On Tuesday, March 1, fifteen American states held primary elections as part of the United States’ electoral season, on a day known as Super Tuesday. LAU’s own assistant professor of political science/international relations Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss tells us about the primaries’ historic results.

What was your first reaction when you saw the results on Wednesday morning?

A real disappointment that [Donald] Trump has done so well across so many different types of states – large, small, conservative, liberal … If anyone still had a doubt, now they can’t deny that Trump has wide appeal to a great number of Americans.  In terms of Hillary [Clinton], the results further consolidate her lead but the fact that Bernie Sanders won four states is really interesting and while it is highly doubtful that he will win the Democratic nomination, he is forcing Hillary to incorporate a lot of ideas from the left than she would have otherwise.

What kind of ideas does Trump actually represent?

He is a populist and a fascist. In populism, you play on the concerns of the general population without articulating how you’re going to actually solve problems. In some ways Bernie Sanders is a populist as well.  But it is no longer hysterical to use the word “fascist” to describe Trump because of the militancy with which he is scapegoating a number of different groups in American society, in a coded language that is white supremacist in nature.

How is the Trump phenomenon possible, in a country that so recently seemed to be becoming more and more liberal on key issues, such as racism and gay marriage?

Among other factors, such as the fact that the country was already highly polarized before Trump came along, it is important to emphasize the lasting economic malaise.  While there are many indicators that the economy is improving, the perception and indeed reality of a lot of Americans is that they haven’t seen their wages go up in 20 years, and that they have lost net worth since the global economic meltdown of 2008. Some politicians, like Sanders, are saying “let’s see how we can change this.” Others, like Trump, are taking advantage of the situation and saying, “it’s not your fault, it’s not the fault of the banks, it’s the fault of the brown people who are taking away your jobs and opportunities, and on top of that there are these Muslims who are waiting to conquer you.”

Given all this, who do you think will win the general election in November?

I think it will be Hillary Clinton. In a U.S. presidential election, it is really important to win delegates from key states, and Hillary is in a strong position to do so. In this election, the likelihood is that minorities will not vote for Trump, while the white demographic is declining (and not all white voters will vote for him either). Hillary would really have to do something drastic to lose the election.

That being said, in those states where the white establishment is really afraid of losing control, they have enacted the strongest barriers to voting access that we have seen in a few generations, all in an attempt to limit voters who would probably vote Democrat rather than Republican. On the other hand, it may come down to local choices, where the question is whether you hate Clinton enough to vote for Trump, or vice-versa.  The Republican establishment itself, for example, is very anti-Trump.

What are the consequences of a Clinton or Trump victory for the U.S.?

Clinton does have strong policy platforms, and some of the leading intellectuals in various areas are advising her. So we know what her policies would be if she is elected.  For Trump, we have no idea what he would actually do.  He changes his rhetoric all the time.

What are the long-term implications of this for the Middle East?

Clinton is a hawk, we know this from her record as secretary of state… and she is strongly pro-Israel.  So there is a higher likelihood of war in the region if she wins.  With Trump, we just don’t know!

Three dozen researchers, donors, civil society members and journalists gathered at LAU this week to discuss Syrian refugees’ access to justice. They came for a roundtable on the subject, hosted by LAU’s The Institute of Social Justice and Conflict Resolution (ISJCR). 

The event kicked off with presentations by Assistant Professor of political science and ISJCR Associate Director Tamirace Fakhoury and Karim el-Mufti, a professor at the International Centre for Human Sciences (CISH). The two scholars and their affiliate institutions are part of a consortium conducting research that aims to contribute to a more people-centered approach towards rule of law programs. Mufti presented some results from focus groups that involved 63 participants, while Fakhoury shared quantitative results based on the responses of 1,200 Syrian refugees to a survey carried out in the summer of 2015.

“The unsaid policy of the Lebanese authorities is to make the legal and actual stay of Syrian refugees hell,” said Mufti, noting that most of the men and women he interviewed were illegals in Lebanon since their visas expired last year. “Lebanon can’t send them back to Syria and doesn’t want to nationalize them, so they need to work on diplomacy so that other countries can resettle them.”

The results of the survey, which focused on refugees’ perceptions and experience with both formal and informal aspects of the justice system, were more positive than those of the focus groups, said Fakhoury. “However, while the majority of respondents said they have confidence in the Lebanese state security and justice personnel, only 4 percent have actually ever resorted to official authorities to press charges,” she added.

Interestingly, while on the whole confidence in formal justice providers (the judiciary, security services and municipalities) is generally higher than in the informal equivalents (religious figures, political parties, NGOs, community elders), there are variations depending on the problem being faced and the respondent’s city of residence. “Refugees living in Beirut show lower levels of trust in the judiciary and municipalities than elsewhere, while in the south, political parties and local figures are considered more efficient than in other districts,” noted Fakhoury.

The findings were discussed enthusiastically by the audience, many of whose members had their own data and experiences to share. “We monitored conflict at various camps and noticed a definite link between the type of conflict and justice provider sought,” said Natalia Menhall of the consulting firm Beyond Reform and Development. Taking up this theme, Fakhoury recommended conducting more research on correlation between the type of grievances and disputes with the actors best suited to respond to them.

While some of those present considered the approach of Syrians to formal and informal actors to be similar to those of Lebanese, LAU Associate Professor of political science and international affairs Marwan Rowayheb noted that “while Syrians brought their conflicts with them to Lebanon, they did not bring their mechanisms.”

The fact that the refugees surveyed did not attach much significance to religious actors was interesting, said Rowayheb. “Syria and its justice system are secular. Syrians had a non-religious secular civil system and so their ability to imitate the Lebanese is limited when our informal actors are based on clientelism.”

Refugees living in Beirut show lower levels of trust in the judiciary and municipalities than elsewhere, researchers say.

Historically, gender has been a psychological and cultural category of paramount importance. Understanding the socially constructed meaning of being female or male through time and across civilizations helps us interpret the changing dynamics and evolution of contemporary and past societies.

The new Minor in Gender Studies will allow students from various disciplines to present themselves on the job market with the tools and skills necessary to examine and address inequalities. While individual courses in related disciplines have long been available at LAU, having them grouped in a minor degree reinforces the importance of this field of study.

According to Lina Abirafeh, director of the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW), we need gender studies to combat imparity and all forms of discrimination. “Students should be asking themselves whether they are happy with the world as it is and – if not – what they are going to do to change that,” she says. “They should feel empowered to be advocates of social change.”

The course aims to provide interdisciplinary competencies by combining both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Its core requirements, which lay the theoretical foundations, enable students to explore human rights, political science, literature, social media and others from a gender perspective.

Paula Naufal, a political science and international affairs major at LAU, has opted for the minor to round off her education. “The realm of gender studies encompasses many political issues, from unequal pay to forced early marriages and genital mutilation. I believe a minor in gender studies will complement my major in that it will give me a better understanding of the context of these issues and help me present these topics in a comprehensive and informed way.”

Alexandra el-Hajj, one of the students attending the course ‘Women in the Arab World,’ taught by IWSAW’s Assistant Director Myriam Sfeir, shares Naufal’s desire to curb the imbalance that characterizes female employment. “While women constitute half of the world’s population, their representation in politics is still shamefully low,” says el-Hajj.

Similarly, Cinderella Ghrawi wants to gain a more informed perspective in order to have an impact on the society she lives in. “You often find yourself discussing the issue of gender,” says Ghrawi. “I want to become knowledgeable on the subject in order to give fact-based answers that are hardly disputable.”

Gender studies is not just about women. Traditional roles dictating gender-based behavior can be as challenging for men as they are for women, and on many levels. “Discrimination based on gender is so widespread that we do not notice anymore how it plays a role in our daily lives,” says Hadi Audi, another student in Sfeir’s class.

“Understanding gender is a lens through which to view the world,” concludes Abirafeh. “It is about life-skills, civic responsibility and a commitment to making the region better. Students can be ambassadors for equality and human rights - and can demonstrate that Arab youth can be leaders of change. I hope they will take up that challenge.”

This article is part of a series that will be published on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

When Rahel Zegeye arrived in Lebanon, she did not expect to spiral into a cycle of psychological abuse. Now, after 15 years in the country, she directs plays denouncing the harrowing conditions of migrant workers and provides support to other Ethiopians in jeopardy.

Zegeye was one of the panelists invited to attend the discussion held by LAU’s Intersectional Feminist Club, in collaboration with the Social Work Club, on March 7. “When we think about International Women’s Day what comes to mind are white upper-class women, but this celebration was originally born in appreciation of the working class,” says student Sarah Kaddoura, head of the feminist club. “LAU is a privileged platform and we should make it available to those who deserve it.”   

The panel discussion was opened by Ramy Shukr, general coordinator of the Migrant Community Center (MCC) – one of the establishments that have sprung up in recent years to offer domestic workers a safe place for activities and interaction.

According to Shukr, the key to improving the lives of domestic workers is abolishing the sponsorship (kafala) system, under which every woman is bound to one employer. “They either stay with the family that sponsored them to come to Lebanon, or they are sent back to their home country,” says Shukr. “They have no power to change their employer if mistreated and, at the same time, there is no monitoring system that ensures their living conditions are appropriate.”

Although a group of women last year formed the first Union of Domestic Workers in Lebanon to seek protection under the country’s labor laws, this entity was never legally recognized by the Lebanese state. “It must be understood that domestic work is normal work,” says Rose Mahi, a migrant worker from Cameroon and one of the founding members of the Union. “We take care of your children and your elders, we give them the love that we cannot give our relatives back home, and in return we are met with hatred and discrimination.”

Lebanon has ratified major human rights conventions, including the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination, but this does not prevent migrant workers from suffering blatant forms of abuse. “What is the purpose of international conventions if there is no implementation?” asks Gemma Justo, a Filipina community leader and human rights activist who also took part in founding the Union. According to Justo, the priority is to regulate wage and working hours, in order to align them with international standards.

As the discussion came to an end, the panelists thanked the participating LAU students for their presence and invited them to mobilize to end this injustice. “Please stand by us,” says Mahi, “if you start treating migrant workers with dignity, you will truly be a generation of change.”

This article is part of a series that will be published on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Gemma Justo addressing the audience.

Before joining the family business, Mona Bawarshi had a passion for fashion. Decades later, while at the helm of a shipping empire that employs more than 500 people, operates out of six countries and places her firmly on the Forbes list of the most powerful Arab women, Bawarshi donated part of the Gezairi building that now houses LAU’s fledgling Elie Saab undergraduate fashion program.

“If I had brothers, I would definitely not have joined dad’s business, but I don’t resent it. He was over-protective and critical, but I didn’t place much value on that. We found common ground,” says Bawarshi, recollecting the first ten years she spent at Gezairi Transport – the company set up at the port of Beirut by her father, who had left school after the fourth grade – which under her leadership has expanded into shipping, airfreight, freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution.

When Bawarshi joined the company in 1970, the only women at the company were typists and receptionists. Now 20 percent of the workforce is female, though few women occupy senior management positions. “Those who do earned their position through hard work,” says Bawarshi, who disapproves of quotas for women in business or any other field. “I find it insulting, as though we’re being pushed down men’s throats,” she explains.

“Men and women are not equal. We weren’t meant to be. We were meant to complete each other. Neither can live without the other and there’s no opportunity for competition. But our responsibilities, duties and rights are the same. Legal equality is done,” declares the mother of three, admitting nevertheless that we are still in an era where women need to work harder to stay at the same level as men.

While being an only child ultimately sealed Bawarshi’s professional fate, it also meant that she didn’t grow up in a brother’s shadow or in the cross hairs of a gender-battle. “I wasn’t gender bound. I wouldn’t employ a woman instead of a man. It’s the way I am. I haven’t given it much thought. I don’t have this phobia. I am all for the human being.”

Her position of strength and power, says Bawarshi, has never been an issue during her marriage to high-school sweetheart Fouad. “He has no complexes. My success is his success and we complete each other,” she says of her husband of four decades, who joined Gezairi Transport soon after they married. “I am macro, he is micro. He was immediately passionate about shipping. I don’t have that skill. I’m passionate about business.”

Their three children are also involved in the business. “They started joining the firm ten years ago and I am somewhat semi-retired now,” says Bawarshi, a woman with so much energy, it seems unlikely that she will ever be able to completely relinquish the helm. All three of her children and a son-in-law hold different positions within the company, but she has no set plans regarding its future leadership. “They each have their own niche and only time will tell who has the superior character. I’m happy they all joined, and we’ve all benefited from conferences on conflict in family business, but I don’t plan these things.”

In comparison to her children’s initiation into the firm, Bawarshi’s first decade at the company was grueling. “I was an only child and had to cooperate with others. I didn’t have the benefit of the Internet, and getting hands-on experience was tough. There was a lot of watching and absorbing first,” she recalls. “The first ten years were agony. I was going to stick it out but wasn’t going to be happy about it. Now I am grateful.”

This article is part of a series that is published on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Photo courtesy of Gezairi Transport.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) hosted a discussion titled “Women in Municipal Councils in Support of Local Development,” in collaboration with the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW). The event proved extremely popular, packing the Irwin Hall Auditorium on the Beirut campus with students, faculty and members of the broader community.

The main issue under discussion was the need to elect more women to municipal councils  country-wide, a question made urgent by the impending municipal elections scheduled for May 2016. The positive link between female participation in local governance and development was highlighted early on by Beirut Marathon president and IWSAW board member May El Khalil, who spoke on behalf of LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra. El Khalil’s point was developed further by IWSAW Director Lina Abirafeh, who emphasized a research showing that “more women political leaders means greater prosperity.”

Luca Renda, country director of the United Nations Development Program in Beirut, remarked that while Lebanese women enjoy relatively greater rights and freedoms than their regional counterparts, the country lags behind when it comes to women’s political participation. “Today,” he said, “you have only 5 percent of women in municipal councils, 3 percent in parliament, and 4 percent in the cabinet, which is strange because Lebanon is an open country in so many ways.” The obstacles, noted Renda, are not in legislation or in physical restrictions, but stem rather from social habits and cultural traditions. As such, the UNDP advises Lebanese legislators to approve mandatory quotas for female candidates.

In response to the call for women quotas in the municipal councils, attending Minister of the Interior and Municipalities Nouhad al-Mashnouk declared that such a policy was desirable “but could only be introduced gradually,” and then only as a temporary measure. While admitting that there was indeed “a national need for women’s participation in public life, especially in the area of development,” he added that “the state and men are not responsible” for low female representation as “women have to be convinced both to run and vote.”

Following al-Mashnouk’s speech – which was interrupted by an LAU student lambasting the Ministry of Interior for its handling of protests against the garbage crisis – the event shifted to a roundtable format, moderated by journalist Claude Abou Nader Hindi. The only male participant in the panel, Member of Parliament Ghassan Moukheiber, pointed out that while quotas are in principle a good idea, they will not by themselves resolve the problem.

“The system does not depend on proportionality, this is why women are not participating,” he said. Add to that the political resistance to change in Lebanon. “Politicians will not pass their responsibilities or power to other women, they are not even passing it to other men,” Moukheiber lamented.

While panelist Boushra Itani related her experience as a member of the Beirut Municipality Council, Nada Anid, founding member of “Women in Front” explained how the NGO is actively encouraging and preparing women to run for the upcoming municipal elections through awareness and training.

Wafa’a Dika Hamzeh, a former minister of state and a member of the executive office of NCLW, shared their optimistic view. Even though the May elections are only a few months away, “Lebanon is a country of miracles,” she said. “If we believe in women’s causes and in the importance of participation [in municipal councils] then we can reach our goals.”

This article is part of a series that is published on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Photos courtesy of Dalati&Nohra

Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouk addressing the audience.

The number of female candidates at municipal elections increased from 552 in 2004 to 1,346 in 2010.

Artists, academics and diplomats graced the stage and filled the auditorium at the United Nations House in Beirut on March 10 to mark International Women’s Day.

Master of ceremonies for the commemorative event journalist Rihan Younan began by listing some of the many abuses and discriminatory acts faced by women today, including child marriage, domestic violence and pay inequity. “All these result from actions by both men and women,” she said to a full house. “Equality is the solution, and it can’t be reached without both women and men.”

Pop star Ragheb Alama, actress Nadine El Rassi, LAU Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Elise Salem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General Rima Khalaf and songstress Faia Younan each took to the stage to share messages of hope and resistance.

Khalaf, who is also Secretary General of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which hosted the event together with LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW), echoed Younan’s sentiment and summarized the goals of the day in a few words: “We are here in celebration and solidarity. Though we are facing difficult times, we must celebrate the achievements of the many women and pioneers in the Arab world who have fought for gender equality.”

Salem in her address named two such women – Lebanese feminist Anissa Najjar and Moroccan sociologist Fatema Mernissi – before praising Lebanon’s female students she interacts with every day. “Year after year LAU and other universities in the country infuse the market with highly educated and qualified young women, and yet the country continues to fail us by reinforcing patriarchal sectarian political representation, inequity in pay and employment and an obsolete and demeaning legal system that relegates women to second-class status," she said. "With no effective Lebanese government or national commitment to close the gender equality gap, Lebanon remains stuck to laws and policies that discriminate against women,” she added.

Similarly, UN Goodwill Ambassador Ragheb Alama took the opportunity to salute women and criticize the system that stood in their way. “There have been many strong Arab women,” he said, naming Egyptian Huda Shaarawi, Lebanese Laure Moghaizel, Palestinian Leila Khaled and Tunisian Radhia Nasraoui.

The artist also paid homage to his mother, who died three weeks ago: “She raised me to respect women, and International Women’s Day is an opportunity for us to recognize their importance.” If women were more present in Lebanon’s government, said Alama, then we wouldn’t see such disrespect and shamelessness as we do now, surrounded by garbage.

Lebanese actress Nadine El Rassi concluded the day’s speeches by imploring everyone to work toward the common goal of gender equality. “Lawyers, teachers, artists … all have their role and methods, but the solution is in our hands united.”

LAU Associate Professor of Communication Arts Lina Abyad and three actors showcased their method – theatre – by presenting a short sketch from the play ‘This is not an Egyptian Film,’ highlighting various ways in which men subjugate women, both physically and psychologically, while Syrian singer Faia Younan drew the event to a close with a performance of three strong symbolic songs, the last of which was Mowtiny (my homeland). “I sing this hoping that all women will achieve equality in citizenship without having to bargain for equality.”

Confidentiality is one of the core duties in the medical profession, yet one which is most often overlooked. In Lebanon, the prevalence of close-knit communities makes the argument for patient privacy ever more compelling.

According to Dr. Sola Bahous, assistant dean for Clinical Affairs at LAU’s Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, it is common for extended families to presume they have a right to intimate details about the patient’s health. “Students find it difficult to deal with family members who insist on remaining in the room during a doctor’s visit,” says Bahous referring to LAU students in health and health-related disciplines working at LAU MC-RH, the university's affiliated hospital.

Nancy Hoffart, founding dean of the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, affirms that privacy is a complex issue in Lebanon. “A student once said that he could not lie to his mom,” says Hoffart. “It was a joke, but it still says a lot about how hard it is for some students to withhold information from their families.”

In light of an increasing awareness of its pivotal role in building a relationship of trust, LAU is stressing the importance of confidentiality in its curriculum.

“We teach them about confidentiality both by discussing the concept in class and by providing role models they can refer to when handling certain situations,” says Bahous. In ethics class, students are confronted with real-life scenarios designed to develop their ability to think critically about their actions and their consequences.

In Hoffart’s view, the fact that social media often compounds the problem must be tackled in the classroom. “When students enter a hospital for the first time, they are excited about the new experience and want to share it with friends, but they must know that this might mean a serious breach of the patient’s privacy,” she says. “It does not matter if the patient is sharing information on social media. A medical professional is nonetheless bound to confidentiality.”

To ingrain ethical practices in the students, they are  instructed to write reports using only the patient's initials even when working alongside their supervisor.

According to Hoffart, who has had extensive experience in the U.S., there is a greater degree of information sharing in Lebanon but the repercussions of a confidentiality breach can be harsher.

“When a woman has breast cancer in the U.S., she will most probably say so because she is sure to receive support,” says Hoffart. “In Lebanon however, it is the opposite. The patient will most likely want to keep it secret.”

In Lebanon, cases of doctors discussing confidential records in public places, such as hospital elevators, have harmed the relationship of trust that is at the basis of good medical care. LAU is dedicated to forming a new generation of health professionals that truly understands the importance of safeguarding a patient’s right to privacy.

More than a hundred guests from within and outside the LAU community gathered to hear renowned costume designer Papou Lahoud and Yasmine Taan, chair of the department of design, talk about traditional costumes in Lebanon. The two designers were brought together by LAU’s Center for Lebanese Heritage which, under the direction of poet Henri Zoghaib, hosts monthly panel discussions at the Beirut campus on a variety of topics on Lebanon and its diverse and colorful heritage.

In her presentation, Taan boasted about the LAU Elie Saab fashion degree and the various opportunities it affords its students. “We have invited a great number of experts and designers to share their knowledge and advice with our students,” said Taan, announcing that Kenzo merchandising designer Yoanna Finaud was slated to be the department’s next guest speaker.

Lahoud, who opted to focus on fashion after obtaining a degree in interior design, took the audience on a historical journey of Lebanese fashion that began with the Phoenician discovery of Tyrian purple, a dye made from the secretions of sea snails. “Traders of textiles and jewels shared our discoveries and culture with people in other lands … and we too absorbed the cultures of many who passed through our lands.”

Little is known about Lebanese fashion between the 7th and the 17th centuries as sarcophagi and epigraphs at the National Museum in Beirut, museums in Egypt and elsewhere predate the 7th century, and any depiction of the region’s people and clothing only came with the arrival of the Orientalists in the 17th century.

“Through these drawings we see the fashions of those times, including the women’s conical tantour hats, with their bronze, silver and gold embellishments, and the men’s labbade felt caps.” Lahoud’s talk was accompanied by various images and photographs, including the attire of princesses, village girls and maids. Additional slides highlighted the different fashions depending on occasion, religion and region.

Lahoud went on to showcase her own range, including some of the many vibrant stage costumes for which she is best known, created for shows produced by her brother Romeo Lahoud and the Rahbani brothers, among others. Her designs have also been worn by Miss Lebanon and staff at General Security, as well as Middle East Airlines and Royal Jordanian air hostesses, which won her the IATA award for best uniform.

“While preparing to give this talk, I had to go back through my own history and not just that of Lebanese fashion. It was a very positive experience for me,” said Lahoud, noting that it was the first time she had given a public presentation. “I don’t usually like to talk, I prefer to draw.”

Many of Lahoud’s designs, including her eveningwear and wedding dress lines, are showcased on her website.

The CLH will next month, on 4 April, present a talk about the heritage of the Lebanese kitchen. All are welcome to attend.

The Center for Lebanese Heritage presents a talk on the first Monday of every month.

“After we conducted the research, I cut down on potato chips and now rarely have any,” says medical student Essa Hariri who, while a biology undergraduate, teamed up with other LAU students and faculty members to examine the carcinogenic and neurotoxic risks of acrylamide and heavy metals contained in the potato and corn chips consumed by the Lebanese population.

Scientists have for decades known that acrylamide – a white solid accumulated when carbohydrate-based products are heated – is a carcinogenic compound. Legislation has yet to control the amount of acrylamide in foods and popular snacks in much of the world, including potato and corn chips, though some regulation does restrict its presence in drinking water. “Until you establish a direct and irrefutable link between cancer and acrylamide, legislation will remain weak,” says Assistant Professor of Chemistry Robin Taleb, who supervised the work of Hariri, the study’s principal investigator, and his peers Martine Abboud and Sally Damirdjian.

The students ran experiments in the lab over several months and conducted a survey to determine the consumption habits of Lebanese people with regard to both foreign and domestically produced potato and corn chips. Their conclusions were presented in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.

The average acrylamide level in potato and corn chips was found to be 3,500 times higher than the permissible limit for the compound in drinking water, while the daily consumption of acrylamide from potato and corn chips in Lebanon was found to be 7-40 times higher than the risk intake for carcinogenesis set by the World Health Organization.

In short, people in Lebanon consume at least seven times the amount of carcinogenic substance through chips than is deemed healthy. “People in Lebanon eat on average between five and 10 bags of chips per week, with school-aged children consuming the most,” explains Hariri.

The study also found that acrylamide was more prevalent in foreign brands than domestically produced chips as well as baked chips, commonly considered the healthy alternative, than fried chips. “Baked foods are indeed healthier when it comes to cholesterol, but in the case of carbohydrate-based foods, the higher temperatures used in baking result in higher formation of acrylamide,” explains Taleb, noting that while all carbohydrate-based foods contain acrylamide, the amount present increases exponentially with heat.

While a review of the level of metals in the chips found that they did not pose a neurotoxic risk, the study definitely established the carcinogenic risks of over-consuming chips.

Hariri, who enjoys a full merit scholarship at LAU, first pitched the research proposal to his professor in class. “All students must present research proposals during my ‘instrumental analysis chemistry’ class, but this was the first time I asked students to actually conduct the experimental investigation proposed,” explains Taleb. That initial opportunity spurred Hariri’s continued interest in research. “It was the spark that immersed me in multiple clinical research projects and clinical trials,” says the third year LAU medical student who has already been credited in two additional journal papers.

LAU graphic design students Chelsea Abi Saab and Nadia Khabbaz were in the Emirates last week to attend the Dubai Lynx awards and pick up first and second prizes respectively for the du student integrated award.

The region’s most prominent international advertising festival, Dubai Lynx was this year celebrating its tenth anniversary and the third anniversary of the du student integrated award, which invites students to create a unique integrated campaign using at least three forms of media – print, outdoor and TV, for example.

As LAU students made up over half those shortlisted for the award this year, the special award for best university of the year was bestowed upon the university. “It’s wonderful for the university, the department and the students,” says Melissa Plourde Khoury, associate chair of the Department of Design, who collected the award in Dubai on behalf of the university.

“We instill a lot of conceptual thinking in our programs as part of our mission. Our students don’t just create visually oriented designs but are creative conceptual thinkers,” says Plourde Khoury, explaining the ethos that contributed to the overwhelming success of her students. “They don’t realize that they can actually win. It never ceases to amaze me how skeptical students can be,” she adds.

Senior student Abi Saab certainly did not expect to win when she submitted her entry, ‘Life Is Not Always a Game', to Dubai Lynx in December. “We all worked on the brief during our advertising design class and all the students produced great work. I sent off my submission and forgot about it,” recalls Abi Saab, who attended the festival alongside hundreds of advertising professionals and executives.

“It was a great opportunity and I certainly intend to apply to competitions more often now. I would advise all students to do the same. It improved my self-confidence and gave me the opportunity to meet others in the field, and it’s a great accolade to add to my CV,” adds the soon-to-be-graduate, who credits course instructor Joumana Ibrahim for enabling and encouraging her to apply and succeed.

“The faculty play a strong role as motivators and facilitators,” concurs Plourde Khoury. “The students have the capacity and know-how, but the commitment of the faculty makes it happen. Joumana was supporting her students in every aspect of the project and its application up until the moment they sent off their entries.”

“It improved my self-confidence and gave me the opportunity to meet others in the field,” Abi Saab says.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and now after years of hard work, the Captains have taken the gold,” enthused LAU Byblos Athletics Director Joe Moujaes following the final varsity football match of the University Championships, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the LAU Captains, their first championship victory in the history of the Byblos campus.

“Men’s football was always a challenge, as our students are not of a football culture, but after trying various strategies, we’re delighted with the win,” added Moujaes.

Bank manager by day and Captains football coach by night, Alaa Diab took over responsibility for the varsity team at the beginning of this season. “Football is a team sport and so this win is a team achievement,” he said , expressing his gratitude for the support of the administration, the players, the coaching assistants and the team physiotherapist.

Among the 30 players in the varsity team, four play for teams in Lebanon’s premium league. They are an asset to the team, admitted Diab, before stressing that discipline and camaraderie are just as important, if not more so, than skill. “I told all the players at the beginning of the season that our goal was first and foremost to build a strong team.” That meant players were obliged to attend most of the training sessions, regardless of their experience, if they were to stay on the team.

“It was an important message and strategy,” said center midfield player Rudy Saleeby. “The spirit of the team has been very good this year.” Saleeby and his teammates train three evenings per week and, between friendlies and university league games, have played in around 30 matches this season. “Coach Alaa strategizes and treats us like a pro team. He gives us confidence and discipline and trains us to be better physically and tactically.”

Following their win, both coach and players are looking forward to going to Greece next month for the international university league championships. Saleeby has no doubt they will win, having done well in Rome last year. His confidence is shared by Coach Diab. “We’re going for the championship, certainly, but success is down to the players. The ball is in their court. They reap what they sow.”

Next month, the LAU Captains are going to Greece for the international university league championships.

A group of budding translators from both LAU and other Lebanese universities gathered this past Thursday for a symposium titled “Translation: A Process of Knowledge Construction.” Hosted by LAU’s B.A. in Translation program, the event featured local and international experts who spoke about the role of translators in mediating between cultures, creating harmony, promoting peace and developing new knowledge.

“Translators construct content, cultural and linguistic knowledge that others would not otherwise have access to,” said Assistant Professor of English and Applied Linguistics Nuwar Diab, director of the B.A. in Translation. “In so doing, they promote cultural understanding and reduce prejudice,” she added.

The manner in which the translators carry out this mission, and the obstacles they encounter along the way, were discussed throughout the morning by four panelists, beginning with Gina Abou Fadel Saad, director of the School of Translation at the Université Saint-Joseph, who focused on the cognitive processes involved when a translator undertakes to render a text in another language.

Hoda Moukannas, former director of the Center for Languages and Translation at the Lebanese University, followed up with a well-received example of how translation connects cultures even across millennia. She discussed how fables that originated in ancient Persia came to be known to us through the translations of Ibn al-Muqaffa in the 8th century and Jean de la Fontaine in the 17th century. Moukannas pointed out that while the stories translated remain universal “their success is temporal, as we can read, rewrite and translate the same fables differently, explaining their meaning in a way that speaks to issues concerning contemporary readers.”

The second half of the panel turned to the hurdles translators face daily in their task. Jean Jabbour, professor of comparative literature at the Lebanese University and a translator of 21 books, spoke about the specific issues affecting translators in the Arab world. His presentation was complemented by that of Michelle Hartman – an associate professor of Arabic literature at the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University – who drew on her experience to illustrate the difficulties of translating literary works from Arabic into English.

“You always need to be aware of the political context” of the original text, Hartman emphasized. This entails paying close attention to how the translation might reinforce negative stereotypes, and wrestling with the philosophical question of how to avoid doing so while remaining true to the author’s intent.

Poster presentations by senior students in the translation program succeeded the panel. The synergy between the message delivered by the experts and the students’ own concerns became quickly evident. For example, Jabbour’s talk spoke to the heart of student Ghiwa Abi Haidar’s final year project, “Translating Arab Women’s Literary Works into English: How They Are Changed to Fit a ‘Foreign’ Readership.” “He talked about how translators of works by Arab women focus on the exotic, on oppression and patriarchy – and this is exactly what I am researching,” Abi Haidar enthused.

For Diab, the symposium showed students “the kinds of difficulties to expect when dealing with a text,” gave them strategies to overcome them, and made them aware that “these difficulties are shared by expert translators and that they can be ironed out with practice.” Arming students with this kind of knowledge ensures that they are better prepared to enter the world of professional translation, she added.

Habib Sayegh, the owner of Librairie du Liban graciously donated 77 copies of An-Nafees to the symposium participants. This remarkable English-Arabic dictionary by the late Magdi Wahba provides rich and unique Arabic terminology for translators.

The synergy between the message delivered by the experts and the students’ own concerns was evident at the event.

Fatima Hamdan chose to ignore the many comments made on her career path when she enrolled in Computer Engineering at LAU. “I was advised to choose business, or any other program,” she says. “We still live in a society that thinks women should choose the easy track.”

Her courage paid off as she was elected chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch and took part in the organization of successful events that attracted large numbers of participants. “When I graduated, I decided to continue on this same path,” says Hamdan, who concluded her studies at LAU in 2014.

Her desire to counter stereotypes and her skills in planning events were combined to create “Girls Got IT”, a workshop held mid-March which brought together 400 girls from public and private schools for a full day of hands-on activities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics – otherwise known as STEAM.

During the workshop – which took place at the Dbayeh Convention Center – students engaged in various activities and experimented with different facets of engineering in around 20 practical and technical break-out sessions.

LAU’s team provided hands-on experience in robotic and embedded systems allowing participants to create small-scale robots by the end of the event. Engineering Associate Professor Barbar Akle led the workshop in collaboration with the Robotics Club.

A series of speeches aimed at presenting female role models in this professional field were also scheduled.

“The goal of this event is to inspire girls to challenge the stereotypes and go for what they really want, if they feel they have a talent for it,” says Hamdan, who now chairs the IEEE Women in Engineering Lebanon section. Four other women’s organizations – namely the Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB), the Arab Women in Computing Lebanon Chapter (ArabWIC Lebanon), Women in IT (WIT), and the Digital opportunity Trust – took part in the organization of the event.

The goal was certainly met in the case of Nour Safieddine, a grade 11 student from the Beirut Baptist School who was part of the team that won the robotics competition and a partial scholarship at LAU. “I discovered that I can do things I never thought I could,” says Safieddine, who expressed pride at designing her first robot. “Now I am even more certain that I want to study engineering.”

The goal of Girls got IT is to inspire girls to challenge the stereotypes, says alumna Fatima Hamdan.

As her college days came to an end, LAU student Farah al-Hashim’s only wish was to stop time. “I could not come to terms with the fact that my days at LAU and in Beirut were over,” says al-Hashim, who grew up in Kuwait and moved back to Lebanon to study journalism between 2005 and 2009.  

Cinema became the “magic wand” that allowed her to capture time. Her latest work, Breakfast in Beirut, stems from the desire to relive the emotions of those bygone days and explore the inexplicable, visceral bond that inhabitants develop with the city.

“Beirut is like a dream on hold, we try to get to where we want without being able to do so,” says al-Hashim, adding that this often leads to a love/hate relationship. The interviewees featured in the movie – whose intimate tales of Beirut mix with the fictional story of a group of students and the memories of their college years – express their discontent while, at the same time, revealing a deep connection with the city.

“Perhaps the journey is what makes the dream special,” says al-Hashim. Despite moving to the Unites States to attend the New York Film Academy, she never lost touch with Beirut, which she defines as “addictive.” “There is a feeling of intimacy in the city which makes it unique,” she says.

Breakfast in Beirut premiered in Lebanon in September 2015 and was sold out for both screenings. After its massive success at the Alexandria Film Festival and a nomination for “Film of the Year Award 2015’ at the Lebanese Film Festival in Sydney, Australia, Breakfast in Beirut continued on its world tour, first in France then Italy.

According to al-Hashim, the film owes its success to the fact that it speaks people’s minds. “My aim is for people to feel represented,” she says, “but at the same time this film was also my own therapy.”

Determined to make a film about Beirut specifically, the director refused any form of compromise. “I was offered funding for the film by different production houses, but the Germans wanted to turn it into “Breakfast in Berlin” and the Americans into “Breakfast in New York,” she says.

Undeterred, al-Hashim shot the movie with no budget, natural light and no sound equipment. “I was working another job and living on canned tuna,” she jokes. “I do believe you can make a movie with as little as one dollar in your pocket.”

Through the voices of those who treasure childhood memories of Beirut and those who move there in pursuit of a dream, al-Hashim highlights the tangle of emotions that unites all her interviewees.

Her objective is to show the movie all over Lebanon and spread the message behind it. “If I were to summarize it one sentence,” she says, “my experience in Beirut made me realize that living in a city that is not perfect is perfect in itself.”

Al-Hashim shot the movie with no budget, natural light and no sound equipment.

The selected collection of artwork displayed at LAU’s Fine Arts Alumni Biennial tells the story of 16 graduates, all of whom nourished their talents at LAU and flourished on the international scene.

Marya Kazoun’s artistic path since she graduated from LAU in 2000 is one of the most striking success stories. Recognized worldwide, Kazoun has been featured several times at the Venice Biennale and is locally represented by the Galerie Janine Rubeiz in Beirut. Although she works between New York and Venice, she returned to Lebanon to give an inspiring Artist Talk, which opened LAU’s Biennial exhibition on March 22.

Kazoun’s work – which she unveiled to an audience of students, alumni and faculty members – features an alternative vision of the world, created by sewing together all kinds of material and giving it life, at times through the use of live performances embedded in the art work.

Some of her installations reflect her own subconscious fears, while others represent deteriorating social conditions. According to Kazoun, her years at LAU gave her the tools to explore her feelings and translate them into art. “I learned how to express myself and take out what I have inside me,” says Kazoun. “You could say I was freed.”

Creating an occasion for alumni to interact and showcase their work is part of LAU’s pledge to support its students beyond their graduation day. “We have a full-fledged office designed to promote our students,” says Abdallah el Khal, head of the Alumni Relations Office, “we take great pride in them and they deserve it.”

More than art, the exhibition displayed strong human ties that transcend time and distance. Notably, it was Marya Kazoun’s ongoing relationship with her former professor and source of inspiration Arwa Seifeddine that brought her back to LAU to address current students. At the end of her speech, Kazoun expressed her admiration for LAU’s faculty. “You are lucky,” she said to the students, “you have great teachers.”

Dalia Bassir, another participating artist, regularly updates her former graphic design professor, Silia Abi Arbid, on her latest accomplishments. “At LAU, I learned to go back to my essence,” says Bassir, who works both as an artist and a graphic designer. “My professors kept highlighting my skills in drawing, so I decided to go back to it and now it is something I constantly keep in mind when I approach a new project.”

The work she exhibited – meaningfully entitled “The Painter” – is proof of that. By drawing in black on a Led Plexi Lightbox, Bassir uses light and shadows to revisit a painful moment in her life – the burning down of her house in Saida and the process involved in its restoration.

“It makes us proud to see that our students make it at an international level,” says Abi Arbid, chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Foundation Studies and one of the organizers of the event. “This shows that, despite the challenges we face in this country, we can succeed in our aspirations.”

Photos by instructor Bassam Lahoud.

The exhibition will be on until April 1, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. till 6 p.m.

Kazoun addressing the audience.

An interactive play addressing discrimination against women in politics enthralled dozens of students at both campuses last week. Organized by the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World, the event allowed students of communication arts to watch and engage with the twenty-minute play in Byblos on Tuesday while their peers in Beirut connected with the five actors on Wednesday.

Members of the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering (RDFL), Caroline Succar, Maha Nammour, Kholoud Ashram, Rafca Abou Younes and Hanan Moghabghab, introduced the barriers to women’s political participation with a ten-minute sketch in which each of the four women played a different member of one family.

Nadine, the protagonist, wants to run in the upcoming municipal elections. On announcing her decision, the audience bears witness to the reactions of her mother, brother and fiancé. “We’re preparing you for marriage now, not elections,” says the mother, to which one LAU student responded, laughing out loud: “That’s what my mother would say!” The brother is supportive, in his own way. “Yes, good idea. I’ll benefit nicely if you win.” Nadine’s fiancé, however, is not amused and wants her to focus on their imminent nuptials, despite her protestations that weddings, unlike elections, can be postponed.

In her role as the fiancé, student Fatima Ahmad declares: “Of course I will support you my love, and help you with your campaign.” Thereafter, however, Ahmad questions the sham of encouraging women to participate in a sectarian political system that ultimately oppresses women. “We need to be within the system in order to change it,” insists Succar, vice president of the RDFL, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The women have been performing this play in front of students and local residents at various locations across the country for some months now. “Reactions have been varied. Some people agree with the stance taken by the mother and the fiancé, others don’t,” explains Succar, who played the role of moderator during the LAU performances, inviting students to step into the story, play a character and react in the way they see fit.

As the performance expanded to include more students, so too did the size of the audience with many passersby drawn to the lively debates that developed. “Interactive theatre is a very useful tool for both communicating a message and engaging people in debate,” says Succar of the initiative, one of many presented by dozens of organizations throughout the country under the umbrella of the Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform. “We were pleased that the students expressed support for increased women’s participation in the political sphere and hope others feel the same way.”

The event was part of the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World's Food for Thought monthly series.

RDFL members have been performing in front of students and local residents for several months.

Students unanimously showed support for increased women’s participation in politics.

The corridors of LAU NY reverberated with the sweet and sultry sounds of traditional Arabic music on March 11 when the New York Academic Center, in partnership with the Lebanese Consul General in New York, welcomed the founders of the New York Arabic Orchestra for a special evening performance. 

Orchestra co-founders Bassam Saba and April Centrone played in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 100 spectators, performing a diverse repertoire of songs that ranged from classical to contemporary, including selections from Farid al-Atrash, Fairuz and Ziad Rahbani, to traditional Arabic-Turkish music such as a longa and a semai in D minor by Mesut Jamil. 

They played oud (Middle Eastern lute), nay (Middle Eastern flute), buzuk (lute), riq (tambourine), the western flute and world percussions.

“I grew up in a musical family,” says Saba, a virtuoso, celebrated multi-instrumentalist, educator and world-renowned authority on Arabic music. “The accordion was my first instrument, then the oud, the violin and the nay. The flute became my specialty later.”

Saba’s and Centrone’s performance exhibited a rare talent for mastering so many instruments. Their duet was an impressive display of musical genius, as the pair seamlessly switched from one instrument to the next, improvising as they went along, and transfixing the audience in a way only classical Arabic music can.

“I was a drummer since I was nine, I played jazz and rock, but I was searching for some emotional expression, something I couldn’t put my finger on,” says Centrone, one of the leading classical Arabic percussionists in the U.S.

The turning point in Centrone’s career came at age 20 when she happened upon a performance by Palestinian oud player Simon Shaheen. She took up the oud and percussion, listening and watching the masters like Saba perform. It was during a lesson with him that the idea for the New York Arabic Orchestra was hatched.

“Through the orchestra, we are working to create an institutional establishment, a place where anyone who wants to learn Arabic music can. It’s important to promote yourself through your culture, and not let the media dictate who you are … art always gives a pure and honest picture of the society it comes from,” says Saba, who is Lebanese. “When I came to the U.S., music curricula were very limited. My colleagues and I worked hard to promote Arabic music, and give it a place not only in education, but also at festivals and prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.” 

LAU NY is helping to push that exposure one step further. “By offering arts and culture from the Arab world, we are working to create a positive image of the region, to help build bridges between East and West,” says Academic Executive Director Lina Beydoun. 

After all, who knows how many other Americans, like Centrone, will discover a passion for an art with centuries-old roots spanning Persia, Turkey, Andalucía and beyond. “You will never hear such richness and depth in any music tradition in the world,” Centrone says. “Western music always resolves, but Arabic music pulls and pushes. Interestingly, in Arabic culture, you have the same push and pull, versus the emphasis on instant gratification in the western world.”

NYAO comprises 40 musicians in total, hailing from multiple cultural, musical and educational backgrounds. Not only do they perform, but they also provide rigorous training to their members and run a multi-faceted outreach program which includes music classes, workshops, youth programs and more.

NYAO comprises 40 musicians in total, hailing from multiple cultural, musical and educational backgrounds.

Once considered the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut now strikes the eye with the high density of its concrete structures, the indiscriminate mid-rise and high-rise buildings and the remaining vestiges of bullet-ridden French Mandate houses.

Its architectural landscape is a byproduct of war and reconstruction, both of which were the results of a complex political dynamic. For urban planners, Beirut might not be the most virtuous example, yet it is a challenging one.

“Beirut’s complexity is tangible,” says Luisa Bravo, visiting assistant professor at LAU and at the University of Florence. She first came to Lebanon after the war, when Solidere – the company in charge of planning and redeveloping Beirut Central District – was working on the reconstruction of the Downtown area. “It was not by chance that I came here. I was working on the concept of public space and in Beirut that was the right time to analyze the issue.”

According to Bravo, in Europe the concept of public space is linked to notions of sharing and democracy, whereas in the Middle East this association is not as clear. “The idea of a public space implies that it belongs to everyone, and that everyone has the right to take part in its construction,” says Bravo. “However, the desire to see private interest prevail is predominant, even among the younger generations.”

Bravo recognizes that urban planning is entangled with politics. “In Beirut urbanism is made of elements that intersect and overlap,” she says, “its public space is strongly intertwined with the private one, which tells stories of war and loss and which represents the city’s true spirit.”

The idea that public space belongs to everyone and that therefore everyone should be allowed to participate in its construction is, in itself, a political ideal. Bravo believes that the younger generations in Lebanon still lack a full understanding of the importance of public space but, on the other hand, have strong feelings toward any kind of reconstruction that disregards historical heritage.

“Preserving a city’s cultural identity is of paramount importance,” she says, citing Samir Kassir’s notion of the Arab identity and its failure to come to terms with modernity. “In my lectures, I invite the students to come up with their own alternative ways of thinking, without emulating what is being done in the West.”

Similar themes have triggered the curiosity of Assistant Professor Lee Frederix, an American artist and designer. In his series Al mamnou3 masmouh, he explores the appropriation of public space and the blurred boundaries between what is allowed and what is prohibited.  

“I was amazed to see how shop owners construct improvised objects that they use to assert their ownership over a public space, such as a parking spot in front of their store,” says Frederix. “This inspired me to recreate them in an artistic form.”

The collection, entitled ‘totems of territory’, not only visually recreates the atmosphere of the city, but directly feeds off it through the use of objects collected from its streets.

“At the beginning I had to polish the objects I found, because the effect they produced was altogether too ‘rough’ for the Lebanese taste,” says Frederix. After more than a decade in Lebanon, he now sees his original style as having gone too mainstream.

Frederix also uses the city’s many objects to create alternative mapping systems that talk about gentrification or the shift that Beirut’s neighborhoods witnessed toward increasing property values. In order to give a feeling for the neighborhood he is describing, his work employs pieces found in its alleyways.

Some of the items he collects only make sense after several years. “Once I found a piece that fitted into the other perfectly, like a key. I thought it was meant to be, and I had to make something of it.”

Beirut, with its idiosyncrasies and complexities, is still a jigsaw puzzle able to capture the fascination of professionals around the world. 

A scene from the Downtown area that was reconstructed by Solidere.

In his work Lee Frederix uses pieces he collects from the streets of Beirut.

The LAU delegation of 20 students made up less than one per cent of the 2,400 students from universities around the world at the 2016 Harvard World Model United Nations conference in Rome, and yet they took home over three per cent of the awards handed out over the five-day event.

“It was a great chance to showcase the strength of our Global Classrooms LAU MUN program and prove that we can attain impressive results on an international level,” boasted Youssef Taher, a finance major whose skills as a delegate representing Saint Lucia on the ‘Community of Latin American and Caribbean States’ committee in Rome earned him a certificate and gavel.

“The Harvard conference is the only opportunity for us university students to be delegates,” explains Taher, a trainer with LAU’s MUN program. Most of the LAU delegates to Rome are actively involved in the university’s decade-old MUN program.

“With our participation in the Harvard conference we continue a tradition started by the political science department in 2002,” explains Elie Samia, director of the GC LAU MUN and the university’s assistant vice president of Outreach & Civic Engagement. Political science majors made up half the delegates selected from among the dozens of students who applied to join the LAU delegation to Rome. “The Harvard MUN experience builds the intellectual competencies of our students and teaches them how to negotiate in a multicultural context.”

International affairs major and GC LAU MUN trainer Ameer Alsamman agrees. “It was a really good experience. Even if you have a certain world view, you have to adapt it to defend positions you wouldn’t in real life,” explains Alsamman. Together with economics major Shadwa Ibrahim, Alsamman represented Qatar in the ‘Organization of the Islamic Cooperation' committee. Their preparedness and ability to defend their designated country’s position won them the much sought-after diplomacy award.

“We worked well together. Ameer’s expansive knowledge of politics coupled with my expertise in statistics and the many hours we spent researching and preparing our arguments worked in our favor,” says Ibrahim, who found herself working with Alsamman after they individually expressed an interest in joining the committee to discuss the topic of funding terrorism. “I can’t name one topic affecting today’s politics and nation relations more that terrorism. Our own Arab nations are greatly affected by it,” says Ibrahim, an Egyptian national who earned a Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship to study at LAU.

Alsamman chose LAU following his experience with its MUN program while a student at Brummana High School. “I knew the political science program here was strong, but the MUN program definitely sealed the deal for me. The LAU MUN culture is truly captivating,” he says enthusiastically. An active member of the program, Alsamman trains high school students from across the country. “I teach the students diplomacy and public speaking, and guide them through the schematics of the United Nations. I hope they take what they learn and apply it to their lives. Diplomacy works, and we need more of it, especially in our region.”

Finance major Youssef Taher, industrial engineering major Angelo Khoury, international affairs major Ameer Alsamman and economics major Chadwa Alaa all won diplomacy awards in Rome, while political science majors Sandrine Frem and Christie Maike received verbal commendations.