kassar School of Business and the School of Pharmacy. Pointing out that the elective is an “interdisciplinary bridge between the two departments,” she noted that it “was initiated by the pharmacy school, but the curriculum was prepared by faculty members from both departments.” The course “specifically caters to pharmacy students” who directly apply what they are learning in a course-long business project.

As LAU’s Pharm.D. program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the school is fulfilling ACPE’s recent requirement that entrepreneurship form part of a list of educational outcomes for the personal and professional development of students, explains Dean of the School of Pharmacy, Imad Btaiche. Thus, “the course reinforces the school’s commitment to preparing graduates who will become leaders in the profession by relying on a contemporary and dynamic curriculum that emphasizes a holistic approach to pharmacy education,” he said.

A team of LAU students took center stage at an awards ceremony on campus today to receive trophies in recognition of their success at the Abou Ayyash Foundation (IAAF) University Awards Program 2017 competition.

The students had in August been selected to receive  a $10,000 startup sponsorship after presenting their proposal to a jury panel that included IAAF founder and president Inas Abou Ayyash, an LAU alumna. Of the twenty projects submitted, including one by another LAU team, four were selected for their merit as business ideas and social impact.

“It’s important that the youth still believe in this country,” said Abou Ayyash. “Hopefully, IAAF will be their helping hand and will stand by their side in everything they do.”

Students from LAU, the Lebanese University, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) and Beirut Arab University presented their projects during a ceremony at Le Gray Hotel in Beirut, attended by President Joseph G. Jabbra and Minister of State for Women’s Affairs Jean Oghassabian.

In his speech, the minister praised the initiative, adding that a Lebanon based on creativity, education and the youth’s potential is the Lebanon we all want. “Our aim is to drive these innovative projects toward success,” he added. “We certainly hope they stay in Lebanon, but our main focus is for the youth to succeed and realize their dreams.”

The winning project by LAU business students Jad al Masri, Jana Amache and Nour Jammoul consists of an application that facilitates job placements to empower women and build sustainable communities. The students recruit underprivileged individuals able to provide domestic help―cooking, sewing, housecleaning, babysitting and so on―and match them with potential employers.

The concept originated from the students’ engagement in various clubs, organizations and courses at LAU that made them aware of current social challenges and needs. Their membership in the AIESEC committee—the largest non-profit youth-run organization—at LAU, in particular, helped them brainstorm and come up with the idea.

“AIESEC works toward Sustainable Development Goals and holds conferences on global issues, and IAAF suggested a list of topics similar to what is discussed at AIESEC,” said al Masri. “I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for LAU’s support system,” he added. “I’m happy I was part of this competition because I really believe in the impact that our project can have.”

According to Jad, Minister Oghassabian showed great interest in the project as the ministry is working on launching a project for empowering women. “He spoke to me during the Q&A and invited us to the ministry to discuss how we can take the project further," he said. A date for the meeting has not yet been set, but the students look forward to the possibility of such collaboration.

Another team of LAU students presented a second project, Eye-ron, which consists of a steam iron with an embedded camera that determines the garment’s contours, and relays the data to a motor which sets the iron in motion, thereby reducing energy consumption and increasing safety.

The idea, the brainchild of mechanical engineering students Tarek Senjab and Daniel Zalghout, started off as a project for a course in Instrumentation and Measurement.  “Adding the camera feature was hard, but it was our instructor who motivated us to do it,” said Senjab.

Although the project was not selected, IAAF promised to advertise it on social media, for which the students were extremely grateful. “IAAF not only provides students with financial support, but also helps us believe in our ideas and hopefully try to achieve them in the future,” said Senjab.

Both teams had learned about the competition through LAU that strives to encourage its students’ creativity and social awareness. Their successes are testimony to the high education standards and competitive edge in the job market that the university provides.

[This article was first published on 31 August and updated on 11 October]

A team of LAU students took center stage at an awards ceremony on campus today, 11 October, to receive trophies in recognition of their success at the Abou Ayyash Foundation (IAAF) University Awards Program 2017 competition.

Minister of State for Women’s Affairs Jean Oghassabian and Lina Haddad Kreidie, a lecturer of Political Sciences and Public Administration at LAU, were members of the jury, helping LAU alumna and patron of the Inas Abou Ayyash Foundation (IAAF) University Awards select the winning projects.

The Abou Ayyash Foundation (IAAF) University Awards Program was founded by LAU alumna Inas Abou Ayyash.

Another team of LAU students presented a second project, Eye-ron, which consists of a steam iron with an embedded camera that determines the garment’s contours, and relays the data to a motor which sets the iron in motion, thereby reducing energy consumption and increasing safety.

The winning project by LAU business students Jad al Masri, Jana Amache and Nour Jammoul consists of an application that facilitates job placements to empower women and build sustainable communities.

LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra was among the many who attended presentations by students of LAU and other universities looking to win one of four grants offered by the IAAF University Awards Program 2017 competition for the best entrepreneurial project.

Elections are a passionate affair the world over and a time when tensions often rise as marked differences in the ideologies and proposed policies of nominees ignite verbal and sometimes physical clashes.

Lebanon is no different, but LAU has over recent years been implementing a program of awareness and training to ensure that students understand the principles of democracy and use their right to vote and participate actively in student life.

“Elections are the most important stone in democracy,” said Ayman Dandash during a workshop he conducted ahead of this year’s Student Council Elections. Participation in the seminar was compulsory for all nominees looking to be elected as Dandash, a trainer with The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE), was brought in to introduce them to the purpose and process of democratic elections.

Dandash highlighted the nominees’ responsibility to both educate themselves and others about the electoral process. The workshop, held at both Beirut and Byblos campuses, concentrated on the development of factors that would help differentiate candidates. “Some students are affiliated to political parties, but we should really focus on policies and on our home at LAU and its needs,” one student said.

Dandash agreed, reminding students that a university is a microcosm of the wider community, one that they would soon be engaged in fully. “If I now, as a 20-year-old, can make a change in these three acres, then I can do the same for my country,” added another student who clearly has long-term political ambitions. He was among the nominees who, in the days leading up to the elections last Friday, gave a short speech at a public forum held outside the library at the Beirut campus and by the fountain at the Byblos campus.

“The public forum attracted a large number of students,” said Dean of Students on Beirut Campus Raed Mohsen, “and has become a tradition during election week that candidates and voters looked forward to,” giving nominees the opportunity to present their programs and rally support. It “also allows them to practice their persuasive speaking skills in a noisy environment that is totally different from the quiet classroom atmosphere.”

The ruckus notwithstanding, the general mood of these gatherings was one of cooperation, marked by a common wish to make a difference. “I was proud to see the students committed to change and to helping their peers,” said Makram Ouaiss, dean of students on Byblos campus, where speeches were complemented by booths where students could meet the candidates, musical performances, sweets stands, and quotes about democracy posted across campus. “The energy was high and the policies and ideas presented by some candidates unique,” added the dean.

Students then took to their computers, tablets and phones on Friday, October 6, to vote for their preferred candidate. The system of online voting, set up in 2016 to ensure fair elections free from intimidation and fraud, registered the participation of 83 percent of eligible voters.

Within minutes, the results were in and communication arts major Kourken Papazian found himself a member of the Beirut student council. He had presented a very thorough action plan during his forum speech, which included proposals for a bicycle rental system for students and an online portal through which they could address problems anonymously. “I congratulate all those who participated in the democratic election process and will do my very best to pursue the issues raised in my campaign plan,” said Papazian upon hearing that he had won a seat on the student council.

“Students have a lot of say in how things are run and developed at LAU,” explains Beirut Campus Activities Associate Manager Riman Jurdak. “Their effectiveness in making that change lies with them and their commitment to the role they have been elected into.”

Learn more about the election process and the students elected into the Student Council at the Student Life website

“The public forum attracted a large number of students,” said Dean of Students on Beirut Campus Raed Mohsen, “and has become a tradition during election week that candidates and voters looked forward to,” giving nominees the opportunity to present their programs and rally support.

The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) ran workshops on campus for all Student Council nominees and were present on the day of the elections as monitors.

In addition to the public forums, nominees were introduced to the student body through standardized posters detailing the priorities each candidate intended to address as a member of the LAU Student Council.

“We are happy to have this affiliation with LAU,” said Deepak Bhalla, dean of Wayne State University (WSU) Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between his school and LAU’s School of Pharmacy.

The agreement marks the beginning of an ongoing collaboration in teaching and research, “creates a mutually beneficial international exchange program between our universities, and provides a platform for cultural and educational enrichment of students at LAU and WSU,” added Bhalla.

Dean of LAU’s School of Pharmacy Imad Btaiche also expressed his delight with the agreement, which will facilitate an exchange of students, faculty members and research personnel between the two schools, the development of joint research projects and the cross promotion of both school’s academic programs.

“WSU’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences ranks in the top tier of U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy and, as it is located in Detroit, a large number of its students and faculty members are Arab American,” explains Btaiche. “As such, this agreement will also help strengthen cultural connections between LAU and the Lebanese diaspora in the Detroit area.”

The cooperation between the two universities supports LAU’s current strategic plan, adds the dean, particularly the aim to promote ‘a network of academic and corporate alliances.’ This MOU is also in line with the School of Pharmacy’s drive to expand and strengthen its partnerships and affiliations with U.S. and international premier schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Up to three Pharm.D. student exchanges are anticipated in the coming year, while faculty exchanges will promote professional development in research and education at both schools. “Visiting faculty will receive structured training in basic and clinical research aimed at boosting research productivity and developing joint studies in diverse areas in the sciences,” explained Btaiche. “We may also seek to work together on the development of curricula and innovative practice models.”

Four successful women dedicated to bettering the world they live in sat side by side at the Beirut campus on Tuesday to discuss their work with a roomful of eager students during a talk organized by LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW).

The first of them, IWSAW Director Lina Abirafeh, welcomed three guest speakers and moderated a lively Q&A session that followed brief introductions by the women about their work and experience in the field of restorative and transformative justice.

“This talk, and our Food 4 Thought series in general, provide a platform to showcase ordinary women who have done extraordinary things. None of our three speakers necessarily set out to change the world, but they felt committed to an issue, and compelled to do something about it. That’s inspiring and contagious,” explains Abirafeh.

Drama therapist and director Zeina Daccache spoke about her work with inmates at Roumieh and Baabda prisons. “I didn’t think about changing policy when I first asked to be allowed to run art therapy workshops at Roumieh,” recalled Daccache, whose workshops later resulted in staged theatrical performances by inmates that tackled unjust laws and societal misconceptions. “Our work at the women’s prison, helping the inmates express themselves through theatre and documenting that journey, helped push through the domestic violence law,” she added.

Similarly, co-founder of the SKOUN center Nadya Mikdashi explained that they too did not intend to work on advocacy when they founded the therapeutic facility for drug users in 2003. “Evidence shows that policing does not reduce drug use, but 3,500 people were arrested in Lebanon last year for using drugs,” said Mikdashi. A lively discussion followed during which students complained about the hypocrisy of a state that punishes drug users instead of helping them but also appears to turn a blind eye to drug producers and distributors.

While SKOUN’s work focuses on Hobeish police station in Hamra, singer and socialist activist Naima Shalhoub often visits the San Francisco County Women's Jail, where she has been facilitating weekly music sessions since 2014. Societal constraints and the restrictive definition of what is normal, said Shalhoub, “causes internal struggles for many of us.” While studying post-colonial anthropology, the singer realized and recognized the power of the forbidden, and found herself inspired by the activists whose words and ideas she was studying. “I stayed silent for so many years, carrying so much shame and guilt.”

Shalhoub recently joined forces with Daccache to work with prisoners at Roumieh prison where they wrote a blues song together. On Tuesday, she treated the students to a rendition of Rise, a song from her album ‘Live in San Francisco County Jail’.

“Sometimes when you find your own voice and use it in the service of others, you end up giving voice to something that needed to be exposed, shared and addressed,” said Abirafeh, delighted with the impact of and engagement at the event. “In that way, we can all be activists and pioneers.”

This talk was part of a series hosted by IWSAW entitled “Food4Thought.” Follow the Institute’s Facebook page to stay abreast of their activities and initiatives.

IWSAW Director Lina Abirafeh, welcomed three guest speakers and moderated a lively Q&A session that followed brief introductions by the women about their work and experience in the field of restorative and transformative justice.

It was a quote from renowned French artist Henri Matisse, ‘Creativity takes courage,’ that set the tone of the School of Architecture and Design’s (SArD) first alumni reunion this month at LAU's Beirut campus.

“It does, indeed, take courage to create our experiences, to build our paths, to paint our lives with the colors of our happiness,” said Associate Director of Alumni Relations Ghada Majed. “Creativity is what is common to you all,” she added as she welcomed more than 120 alumni gathered at the event organized jointly by SArD and the Alumni Relations Office.

The evening was an occasion for graduates from a wide spectrum of specialties to revisit their days at their alma mater, and hear about each other’s achievements.

Praising them for being faithful ambassadors of their university, and exceptional agents of change in society with their diverse talent, LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra urged them to share their acquired knowledge with students. “You give us momentum to redouble our efforts and do more for our students. You are their role models,” he said, inviting them to come to the university and give lectures, take part in the alumni mentoring programs or simply share their experiences with the students.

Alumni who were invited to speak at the event, in fact, demonstrated that there is much to be shared and gained from the far from smooth road to success.

Accomplished interior designer Joe Farah (B.A. ‘92) admitted that there had been “ups and downs, and that the career path to success would not have been possible without hard work.” So far Farah has completed 550 projects, he said, in more than nine countries, and was able to establish himself in a domain he has always enjoyed thanks to his professors, who also taught him to “work, work, and then work some more, otherwise someone will steal your thunder.”

Virna Chakardemian (B.A. ‘00) recalled that it was her passion for art and creativity that had led her to study interior design. But, in order to join Yeprem, her family business, she specialized in jewelry design. Since, she has pushed the brand of her father’s company globally, acquiring an international clientele of celebrities like Beyoncé, Madonna, and Rihanna, among many others. Visibly moved, Chakardemian hugged her one-time professor Antoine Lahoud, who was introducing the speakers, after thanking him in her address “for always believing in me.”

For some time now, the school has been growing in leaps and bounds, having established more recently a B.A. in Fashion Design in collaboration with ELIE SAAB and the London College of Fashion.

Alumnus and current Adjunct Faculty Member of SArD, Elie Abs (B.A. ‘97) noted that the architecture program, too, had developed considerably since his graduation. After completing his master’s in England, Abs returned to Lebanon to establish his own practice and for the past two years has been advising final year students at LAU.

Recognizing LAU as an outstanding institution that provided him with “a great foundation in design and design thinking,” graphic designer, Ghaith Fleifel (B.A. ‘10) described how he went on to found a branding company specialized in designing and developing video games, which will be releasing a new video game next month. Fleifel thanked all his professors for pushing him and his peers to follow their dreams.

Dean of SArD Elie Haddad was delighted by the large attendance of alumni, some of whom had come “all the way from the Bekaa and the North.” Expressing his gratitude to the alumni office, Lahoud and Rached Bohsali, chairman of the Fine Arts Department, Haddad quipped that he also owed his thanks to Mark Zuckerberg who made it possible to follow past students on Facebook and learn of their achievements.

The alumni needed no reminding that LAU was “their home” and its community “their family,” as they celebrated being reunited after many years, and took selfies with professors they are not likely to forget.

Alumni were invited to speak at the event and demonstrated that there is much to be shared and gained from the far from smooth road to success. Virna Chakardemian (B.A. ‘00) recalled that it was her passion for art and creativity that had led her to study interior design. But, in order to join Yeprem, her family business, she specialized in jewelry design.

Praising the alumni for being faithful ambassadors of their university, and exceptional agents of change in society with their diverse talent, LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra urged them to share their acquired knowledge with students. “You give us momentum to redouble our efforts and do more for our students. You are their role models.”

The School of Architecture and Design’s (SArD) first alumni reunion, held this month at LAU’s Beirut campus, was an occasion for graduates from a wide spectrum of specialties to revisit their days at their alma mater, and hear about each other’s achievements.

The evening was an occasion for graduates from a wide spectrum of specialties to revisit their days at their alma mater, and hear about each other’s achievements.

LAU and China’s Renmin University will soon sign a memorandum of understanding to encourage and facilitate student and faculty exchanges and joint research. So said LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra and Jianming Zhang, Executive Vice Chairman of the University Council of Renmin University, during a luncheon held last week to welcome Zhang and his colleagues to LAU.

The visit, which took in a tour of the Beirut campus and a four-course meal prepared and served by the students of the hospitality program, was instigated by Adnan Kassar, patron of LAU’s School of Business and chairman of Fransabank. Kassar had last year been featured in a book produced by the publishing arm of Renmin University about the history of Lebanon-China relations.

“Adnan Kassar opened the road between China and Lebanon in business and encouraged me to do that for education,” said Jabbra during his address. “And now, by March at the latest, we will sign an agreement that will provide our students with opportunities to learn Chinese, earn a degree from there, facilitate faculty exchanges and collaborate on research that will contribute to both our universities and countries.”

Like LAU, Renmin has a long history and several relationships with universities around the world. Although the Chinese system of education is based on the Russian model, they have been able to partner successfully with hundreds of universities in Europe and the U.S.

This new collaboration with LAU will however be their first such partnership in the region. “LAU and Lebanon are clearly the best choice for us to engage in the region,” said Zhang, speaking enthusiastically after a three-day visit to the country. “This will be a start of a cooperation that will develop quickly in the near future.”

The visit of senior officials from China’s Renmin University took in a tour of the Beirut campus and a four-course meal prepared and served by the students of the hospitality program.

In celebration of International Translation Day, the Translation Program at the Department of Humanities hosted a series of lectures on October 10 at LAU’s Beirut campus. The event honored an age-old profession that has connected civilizations across the barriers of time and space. 

“We shed light on the immense efforts by translators around the world to bridge the gap between cultures, and promote dialogue and understanding so that universal peace and harmony can prevail,” said Translation Program Coordinator Nuwar Mawlawi Diab, who organized the event.

The guest speakers — from publishers to academics — offered their translation strategies and insights into the main challenges and future prospects of the domain. 

Welcoming the guests, Chair of the Department of Humanities Paul Tabar said: “I am fully confident that today’s discussions will be rich in new information that will encourage researchers to conduct more studies in order to help us improve our abilities in translation and find the best ways to teach it to our students.”

In their respective talks, Director General of the Arab Organization for Translation Haitham al-Nahi, and George Abdel-Massih, head of the dictionaries section at Librairie du Liban Publishers, warned against neglecting the Arabic language, the cornerstone of our heritage and society.

Al-Nahi underlined his organization’s role in consolidating the Arabic language through intellect and knowledge. He pointed to the lack of readership in the Arab world, and the dire state of cultural knowledge that has limited the historically rich Arabic language to the sphere of verbal communication. “Imagine a nation of 150 million inhabitants where 1000 copies of a book are not sold out. What kind of a nation is this? We must create a nation that reads in order for us to develop and prosper,” he lamented.  

Abdel-Massih, in turn, spoke passionately about the correlation between dictionaries and modern culture, the means to preserve it, and the problems currently faced in producing dictionaries. He criticized those who undermine the dictionary-culture dynamic, “destroying the dictionary, the culture and the Arab language that they claim to defend.” 

Offering a broader perspective, speaker Nidale Noun, head of Conference Services at the United Nations, highlighted the pivotal role that translation played in the organization, as a channel for cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution. “The United Nations is a universal environment,” she said. “It needs to be close to the local communities, voice their concerns, and convey to them its agendas and plans in development, peace and security.” Translation, she added, is essential to facilitating this dialogue and mutual understanding, and sometimes to mitigating conflicts. 

Collectively, the speakers urged students to maintain integrity in their work and strive to widen their linguistic knowledge and cultural awareness — the reasons, as it turned out, the predominantly female translation students from LAU had chosen the field. 

“Language is fundamental to understanding a culture, and I want to be like a crossing bridge between different cultures around the world,” said Lebanese-Canadian translation major Fatima Akhdar. Senior translation student Aya Abi-Issa, meanwhile, had stumbled upon on translation after switching majors and discovering a passion for linguistics, “because there is a lot in translation and linguistics, the small things that nobody notices except for translators.”

Addressing the integrity of a translated literary text, Rula Baalbaki, an instructor at the Department of English at AUB, spoke about translation strategies to preserve the identity of creative writing found in the original text. Treating participants to a number of poems, Baalbaki asked them to compare the translated texts with the originals, all while demonstrating the failures and benefits of using certain methods. 

The event ended with a contest during which students huddled in groups to render into Arabic a short text by award-winning journalist Peter Gumbel. Enthusiastic chatter filled the conference room as they debated the mot juste — the exact word to convey meaning.

Kazdoura Beirutiye – Beirut Guide for Beirutis, will this Wednesday be launched at a special reception at LAU’s Beirut campus. The book was produced by Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature Jenine Abboushi and her students, funded by the President’s Office and Student Affairs, and published by top Lebanese publisher Dar al Adab.

“This is their first foray into publishing in English,” says Abboushi of Dar al Adab. The first edition of the book includes 16 articles written by eight students in both English and Arabic. “I’m delighted by their support and looking forward to publishing an Arabic-French edition soon.”

“Beirut is a forever rambling, noisy, beautiful, vulgar, exciting, obnoxious, and remarkable construction site, in both material and social terms,” says Abboushi in the prologue to the book. “This guide attempts to navigate and even shape that.”

The stories are as diverse as the city, and feature a communist bar, a cemetery and a hippodrome as well as public transport vans, gaming cafés, and various public spaces.

“It was a very interesting course to take,” says communication arts graduate Yara Nahle of the travel writing course taught by Abboushi during which the students penned the stories. “It was between journalism and literature, so we were encouraged to express our own thoughts and experiences and not only interview others for theirs.”

Currently a writer for an online publication, Nahle, who also translated all the stories for the book, is delighted to have two of hers in print. “It’s not just an article, it’s part of a book, something tangible that is more real and will last,” she says.

Also delighted at having his story published is recent graduate Yahia Cheatio, whose story details the many gaming cafés dotted across the city but rarely noticed. “Having my work published is great. I’m young and it’s a nice feeling to know that your hard work pays off. I can always come back to this book for motivation.”

Cheatio wrote many articles during Abboushi’s course, which he selected as an elective during his time as a student of the English program. “People think of travel writing as outside the country, but Jenine had a twist about it, and made us rediscover the city we call home.”

Although Nahle had often travelled on Beirut’s notorious van number 4, she revisited it with fresh eyes in order to write about it. The result is both humorous and educational. “That van is a microcosm of Lebanon. The public space and interaction that take place in van number 4 are reflective of the social dynamics in Beirut.”

That, says Abboushi is at the heart of the publication’s vision. “The book is but a part of a larger project, an ongoing one, that seeks to develop a critical perspective, creativity, social awareness, and civic engagement by sending young people to where they don’t belong — to explore and write.”

Dar al Adab will be hosting a blog under the same name as the book, explains Abboushi, and inviting all writers to submit essays and photographs. “We’re also hoping this will lead to similar projects across the region, like a Tunis guide for Tunisians, and so on.”

Vice President for Student Development & Enrollment Management Elise Salem is equally enthusiastic.  “This wonderful project inspired students to see their city in a new light and to capture it in writing.  It’s a perfect example of meaningful writing; writing that changes young writers and hence the worlds they live in. I hope we see more projects of this nature at LAU.”

The book will be inaugurated at a ceremony at the Riyad Nassar Library Lounge at LAU’s Beirut campus this Wednesday, October 25 at 4:00 p.m. Another event will be held at BEYt Amir in Clemenceau on Saturday, October 28 at 4:00 p.m. Pass by either event to pick up a copy of the book and learn more about participating in the project.

“Kazdoura Beirutiye – Beirut Guide for Beirutis” was produced by Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature Jenine Abboushi and her students, funded by the President’s Office and Student Affairs, and published by top Lebanese publisher Dar al Adab.

In its most recent campaign to enhance the wellbeing of its students, the Dean of Students’ Office and the Athletics Department hosted the LAU Fit Fair on October 11. Various health clubs, and sports nutrition suppliers were present to help promote the importance of physical activity for a healthy lifestyle.

Students gathered enthusiastically around the central fountain of the Byblos campus to watch engaging stage performances, while others took part in the challenges and contests run by representatives of fitness centers and athletes.

The all-day event highlighted the benefits of exercise, inviting students to make the most of LAU’s diverse sports activities and varsity teams.

“Even those who don’t exercise regularly may get encouraged only by watching. Our aim is to spread awareness about the importance of being active and leading a healthy lifestyle,” said Karen Chammas, who co-ordinated the event.

The stage performances included sessions on body combat, Kangoo Jumps, warm-up and boxing, body pump, and the Last Man Standing challenge. Diverse demonstrations created an exuberant atmosphere, capturing the attention of passing students who stopped to watch or participate in the activities.

“Hosting events like this is every important because being physically active is a healthy way for students to relieve their stress,” said Lara Assadourian, an athlete, nutrition student, and a Nutrition Club founder who participated in the Kangoo Jumps session. Each of these sessions — which require special “Rebound Shoes” that have only recently been introduced to Lebanon — burns around 1,500 calories. “I did only 25 minutes of this and I feel amazing right now,” commented Assadourian.

Not only did the event encourage healthy living and training, but it also focused on the importance of proper nutrition while advising against the abuse of supplements. The Nutrition Club contributed to the occasion by offering services such as calculating BMI and fat percentages, and giving students health recommendations.

Nutrition student and member of the Nutrition Club Ahmad Abou Teib explained: “We sensed that our participation today would give added value to the event since nutrition is directly related to health, and no sport would be complete without proper nutrition.”

The First Responder Club was also on hand throughout the event, ready to provide first-aid assistance in case of emergency situations. The club joined the Health Office, which for its part spread awareness about first aid treatments and measured attendees’ fat, sugar, muscle, and water levels.

Participating fitness centers included 37 Degrees, 12 Fitness, Step Ahead, Advanced Sports Center (ASC), ISI, Soukoun, and Xbody. “It’s a great opportunity for us to be present at the LAU Fit Fair, especially since the university is all about youth and always promotes physical through its Athletics Offices,” said Soukoun’s representative Michelle Azar.

Students gathered enthusiastically around the central fountain of the Byblos campus to watch engaging stage performances, while others took part in the challenges and contests run by representatives of fitness centers and athletes.

“Even those who don’t exercise regularly may get encouraged only by watching. Our aim is to spread awareness about the importance of being active and leading a healthy lifestyle,” said Karen Chammas, who co-ordinated the event.

The Nutrition Program at the Department of Natural Sciences honored 37 graduates in a White Coat Ceremony on October 23 at LAU’s Beirut campus, attended by LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra, guest of honor, philanthropist and businessman Fouad Makhzoumi, and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Nashat Mansour.

The LAU Nutrition Program is the only one in Lebanon to host a white coat ceremony for dietetics, a tradition that began at the university in 2015 to mark the students’ transition to clinical learning. “This is a happy and important occasion for us, for LAU, and above all for you,” Jabbra told the graduates, after welcoming the guests. “The white coat ceremony truly constitutes a rite of passage of the journey toward your career.”

The bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics – Coordinated Program (CP) entails three years of theoretical learning with an additional year of supervised practice. The dietetic internship may be conducted at LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital or one of the university’s partner hospitals. In order to qualify as licensed dieticians, interns are required to complete rotations in clinical nutrition, food service management and community nutrition. The Makhzoumi Foundation is one of LAU’s community partner sites where they can fulfill community rotations.

Accordingly, Jabbra thanked Mr. and Mrs. Makhzoumi for their continuous support and friendship, highlighting their commitment to the principle of “no discrimination.”

Associate Professor of Nutrition Nadine Zeeni subsequently invited the honorees to reflect on what the white coat symbolized to them and on the message they wished to convey. “Today we mark a transition as you take your first steps toward clinical learning where the patient or the client becomes the ultimate teacher. It’s not us anymore,” she said. Thanking the graduates, Zeeni noted that in under six years LAU’s B.S. in Nutrition, coordinated program in nutrition and dietetics, and the internship program have ranked among the top in Lebanon and the region.

In his address to the graduates, Makhzoumi advised them to be well equipped for a world that is constantly changing, saying that the only way to do so was through education. “Any civilized country that believes the future is there needs to invest in education and research,” he said. “Your education is going to make a difference in our world and our society,” he told the graduates. 

He called for a clear health policy in Lebanon to fight the rising cost of healthcare and improve the standards of living, starting with nutrition and tackling the spread of obesity. He warned that in the absence of such a policy Lebanon’s health system risked collapsing.

Commending LAU and Jabbra for doing a fantastic job of incorporating innovation and technology in education, both of which played a vital role in today’s world, Makhzoumi said: “That’s why we are working with President Jabbra, to try and see how we can really innovate all the fields of education.”

Zeeni then invited faculty members to cloak the graduates, who brimmed with pride as they donned their white coats in the presence of their proud parents, staff and faculty, and dietetic internship preceptors from hospitals and community organizations.

“We are now in a hospital setting, impacting the lives of patients,” said dietetic intern at Hôpital Libanais Geitaoui Fatima Kawtharani, recognizing the responsibility she was taking on.

Although putting on the white coat was “an overwhelming moment”, too, for Farah Mashharwi, an intern at both Geitaoui hospital and the Makhzoumi Foundation, she held high ambitions for her future. With an interest in community nutrition, she not only wishes to work with NGOs, but also “to become the founder of an NGO, and perhaps an instructor to teach nutrition at university level.”

The ceremony ended with the graduates taking the oath of the nutrition and dietetics profession, fully prepared to meet the high expectations they have set for themselves.

Businessman Fouad Makhzoumi commended LAU and President Joseph G. Jabbra for doing a fantastic job of incorporating innovation and technology in education.

The graduates were joined by their professors for one last group picture.

The graduates took the oath of nutrition and dietetics profession at the end of the ceremony.

President Joseph G. Jabbra, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Nashat Mansour, businessman Fouad Makhzoumi with Mrs. May Makhzoumi at the ceremony.

Businessman Fouad Makhzoumi advised the graduates to be well equipped for a world that is constantly changing, saying that the only way to do so was through education.

Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of LAU’s Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, Dr. Myrna Doumit was the sole representative of Lebanon among the 173 leaders in the nursing profession awarded a fellowship at the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) recently. The recipients of this prestigious distinction were honored at a ceremony held during the ANA annual policy conference, which this year took place in Washington, D.C., in October.

According to the AAN, “fellow selection criteria include evidence of significant contributions to nursing and healthcare …. Selection is based, in part, on the extent the nominee’s nursing career has influenced health policies and the health and wellbeing of all.” In Doumit’s case, the combination of policy-oriented research with community engagement and impressive work with the government to improve patient care proved decisive in securing the AAN fellowship.

“The alignment of my research trajectory on breast cancer with my community project ‘Courage Against Breast Cancer,’ in addition to my work with the Ministry of Public Health on breast cancer and palliative care, and my work with refugees” sealed her selection by the jury, Doumit says.

The AAN’s stated mission is to “serve the public and the nursing profession by advocating health policy, practice and science through organizational excellence and effective nursing leadership.” The receipt of the fellowship is, according to Doumit, “recognition of the scientific merit of the work that I am doing, whether in research, practice, or community work.”

But more than just formal recognition of the fellows’ already distinguished careers, the position requires honorees to contribute tangibly to the Academy, by engaging with other health leaders to enhance the quality of health and nursing care; promote healthy aging; reduce health disparities and inequalities; shape healthy behaviors and environments; integrate mental and physical health; and strengthen the nursing and health delivery system globally.

“At the professional level, it is the beginning of a new journey of excellence and higher achievements,” says Doumit of the award. “The expectations placed on you are higher now, and people judge you more critically because you have reached a highly prestigious level in academia.”

The induction ceremony in itself impressed on Doumit ““all the honor, prestige and excellence that come with the fellowship,” she says. Indeed, “the ceremony is a place where you meet the elite of academia, because very few people are selected. I felt very happy and honored to be part of this group, but at the same time started to think about what the next stage entailed.”

Dr. Myrna Doumit was the sole representative of Lebanon among the 173 leaders in the nursing profession awarded a fellowship at the American Academy of Nursing (ANA) recently.

On November 1, 2017, LAU’s Clinical Simulation Center (LAU-CSC) received formal notification of accreditation from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), reflecting the center’s position as a leading simulation hub in Lebanon and the region. The accreditation is valid for a period of three years commencing January 1, 2018, and ending December 31, 2020.

The achievement, says LAU-CSC’s Director Dr. Vanda Abi Raad, “reflects our center’s ability to provide simulation-based education activities that model the highest administrative, educational, and ethical standards.”

Founded in 2009, and certified by the American Heart Association-International Training Center (AHA-ITC), LAU-CSC is the largest such facility in Lebanon, covering 900 square meters in the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury Health Sciences Center at LAU Byblos Campus.

The center houses a large array of simulators — ranging from low-fidelity task trainers to high-fidelity computerized mannequins —that allow learners in various healthcare fields to apply their skills and engage in educational role play while guaranteeing patient safety in an interprofessional environment.

All three LAU health sciences schools ― Medicine, Pharmacy and Nursing — as well as the nutrition program within the School of Arts & Sciences have pioneered the integration of simulation technology into their curricula, as a bridge between classroom learning and practice in a clinical setting involving live patients.  Over the years, the center has expanded to provide a host of training opportunities — from practical workshops and American Heart Association courses to major international conferences, among others — for healthcare practitioners outside LAU, with a large percentage of services currently being offered to non-LAU constituents.

The rigorous accreditation process involved the submission of a letter of intent, rigid self-evaluation, on-site assessment by a team from the RCPSC, and a final decision rendered a year and a half after the submission of the letter of intent.

“The on-site visit lasted two days,” explains Abi Raad, “and was comprised of a series of interviews with key stakeholders, including the dean of the School of Medicine, simulation program director, administrative staff, planning committee members, faculty and learners who have participated in various activities” at LAU-CSC.

Highly impressed, auditor Linda Crelinsten, assistant director of The Arnold and Blem Steinberg Medical Simulation Centre at McGill University Montreal congratulated the center for creating a “terrific team and a culture of learning.” Her colleague Dr. Suzan Brien, director of simulation- based education and practice, performance and innovation at RCPSC, and adjunct professor of surgery at the University of Ottawa, also remarked on the “most extraordinary accomplishment of a respectful learning environment.”

The final accreditation report emphasized “the strengths of LAU-CSC as including strong support from students, faculty and university administration; exceptional leadership provided by a knowledgeable, enthusiastic director; a keen sense of teamwork; staff and faculty commitment to educational growth; and the center’s focus on interprofessional education.”

Commenting on the successful accreditation process, Dr. Michel Mawad, dean of LAU's Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine remarked: “This successful accreditation is a true testimony to the diligent and hard work of Dr. Abi Raad and her team in putting together a state-of-the-art medical simulation center which is unique in the region and is a real feather in our cap.”

Dr. Abi Raad receives accreditation for Clinical Simulation Center.

The LAU Byblos campus was a hive of activity during the “Connect with Your Future: Explore Your Career” week, which took place from October 23 to 27. Rich and varied activities were organized, allowing students to interact with professional leaders and experts from various sectors and discover current labor market trends and career paths for their specific majors.

“We revamped the idea of the career fair into a group of interactive career-focused activities tailor-made for students,” said Career Guidance Lead Officer Hassan Baalbaki.

The wide-ranging fair included booths for CV editing and mock job interviews, workshops on CV writing, LinkedIn, job search strategies, and presentations by the International Services Office on international internships and volunteering opportunities. Recruitment presentations by companies such as Deloitte & Touche and Maximus Hotel went as far as offering jobs to current students who submitted their CVs on the spot. Moreover, eight panel discussions by professionals in various fields were held in close coordination with LAU’s different schools.

The panels incorporated short presentations by each speaker on his/her experience, followed by a Q&A session and one-on-one discussions, during which students asked for advice and recommendations for their next steps. “The very important part of the panels was the mingling that took place at the end,” said Baalbaki. “The attendance was beyond expectations, and we got a lot of positive feedback from panelists, students, and faculty.”

The panels tackled majors in Computer & Electrical Engineering, Political Science & International Affairs, Civil Engineering, Biology, Nutrition & Dietetics Program, Business, and Mechanical, Industrial, & Petroleum Engineering. Other majors are to be addressed later this semester.

With patent enthusiasm, nutrition panelists detailed possible career paths in the field. “Out of our varied experiences in different fields of nutrition, such as community, hospital, and clinical nutrition, we can guide the students to their specific interests,” said LAU Alumna Jihane Kastoun (B.S. ’11), clinical dietitian and branch manager at So7i W Sari3 Diet Clinics by Monique Bassila Zaarour.

She added that LAU students have a competitive advantage because of LAU’s commitment to help them every step the way. “If I weren’t an LAU graduate, I wouldn’t have been accepted to UN agencies and my current job at So7i W Sari3,” she said.

Her colleague and LAU alumna Yara Tarabay (B.S. ’14) agreed, praising the tremendous efforts of LAU professors to assist their students. “The professors are very helpful, and always keep students up to date with the job market and postgraduate study opportunities. They are your backup wherever you go in life,” said Tarabay, who works as a refugee status determination associate at UNHCR Lebanon.

While recognizing the importance of the GPA, especially when applying for a master’s degree, the panelists insisted that confidence and empathy for the patient were paramount. They also highlighted the need to have excellent interpersonal skills, especially in the field of clinical nutrition.

Reflecting the same insights, Mechanical, Industrial, & Petroleum Engineering panelists encouraged students to become involved in internships and volunteering. “We brought them to realize that going out there and doing something special for themselves and the country gives them more confidence and insight about the opportunities available,” said Sylvain Seif, senior technical and R&D expert for INDEVCO Group.

He remarked that the panel helped them determine whether they wanted to pursue a master’s degree or start working right away. “The advantage is that before they graduate, the students have a clearer idea of where they want to go, what the opportunities are, and where to look for these opportunities,” added Seif.

Students, who had arrived feeling worried but left with confidence, commended the initiative and asked for more panels and career activities to be held. “This is different than just sending an email to an HR Department,” said Mechanical Engineering Senior Nader Kabbara. “The panel was very interactive and allowed us to get the opinions of professionals.” 

The panels incorporated short presentations by each speaker followed by a Q&A session and one-on-one discussions with students.

Eight panel discussions by professionals in various fields were held in close coordination with LAU’s different schools.

The Department of Social Sciences and the Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) co-organized a three-day workshop titled “The impact of the ‘Arab Spring’ on socio-political developments in Lebanon: Preconditions, process, and consequences” at LAU Byblos campus, in October.

LAU Associate Professor of  Political Science and International Affairs Tamirace Fakhoury and Professor Martin Beck, chair of the Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, co-applied for a seed fund from SDU in 2016 to host the conference at LAU as a platform to generate ideas and insights for a broader research project.

In his welcoming speech, LAU Professor of Political Science Sami Baroudi, representing Dean of School of Arts and Sciences Nashat Mansour, said that the workshop was part of the department’s continuous initiatives to collaborate with local and international academics and policy makers “in order to provide the community, our eco-system, with theoretically informed and evidence-based analysis of issues facing Lebanon.”

The conference revolved around four panels “demonstrating how Lebanon was heavily influenced by the Arab Spring, its narratives, dynamics and spillovers,” said Fakhoury. Each panel discussion looked at Lebanon from a different angle: the domestic level — both “from below” and “from above” — the international level, and the level of political discourse in media and academia.

Beck described the workshop as a cross-Mediterranean cooperation that brought together researchers and academics from Europe and the Middle East. What set it apart, he said, was that the participants wanted to emphasize Lebanon’s role as an “actor rather than merely a passive recipient” of the regional turmoil following the Arab uprisings.

The first panel, chaired by Marwan Rowayheb, associate professor of Political Science and International Affairs and chair of the Department of Social Sciences, examined how social movements developed following the regional uprisings and the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, adopting a “from below” approach, and their impact on the domestic level.

Each of the four panelists discussed how recent social movements in Lebanon have been inspired by the Arab Spring’s re-politicization of issues related to good governance. In his presentation, “Civil Society: Alternative pathway for political change?” LAU Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Makram Ouaiss considered whether civil society had made any real contribution toward political reform.

Among the failures of civil society, Ouaiss listed the inability to overcome internal divisions, perfect tools to effectively participate in elections and maintain their objectives if elected. On the other hand, civil society movements succeeded in raising awareness and mobilization, and played an active role in supporting civil peace.

Chaired by John Nagle of the University of Aberdeen, the second panel adopted a “from above” approach, analyzing the reaction of Lebanon’s political establishment to the grassroots mobilization in the country and to the spillovers of the uprisings. Speakers, including Chair of the Department of Humanities Paul Tabar, AUB Professor Makram Rabah, Maya Janmyr, professor at the University of Oslo, and Karim el Mufti, associate professor at USJ, exchanged ideas and findings on the response of the Lebanese political class to the formation of social movements. While the political leadership’s reaction was diverse and contradictory, it still followed the “logic of sectarian pluralism” as a strategy.

The third panel, chaired by Fakhoury, discussed Lebanon’s security and geopolitical status within the regional transformations that have resulted in the wake of the Arab Spring. Beck, one of the speakers, shed light on the strategies used by the Lebanese leadership to cope with the refugee influx from Syria.

The fourth panel, chaired by LAU Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss, tackled an under-researched theme: how the academic debates and the Lebanese media have shaped the discourse on the “Arab Spring” and social movements in Lebanon.

The participants, said Fakhoury, “were asked in the final roundtable to share suggestions on how they can imagine contributing to a broader research project with the University of Southern Denmark.”

Professor Martin Beck described the workshop as a cross-Mediterranean cooperation that brought together researchers and academics from Europe and the Middle East.

Speakers included Chair of the Department of Humanities Paul Tabar, AUB Professor Makram Rabah, Maya Janmyr, professor at the University of Oslo, and Karim el Mufti, associate professor at USJ.

LAU Associate Professor in Political Science and International Affairs Tamirace Fakhoury at one of the panels.

The Institute of Family and Entrepreneurial Business (IFEB) at the Adnan Kassar School of Business, in cooperation with the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW), organized several talks led by six female entrepreneurs, as part of the fourth annual Women Entrepreneurship Week 2017, an initiative by Montclair State University that celebrates women entrepreneurs.  

“We invited women with strong concepts and successful initiatives in order to encourage our students to investigate their ideas and come up with entrepreneurial ventures,” said Josiane Sreih, IFEB director, assistant dean and associate professor of management. “When students are exposed to the hardships of entrepreneurs, they won’t be discouraged if they face hurdles and problems in developing their own ideas.”

The talks, held throughout October at the Adnan Kassar School of Business, were delivered to students enrolled in Entrepreneurial Marketing, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Family Business and Organizational Behavior — as well as other business students — with the help of professors Amine Abi Aad, Phillippe Zgheib, Josiane Sreih, and instructor Amal Rouhana.

Carine Daher and Mina Hussein, the founders of e-commerce platform GarageLuxe, shared the value of maintaining focus and specialization during the early years of the business, while addressing students of marketing and innovation courses. “We have to develop our core business before we consider diversifying, else we will lose focus,” said Daher in response to a student asking why they did not sell men’s clothing as well as women’s. Daher and Hussein spoke in detail about market competition and the importance of concentrating on customer relations and product authenticity.

Asked if they faced discrimination as women, Hussein said that being female did not stand in their way, but as working mothers, organization was of the utmost importance. “Time management and strong partnership are essential.”

Partnerships indeed played a significant role in the survival of a business, said Sarah Hermez, founder and director of Creative Space Beirut, a school of fashion design for the underprivileged. “It’s important to empower your team and the people you’re working with,” said the designer. “It’s difficult for social enterprises to survive, but at the same time, there’s a great network of support in Lebanon for them at the moment.”

Hana Alireza and Leila Fakih, co-founders of Qi Juices, an organic ‘green juice’ producer, also shared their experiences, while Roula Moussa, mentor for younger entrepreneurs and founder of Netways, a pioneering internet tech company, discussed how her company became one of the leading providers of business technology and e-Government solutions in the Arab world. Moussa also expounded on her new project, DiasporaID, a digital platform that aims to capitalize on the enormous potential of Lebanese diaspora to contribute to employment and economic growth in Lebanon on a bigger scale.

All six speakers have led by example in championing businesswomen in Lebanon and the MENA region.

In order to identify strong women who could be part of the talk series, Sreih reached out to IWSAW. “It is critical that we highlight female role models who have defied convention and achieved success, specifically as entrepreneurs,” said Lina Abirafeh, the director of the Institute. “Financial independence is a critical component of women’s lives that is often undervalued, overlooked, or sidelined due to socio-cultural expectations and constraints. But the ability to survive on your own — to earn your own income and govern your own life — is something that, once we have, cannot be taken away. Hopefully these talks will inspire a new generation of women to follow suit.”

Hana Alireza and Leila Fakih, co-founders of the first organic juice bar in Lebanon, talked about the challenges they faced and what made them stand out.

Mina Hussein and Carine Daher, co-founders of GarageLuxe s.a.l, an e-commerce platform that sells new and pre-owned luxury brands, share their experiences with business students.

From the alleyways of Shatila Camp to the red carpet and limelight of Beirut Campus, LAU artists found a platform to fight social injustice and gender inequality under the umbrella of IMAGINE Workshop and Concert Series (IWCS), from October 19-26.

“Reflections” Equality and Human Rights, under the artistic direction of Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Seba Ali, combined all arts disciplines with the aim of conveying a powerful message against social injustice. Joining the program was internationally acclaimed American violinist Salley Koo, whose first trip to Lebanon took her to the Shatila refugee camp where she and Ali played for Syrian refugee children as part of LAU’s outreach platform, in collaboration with NGO Basmeh and Zeitooneh.

“As a musician you are always trying to absorb and transmit to different parts of humanity,” Koo said of her visit to Shatila. “I always feel more connected to and sad about children. They are so happy and alive, but then they live in a displaced situation, which is heartbreaking.”

An integral part of IWCS's program, outreach events encourage LAU students to engage with the community. “Through IMAGINE, we strive to prepare the mechanism for our students to volunteer and work with NGOs outside of LAU,” said Ali.

The program included a panel that brought together Associate Chair of the Department of Communication Arts Nadra Assaf, Koo and visiting researcher at the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World Rania Jaber in an hour-long passionate discussion about performance as a tool and the evolution of female artists throughout history.

The series concluded with “Reflections,” a cross-disciplinary event that combined music, dance, theater, fashion and an art show revolving around a single theme: gender equality and human rights, in collaboration with WellSpring Learning Community. “I believe that all the art disciplines complete each other, and I wanted to have everyone on board as much as possible,” Ali said of the diversified program.

The evening opened with two plays directed by WellSpring drama teachers, Bassam Amine and Denise Dewhurst, and performed by students. The first, a dark comedy entitled “Us and Them” portrayed growing mistrust among a group of wanderers who end up fighting over a piece of land. Equally dark, the second play, “Inside the House of Alba,” addressed the oppression of women both within the family sphere and in society.

A music and dance performance by Koo and Ali followed, a tribute to female composers whose talents suffered injustices because of their gender. “Women are always judged. Sometimes you feel you’re in a maze. A woman is always multitasking and must excel in all that she does,” Ali said. “With Ms. Sarah Fadel's choreography and our LAU dancers, we were able to make the struggles of women more concrete to the audience.”

“Reflections” concluded with a gender-fluid fashion show by LAU student Aniss Ezzedine that aimed at advocating diversity and equality, and an art show that incorporated paintings, photographs and ceramics, one gif and a short film. The events in the series involved six faculty members from Beirut and Byblos, some 200 students, including 90 students from the Fine Arts who took part in the art exhibition.

Spread over a period of four months ending in March, IWCS comprises 22 events ranging from concerts, art shows, panel discussions and workshops, to outreach and education programs. The second of four residencies, Tell Your Tales, will kick off on November 20-24.

Communication Arts students at LAU express their pride in the department’s mission to #ReinventCommunication 

Watch full video: http://comm.lau.edu.lb

A dark comedy, entitled “Us and Them,” portrayed growing mistrust among a group of wanderers who end up fighting over a piece of land.

A gender-fluid fashion show by LAU student Aniss Ezzedine advocated diversity and equality.

A music and dance performance by Koo and Ali paid tribute to female composers whose talents suffered injustices because of their gender.

“Inside the House of Alba,” a play that addressed the oppression of women both within the family sphere and in society.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Seba Ali and acclaimed American violinist Salley Koo gave a musical performance to Shatila refugee children as part of LAU’s outreach platform, in collaboration with NGO Basmeh and Zeitooneh.

During a lecture and interactive session hosted by LAU on its Byblos Campus, Director General of General Security Major-General Abbas Ibrahim called on the students to “engage in the broadest process of democratic change in their respective cultural, social and political frameworks.” He urged them to reach those who have the capacity and willpower to tackle social, economic and environmental issues by casting their votes in the next elections.

The talk was held in the auditorium of the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury Health Sciences Center shortly after Major-General Ibrahim and his delegation were given a tour of the campus, its schools and laboratories by LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra and faculty members.

In his opening speech, Byblos Campus Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Makram Ouaiss thanked the major-general for accepting the university’s invitation to give the lecture, titled “Toward a Promising Future for the Youth.”

Following the national anthem, Jabbra praised the work of General Security in dismantling terrorist cells. He conveyed his students’ anticipation to meet a person in power, “who rises above crooked practices,” stressing that the university in turn bears a sense of responsibility toward its society and aims to give back by nurturing tomorrow’s leaders. Jabbra then presented Ibrahim with a shield in recognition of the strong ties between the two institutions, during an exchange of gifts.

Addressing an audience composed of LAU faculty, staff, students, and a General Security delegation, Ibrahim recognized that “his generation had been governed by extenuating circumstances, as his predecessors had been unable to curtail the war or mitigate its consequences.” Remarking that the fear the youth held for their country’s future stemmed from the lack of “strategic policies that adopted their cause and enabled their participation in a comprehensive economic system,” he urged government to ensure the integration of the new generation in the public and private sectors in order to stem the brain drain.

Silence, Ibrahim added, was the gravest threat to the youth and their future, while they were made “victims of a sectarian, partisan and divisive culture … and accepted their exclusion from political decision-making to which they had a right.” The answer was “to resist isolationism … and strive to build a Lebanon based on equality in citizenship and participation.”

During the Q&A session, a variety of topics were raised, ranging from the new electoral law to the refugee crisis. In response, Ibrahim said that, although the electoral system was not ideal, it was the best that could be achieved and may well pave the way to change. He made it clear that a model electoral process would be Lebanon as one district with equal representation, which would do away with sectarianism and religious differences.

On film censorship, he highlighted the fact that we lived in a divided confessional society, and that it was “the duty of General Security to deter dissent, and quell any threat to the security of the community as some people tended to react to the media with bigotry.”

Perhaps it was unavoidable that the discussion should have turned to the issue of refugees, which Ibrahim pointed out had placed an added burden on General Security as it has had to manage the influx and set up centers to facilitate processing the required paperwork. He hoped that, by the time he left the Directorate of the General Security, an online system would be in place.

On the national level, the greatest challenge in his opinion was to obstruct attempts to create a new terrorist movement in place of al-Nusra or ISIS that would destabilize and fragment the country. 

“It was something to be proud of,” said senior student in marketing Elio Nassab of the talk, “as it encouraged us to take charge of our future and that of the country.”

Political Science and International Affairs senior Josiane Mattar was equally impressed by the major-general’s readiness to engage the students, adding that “the talk was very inspiring. It gave us hope that, in spite of all the corruption in the country, improvements were being made.”

Addressing an audience composed of LAU faculty, staff, students, and a General Security delegation, Ibrahim recognized that “his generation had been governed by extenuating circumstances, as his predecessors had been unable to curtail the war or mitigate its consequences.”

Major-General Ibrahim and his delegation were given a tour of the campus, its schools and the Clinical Simulation Center by LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra and faculty members.

In an exchange of gifts, LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra presented Major-General Ibrahim with a shield in recognition of the strong ties between the two institutions.

Director General of General Security Major-General Abbas Ibrahim urged students to reach those who have the capacity and willpower to tackle social, economic and environmental issues by casting their votes in the next elections.