LAU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) that will enable ISF members and their families to actualize their full potential by pursuing graduate education at LAU with reduced tuition fees.

On October 16, ISF Major General Imad Othman welcomed LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra along with a team of the university’s leaders and special advisors at the ISF General Directorate Headquarters in Achrafieh in the presence of high-ranking officials.  

Dr. Jabbra highlighted how both institutions are “obligated and tied to our invaluable Lebanon and its people,” and therefore the partnership between them “is only natural and will, hopefully, create a new generation of officer-leaders.”

Othman thanked Dr. Jabbra and the university for reaching out and concurred how this agreement will help “further reinforce the higher education attainments of the ISF corps and their families to serve Lebanon.”

This move is the most recent among a series of agreements with prominent private- and public-sector institutions such as the Armed Forces, the State Security and the General Security, which LAU pursued in line with its Third Strategic Plan (SPIII) to transform itself into a university without borders.

“In essence, the university has long been a strong believer that its educational mission strives well beyond its gates to serve a higher purpose,” said Director of the University Enterprise Office and Assistant Professor Walid Touma in a comment.

The MOU enables ISF members and their families to pursue graduate education at LAU with reduced tuition fees.

On October 17, the conference hall at Byblos campus’ Science Building was packed with LAU students, faculty and staff who were eager to learn about how artificial intelligence (AI) serves the Logistics Robotics team at BMW.  

Hosted by the School of Engineering (SOE), and in collaboration with the AI club, four speakers came from Germany to present on their latest work in logistics planning and to highlight their increasing reliance on AI. 

According to Logistics Planning and Business Intelligence team member Daniel Neumeier, “A car is completed every 56 seconds on the company’s conveyor belts.” That is precisely why efficiency is of utmost importance in logistics planning, “as every second lost would translate into a loss of money.” This precipitates the need for down-to-the-second accuracy when collecting and assembling car parts, which can be largely enabled by advancing machine learning and different AI techniques, Neumeier explained.

“But solutions can lack in robustness,” noted Computer Vision team member Norman Mueller. He stressed that while AI can help automate processes, optimize tasks and open up new opportunities, it can still fall short when it comes to being 100 percent reliable, adaptive and efficient.

“We are always looking for new, innovative ways to teach robots how to see the world like we see it,” he said. He then provided a brief history on machine learning and announced that “we are now in the deep-learning phase, where bots can both collect and annotate the data thanks to advanced recurrent and convolutional neural network architectures.”

Toward the end of an information-heavy session, and much to the excitement of computer engineering students, SOE Interim Assistant Dean Joe Tekli announced that BMW is looking to fill summer internship positions with LAU students. He explained that they have opened the application process earlier than usual so that students can get their paperwork ready as well as get ahead by learning specific programming languages, platforms and theoretical aspects. Opportunities exist in various areas, including AI, vision, and robotics projects, all of which the first group of six LAU interns are already part of, and receiving very positive feedback from their BMW supervisors.

Addressing students, Dr. Tekli said, “Let us know what you’re interested in so that we can know how best you can serve BMW’s purpose and vice versa. We will prepare you – we just need your brain power and will power.”

The lecture hall was packed with computer engineering students interested in AI.

Dr. Joe Tekli encourages the students to apply for internships with BMW.

Mueller stressed that AI can still fall short when it comes to being 100 percent reliable, adaptive and efficient.

Norman Mueller receives a commemorative token of appreciation on behalf of BMW, from LAU.

Psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and prolific author, Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) is an instrumental figure in post-colonial studies. Often understood as a thinker who became a leader, Fanon’s work would become the theoretical underpinning for many decolonization and national liberation movements worldwide.

On the occasion of the publication of the English-language translation of Fanon's previously uncollected writings, Alienation and Freedom, LAU’s New York Headquarters and Academic Center hosted a panel discussion on the relevance of his work, with a particular focus on how his writings may – or may not – speak to contemporary politics in the MENA region.

Fanon was from the French colony of Martinique. He served with the Free French army during World War I; after finishing his medical degree, he was sent to work in a clinic in the then-French department of Algeria. Living in Algeria and working there as a psychiatrist, Fanon experienced firsthand the psychological effects of colonialism on its rulers and subjects alike. This turn of events caused him to support the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962) from France, and he became a member of the Algerian National Liberation Front until his early death at age 36 from leukemia. During his brief but productive life, Fanon published numerous books, including the seminal work The Wretched of the Earth.

On the panel were Anthony Alessandrini, professor of English at Kingsborough Community College-CUNY and of Middle Eastern Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center; Muriam Haleh Davis, assistant professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz; and Bhakti Shringarpure, assistant professor of English at the University of Connecticut (Storrs).

The panelists maintained that Fanon’s thinking remains relevant, is enjoying a vibrant afterlife and will most likely continue to do so in the future because many of the questions that he posed in his work are ones we are asking to this day, such as: How do we overcome racism – at the deepest psychic level where it lives with people? What does it mean to really change a society? Is it enough to just overthrow a particular regime or leader?

Dr. Davis, who specializes in Algerian history, stated that, “Our reflections on the future of Middle Eastern politics have much to learn from Fanon’s global, and relational, view of revolution.” 

During the Q & A session, an audience member asked about the failure of the Algerian revolution as viewed from today’s standpoint, noting that what is happening in Algeria and the rest of the MENA region didn’t develop the way the anti-colonial movement had hoped, and that decolonization failed to remove the clutches of the colonizers because people are suffering now more than under colonial rule.

Dr. Shringapure noted that the term “decolonization” refers particularly to the dismantlement, during the second half of the 20th century, of the colonial empires established prior to World War I throughout the world. “Decolonization is usually a very short and violent period, when the transfer of power takes place,” she told the crowd. The panelists agreed that one should not look only at that period in history to measure whatever the anti-colonial project failed or succeeded in today’s terms.

Dr. Davis added that “Frantz Fanon makes it clear that decolonization doesn’t end with national sovereignty, but that it is an ongoing struggle that needs to usher in a new form of solidarity that can only take place by taking down the structural alienation inherent in the colonial system.”

Dr. Alessandrini observed that he would have loved to see what Fanon would have written had he lived another 30 years. “As a psychiatrist, decolonization for Fanon also means a process of thinking, of decolonizing the mind. It is not simply the success or failures of the political process or measurable indicators of economic growth, but the actual transfer and equal distribution of power.”

Fanon helps people understand, Dr. Alessandrini said, that the goal is to create a critical consciousness, “freed from colonialism and forewarned against any attempt at mystification or glorification.”

Understanding Fanon also means understanding today’s struggles as they relate to the historical forces that condition them. Dr. Alessandrini added that “this is especially important if we are to acknowledge that just as history has not yet ended, neither have the legacy and practices of colonialism.”

The panelists maintained that Fanon’s thinking remains relevant, and will continue to enjoy a vibrant afterlife.

LAU NY Director of Alumni and Special Projects Ed Shiner introduces the panelists.

This month, School of Engineering lecturer Dr. Maya Atieh was honored at the L’Oreal UNESCO For Women in Science (FWIS) Levant Regional Ceremony for her work in water resources engineering. Dr. Atieh was one of only six women in the region who earned this honor, which included a €10,000 ($11,482) grant to continue her research.

Dr. Atieh’s research revolves around creating flow-prediction models for rivers. Measuring water flow, and further being able to predict that flow, is essential in irrigation, dam-building and hydropower generation.

Her research began in Ontario, Canada, where her work was recognized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and applied to rivers in Canada. After relocating to Lebanon in 2017, Dr. Atieh identified the need for her model to be applied to Lebanon’s rivers, as there is a demand for both irrigation and alternative power sources.

Atieh is proud to be recognized as a woman making strides in science. “The L’Oreal-UNESCO Fellowship is propelling women’s research in the Arab countries; by giving our work significance and visibility, it is also serving to break the typical stereotypes of women in the region,” she said. “I am excited to be part of the movement that defines women as ‘beauty plus brains.’”

Dr. Atieh is currently working under Dr. Mahmoud Wazne, associate professor at LAU’s School of Engineering. Dr. Wazne is a recent recipient of the PEER Research grant, which was awarded based on his proposal to continue his research on industrial wastewater treatment in Lebanon’s Litani River Basin.

Dr. Wazne recognizes the significance of Dr. Atieh’s work, and notes that her desire to improve the current situation in Lebanon has led to her work’s noteworthiness.

“Predicting the water flow in Lebanon’s rivers is all [Dr. Atieh’s] initiative; currently there is very little existing instrumentation in Lebanon’s rivers, and so the application of her model will help to design for infrastructure that will help our community.”

L’Oreal-UNESCO FWIS program’s commitment to promoting the work of women in science is significant: The program has supported 3,124 women in 117 countries, leading to enhanced career opportunities, increased visibility of research projects, and credibility in the scientific community.

“L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science program has made great strides in helping women to gain recognition within the scientific community, but empowering women scientists is not uniquely a challenge for like-minded women and progressive organizations,” noted Dr. Philippe Patsalides, managing director of L’Oreal Levant. “It is in the interest of everyone to change mindsets and transform systems if we are to create an inclusive and sustainable world for all of us.”

Dr. Atieh hopes that her work and that of other women in science will continue to pave the way for young girls interested in pursuing careers in fields where women are currently in the minority.

Dr. Atieh was recognized at the award ceremony for her research on water resources engineering.

What defines a socially responsible novelist? What are the criteria by which literary critics measure that responsibility? These are the main questions that Professor of Arabic Latif Zeitouni tackles in his new book The Novel and Values, published this year.

The Novel and Values serves as a reference of methodology and standards by which literary critics can evaluate a novel or writer from the perspective of social responsibility and engagement, and it includes a comprehensive glossary of technical terms and concepts used in the text.

Dr. Zeitouni argues that by choosing to use the novel as a platform to advocate for social or political causes and for universal human values, the author has chosen to assume responsibility toward the reader, as well as the society to which he or she belongs.

“I associated the novel with values, because I wanted to address responsibility,” he says, “the responsibility of the writer toward the society to which they belong.”

This is essential for authors to understand, he explains, “because they have the power to mobilize public opinion.” For Dr. Zeitouni, any novel, even if shallow, will invariably leave an impact on the reader.

The question for authors, then, is this: “What are the criteria that tell a writer that he or she is doing the responsible or right thing?”

“Those standards are the values,” Dr. Zeitouni says. “I can only measure the author’s responsibility by measuring the extent to which he or she has adhered to those values.”

Dr. Zeitouni’s reference book is not his first contribution to the field of narratology. A professor of Arabic Literature for more than 30 years, he is a well-known researcher in the Arab world whose interests include narratology, narrative analysis, literary theory, and translation and linguistics studies.

In 1997, he published his first book in narrative Sémiologie du Récit de Voyage (Semiotics of Travel). In 2002, he published a Dictionary of Narratology – a compilation of terminology and concepts used in narratology, and explained in their original context. In 2012, he released The Arabic Novel: Structure and Metamorphosis of the Narration.

For Dr. Zeitouni, writing these books represents a form of exercising responsibility too.

“As an educator, I practice responsibility within my field of work by helping people who work in narratology, read critically, and use their terminology accurately,” he says. “This is my contribution to help improve their performance.”

As for the average reader, Dr. Zeitouni believes in the need to consume a wide range of different writings and not to limit oneself to a single type of work. He also urges readers not to limit themselves to historical fields, for example, because “one cannot live outside his time.”

“The past is gone,” he says.

Dr. Zeitouni’s research includes narratology, narrative analysis, literary theory, and translation and linguistics studies.

The Alumni Relations Office has kicked off its Keep Learning Lecture Series for the year with The Power of the Mind, a talk given by Dr. Hady Safa, founder of consulting and training firm STANDARDS. 

To a packed house of over 150 participants, Dr. Safa highlighted how people’s reactions are strongly influenced by their beliefs, which are themselves influenced by life experiences, interpretations of events, and expectations of social conformity.

According to Dr. Safa, 92 percent of people’s worries are useless. Of the remaining eight percent, half pertain to problems the worrier can’t solve, and the other half to those that can be solved if the person learns how.

“Scientists say that the average human uses only a small percentage of their mental ability,” said Dr. Safa. “We simply react to stimuli rather than learning how to think creatively. These reactions are decided emotionally; it is either anger, grief, pleasure, comfort or pain that make us react to incidents and circumstances.”

Citing historic and modern thinkers such as revolutionary leader Mahatma Ghandi and inspirational speaker Tony Robbins, Dr. Safa walked the crowd through the process of becoming aware of negative thought patterns, recognizing them, and changing them to be more productive – or at least less damaging. 

Before starting STANDARDS in 2005, Dr. Safa became a widely known expert in human resources, change management, innovative solutions, leadership and business development. He now does consulting for leaders across different fields and is a motivational speaker.

According to Dr. Safa, 92 percent of people’s worries are pointless.

Simulating the real-life behavior of structures under environmental and user-induced loads has become the new standard in engineering higher education and research. The recent completion of Phase I of the Reaction Wall and Strong Floor (RWSF) Structures Lab at LAU’s School of Engineering (SOE) does just that.

This two-phase project will complete the structures lab component of the Engineering Laboratories and Research Center (ELRC) facility, providing students with the opportunity to observe firsthand how the structural elements of buildings, bridges and other critical infrastructure behave under various types of loads and react during natural disasters. As for civil engineering researchers, this long-awaited lab opens new horizons to perform full-scale simulations where life-size structural elements can be loaded to failure with forces that represent earthquakes, wind, vehicular traffic, blasts, impact loads and more.

Phase I of the RWSF Structures Lab features the newest equipment available on the market, and includes state-of-the-art components such as an actuator with bracing and connections, a hydraulic power unit and servo-controller, an FDX high-speed data acquisition system, an Oil Flushing and Cleaning Machine (OIPC), as well as ancillary equipment. This equipment has been procured by the most reputable names in manufacturing such as Bosch.

The system supplier, German-based YLE GmbH, described LAU’s lab facility as significant on multiple levels.

“The RWSF Structures Lab at LAU is unique in the entire Middle East in terms of size, capacity, equipment specifications and quality,” said Dr. Fadi Lama, founding partner of YL Engineering Lebanon and YLE GmbH. “For example, the 100-ton push capacity of the system installed at LAU is the highest, not only in Lebanon, but in the region.”

RWSF test systems provide the infrastructure support to test structural members that can withstand vibrations and loads in the thousands of tons. Until 2005, a lab of this nature was not available in Lebanon, but today, LAU is taking this type of facility to the next level.

Outfitted with a 20-ton overhead crane and high-bay doors, the RWSF Structures Lab boasts a full-scale testing facility that can support research on life-sized structural members and building components such as bridge girders, piers, and sheer walls, allowing researchers to overcome problems with scaling, leading to high-precision results.

Testing on the members is only the first step; with respect to data retrieval, the FDX high-speed acquisition system is used to measure elements such as thermal properties, stresses and strains on individual members, and displacement. This equipment represents the latest in engineering innovations and has the capability to take 50,000 readings per second, providing researchers with ultra-precise data.

The new RWSF Structures Lab is housed in LAU’s ELRC, which measures more than 9,000 m² and is home to laboratories and equipment related to all the engineering disciplines. The facility is currently used for classes and student projects, and it has already hosted workshops with industry professionals such as a BMW delegation from Germany.

Chair of the Civil Engineering Department Caesar Abi Shdid is enthusiastic about a facility of this caliber on LAU’s campus. “RWSF systems are at the heart of high-performance simulation testing of structural elements, providing low frequency motion-controlled loading options that are otherwise impossible to replicate with small-scale loading equipment,” he said.

“With the completion of the RWSF Structures Lab, LAU’s School of Engineering is elevating itself as a major hub for research and collaboration in the regional academic community,” he added.

Dr. Lama summed up the rationale behind the new lab addition, which aligns with LAU’s mission: “The RWSF reflects LAU’s commitment to providing its student body and research staff with world-class facilities.”

Outfitted with a 20-ton overhead crane and high-bay doors, the RWSF Structures Lab boasts a full-scale testing facility.

The School of Pharmacy (SOP) has launched a co-curriculum that doubly focuses on the personal and professional development of pharmacy students, with the support of the university’s Outreach and Civic Engagement Office (OCE).

“The co-curriculum comes in response to the increasing recognition of the role of humanities in medical education to develop in graduates deeper connections with the self and patients,” said Clinical Associate Professor and Co-Curriculum Coordinator Ghada El Khoury.

The aim of the program extends beyond traditional biomedical education methods, which focus mainly on clinical training. “The co-curricular program enhances students’ soft skills and helps them grow personally to better fulfill their career ambitions and improve their overall performance,” said Roy Kanbar, associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the SOP.

The new program entails a series of intentional, student-centered required and optional co-curricular activities (CCAs), such as workshops, self-reflections, discussions and community service projects to complement and advance the didactic and experiential core curriculum. These aim at providing pharmacy students with numerous opportunities to enhance their knowledge, skills and abilities to be future team- and practice-ready pharmacists.

These courses are sequentially weaved into the four professional years of the Pharmacy Program with a focus on a single theme each year: self-awareness and personal development, cultural sensitivity and advocacy, interprofessional collaboration and communication, and leadership and innovation. Skills such as innovation, entrepreneurship and professionalism are also taught. Activities are conducted outside the classroom, and students’ progress is measured through a dedicated online portfolio, rather than a grading system.

“The program aims at shaping more humanistic and virtuous future pharmacy practitioners,” stressed El Khoury.

The Outreach and Civic Engagement Office has played a vital role in the formation and implementation of this program, facilitating interactive workshops and offering guidance on civic engagement opportunities. “The OCE is a central pillar of the pharmacy co-curricular program, guiding students during their self-discovery journey and connecting them with NGOs,” said Kanbar.

El Khoury also praised this collaboration, which she says sets an excellent example of interprofessional education, adding, “Emphasizing science without acknowledging the importance of the humanities undermines the essential attribute of any good healthcare provider.”

For her part, Clinical Assistant Professor Hanine Mansour, who helped develop the program, highlighted its impact on developing professionalism in future pharmacists. “A school of pharmacy that offers CCAs along with its curriculum will graduate pharmacists who are leaders in their field, multitaskers, and critical thinkers with excellent communication skills,” she said.

The program targets new standards set by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), which emphasize the importance of co-curricular activities in medical education to improve patient care. LAU’s School of Pharmacy has the only Doctor of Pharmacy program outside the United States that is ACPE accredited.

“ACPE pays particular attention to training students on developing competencies such as problem solving, interprofessional communication and collaboration, cultural sensitivity, self-awareness, and leadership, all of which are at the core of our co-curriculum,” concluded El Khoury.

The new program entails a series of intentional, student-centered required and optional co-curricular activities.

LAU Senior TV & Film Instructor Tony Farjallah has won Best Director for his movie Morine – which was also nominated for the Best Feature Film category – at the 2018 Marbella International Film Festival in Spain. 

Morine, the first historical movie set in Lebanon, has also won Best Foreign Feature at the Christian Family Film Festival, and Best Spiritual Feature at the 2018 Great Lakes International Film Festival.

“These awards mean recognition. We are happy when our work is recognized worldwide. We are competing with big production houses,” Farjallah said in an interview.

“There is more than one way to promote LAU, and I think by making this movie I am promoting LAU. This is my way. For example, those who have PhDs do research, and I make movies. The movie has got this power to go all over the world and takes a lot of work and a lot of energy,” he added.

Set in the year 620 AD, Morine tells the real story of Saint Marina, originally from Qalamoun, near Tripoli, who disguised herself as a man in order to live in a monastery.

In addition to LAU alumna Carmen Bsaibes (BA ’11) in the lead role, the cast includes Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud, known for his role as Salahuddin in Kingdom of Heaven; Ouweiss Mkhalalati, known for playing Sakher in the TV mini-series Al Hayba; Mounir Maasri, who had a leading role as Jaafar in The Message alongside the late Anthony Quinn; renowned Lebanese actor Mounir Keserwani; Lebanese actress Takla Chamoun Farjallah; and LAU alumna and TV and Film Instructor Wafaa Halawi (BA ’04).

Next stop for Morine is the Carthage Film Festival 2018, where it has been selected along with three other movies for a special screening in the first week of November. Morine has been screened in theaters in New York, and will be shown in Montreal in November.

Farjallah came upon the idea for the movie while reading about Saint Marina and learning of her Lebanese origins. The movie took a year and a half to complete and was filmed in South Lebanon and in Anfeh, near Qalamoun. The project was co-sponsored by LAU’s Department of Communication Arts.

Farjallah also brought on LAU alumni for behind-the-camera jobs, and involved 30 students from pre- to post-production. The team had to build a whole mock village and monastery, bringing in some 50 experts from Belgium, Iran, Tunisia and Italy.

He is already working on his next project, which will also be a historical film based in Lebanon.

Next stop for Morine is the Carthage Film Festival 2018, where it has been selected for a special screening in the first week of November.

Dr. Rachid Chamoun’s efforts to preserve cultural heritage, a journey on which he embarked 17 years ago, were recently rewarded with his prestigious appointment as president of the International Confederation of the Phoenicians’ Route. The international organization is dedicated to the revival of ancient ties established by the Phoenicians with other Mediterranean civilizations through a network of sea routes that facilitated the exchange of goods, culture and ideas.

“This is a great position for LAU and Lebanon, not only me personally,” said Dr. Chamoun, who is also a lecturer at the School of Architecture and Design. 

The project, which so far includes nine official members – Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Greece, Tunisia, Lebanon and the Governorate of Jericho – is an ambitious initiative that links three continents and as many as 18 countries and 80 towns with shared Phoenician and Punic origins dating back to the 12th century BC.

Dr. Chamoun, an urban design and planning specialist, has been involved in cultural heritage projects since 2001. The scholar presently heads LAU’s Louis Cardahi Foundation (LCF), where he has focused his efforts on revolutionizing the foundation’s work. LCF was originally created as a private foundation to honor the late Louis Cardahi’s mission to preserve and promote his native Byblos’ rich heritage. In order to broaden the foundation’s involvement in cultural activities in the city and enhance its visibility, the Cardahi family granted control of the foundation to LAU in 2013.

Some of Dr. Chamoun’s most significant contributions to LCF were the digitization of the library and the establishment of a state-of-the-art digital museum dedicated to the Umayyad Route, a project similar in its mission to the Phoenicians’ Route except that it focuses on the countries that fell under the control of the first Islamic Dynasty.

“We had all the support in the world from the university’s operations department, the IT and planning departments, the School of Architecture and Design, and the Marketing and Communications Department. We worked together like a beehive,” said Dr. Chamoun of his work on the Umayyad Route Museum. He also recognized the valuable contribution of the LCF Governing Board and Advisory Committee as well as the local community.

After this successful teamwork, Dr. Chamoun flew to New York to present an exhibit on Byblos at the United Nations. It was there that he was contacted by the Council of Europe with a proposition to become a member of the International Confederation of Phoenicians’ Route Scientific Steering Committee, an offer also extended to LCF.

With Dr. Chamoun’s appointment, Lebanon has gained a prominent position in the international organization, which will open the door for a flurry of cultural and touristic activities, in addition to funding opportunities, connected with the Phoenicians’ Route. An inaugural ceremony to launch the confederation’s activities in Lebanon is planned for January of next year.

In addition to fostering intercultural dialogue, the Phoenicians’ Route seeks to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, all core values of the Council of Europe. Since the initiative includes countries that have been affected by conflict, one of its main objectives is to pave the way for peace and respect among the participants through the support of freedom of expression, equality, and the protection of minorities. 

LCF’s involvement in the Phoenicians’ Route project in Lebanon will consist of two roles. First, the center will offer scientific expertise by identifying the Phoenician Cultural Heritage Route within the country and providing descriptions of monuments. Second, LCF will play an outreach role though the promotion of heritage preservation at the community level. The foundation will provide training on how to prevent damage to heritage sites, raise cultural awareness, increase public engagement through use of technology, foster intercultural dialogue, and establish centers to support cultural tourism and safeguard archeological sites. According to Dr. Chamoun, LAU students, the university’s greatest resource, will be heavily involved in these activities.

Outside of Lebanon, Dr. Chamoun will focus his efforts in his new position on promoting academic and cultural exchanges among the confederation’s member countries. The goal of these exchanges is to encourage more research and enhance cultural tourism.

In spite of his busy schedule, Dr. Chamoun plans to continue teaching one or two courses per term in order to stay connected with the classroom.

“I consider students to be a major asset in our exploration and support of cultural heritage,” he said. “They are an important part of my life. I cannot proceed without them.”

Dr. Chamoun, an urban design and planning specialist, has been involved in cultural heritage projects since 2001.

An LAU School of Pharmacy student was chosen to take part in the exclusive US Food and Drug Administration Pharmacy Student Experiential Program (FDA PSEP).

Rasha Abou Ali – the first from LAU to be admitted into the FDA PSEP – was in her third professional year of study when she was accepted in spring 2018. Thanks to generous financial support from LAU, Abou Ali was able to travel and pursue training at the FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“The fact that Abou Ali matched with the FDA PSEP speaks highly of the quality of LAU pharmacy education,” said Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Experiential Education Lamis Karaoui.

The FDA, whose mission is to protect public health by ensuring that consumer and medical products are safe, has developed the PSEP to provide pharmacy students with a learning experience that allows them to gain an understanding of the FDA's multidisciplinary processes for addressing public-health issues. Accepted students have a chance to network and attend FDA advisory committee hearings, congressional hearings, and a monthly lecture series.

Dr. Karaoui describes the application process as competitive. “LAU is one of more than 140 Doctor of Pharmacy programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education that apply to the FDA PSEP,” she said.

Abou Ali matched with her first experiential education rotation preference at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Office of Clinical Pharmacology, which assures the safety and effectiveness of new drugs by evaluating clinical pharmacology and biopharmaceutical data in support of various review programs.

“The experience was very enriching and eye-opening,” said Abou Ali. “I am very grateful to LAU for opening this door and making this experience possible.”

Karaoui highlights the positive impact of Abou Ali’s accomplishment on other pharmacy students, as it will “inspire those who are interested in pursuing postgraduate studies or seeking new learning opportunities.”

Indeed, the School of Pharmacy makes this possible through co-curricular engagement that strengthens students’ employment portfolios and equips them with the necessary soft skills to stand out in international programs. “The school makes every effort to graduate competent, professional and well-rounded pharmacists,” Karaoui said.

Abou Ali agrees, “The wide exposure that we get as pharmacy students at LAU allowed me to acquire the adequate analytic and interpersonal skills that have qualified me for this program at the FDA.”

To reinforce this objective, the school launched a co-curricular program this semester that aims at the personal and professional development of students.

The future looks bright for LAU pharmacy students interested in the PSEP program, as Abou Ali noted that her preceptor at the FDA expressed interest in future collaborations with LAU. “I hope my experience will benefit other students and help obtain a higher match rate next year,” she said.

Abou Ali is the first student from LAU to be admitted into the US Food and Drug Administration Pharmacy Student Experiential Program.

Having chosen the Comprehensive Stroke Center as an example of excellence for a video about treatment and patient care for stroke victims, Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, has reached out to Dr. Michel Mawad, dean of LAU’s Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine and the driving force behind the creation of the center.

The company’s Senior Director of Neurovascular for Europe and the Middle East Dan Raffi called the Comprehensive Stroke Center “one of the most advanced” in the world, highlighting the School of Medicine’s international leadership in the field.

Opened in March 2018 under the auspices of the School of Medicine, the center is housed at the LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital in Beirut.

Qualifying Medtronic’s choice, Raffi cited the center’s partnership with the Lebanese army to hasten the transportation of stroke victims when every second counts; the importance placed on training and education to increase success rates; and its track record of excellence, set within months since its opening.

He also noted its world-class technologies – such as RAPID imaging software and a replicator, which allows students to receive pre-clinical training in a simulated environment – as well as its multidisciplinary medical team, on call around the clock to ensure continuity of care. “Putting together the human element is crucial for establishing and maintaining a comprehensive stroke center,” acknowledged Dr. Mawad.

Collaboration between health providers and medical technology, services, and solutions companies, like Medtronic, is essential to addressing healthcare needs and achieving best patient outcomes. For this reason, LAU’s School of Medicine had partnered with Medtronic, in order “to create a first-class, state-of-the-art training center for all physicians in Lebanon and neighboring countries in the MENA region,” said Dr. Mawad.

On that score, Manal Abdel Sater, Medtronic’s regional medical education coordinator, said that it was “very rare for us to find an entire well-trained team in one center that is qualified to provide this education.”

The responsibility rests on medical teams not only to promote safe practices, but also to inform the wider community, said Director of LAU’s Clinical Simulation Center and Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology Dr. Vanda Abi Raad, and in that, “the role of the stroke center exceeds patient care and safety. It is a source of education for the community, and it is education that increases quality in healthcare.”

Since its launch in March, the Comprehensive Stroke Center has accommodated 48 patients, a number that is bound to increase as the general population learns more about strokes and the possibility of obtaining help in good time. “Everything begins with awareness,” said Carla Abou Zeid, Medtronic’s regional marketing manager, “and awareness begins with authorities – medical societies, and healthcare professionals before moving to patients.”

“What we are doing sets the example of a cooperation between a center of excellence for medical care and education, and multinational medical companies,” concluded Dr. Mawad.

The Comprehensive Stroke Center team and Medtronic representatives pictured alongside the replicator.

Just a month after receiving a strong global ranking from the Times Higher Education, LAU has been placed high on a new survey of Arab universities. 

The QS Regional Rankings of the Arab World 2019, which came out on October 31, listed LAU as number two in Lebanon and number 16 in the Arab World out of 123 universities.

LAU’s position was driven in part by its strong employer reputation score, for which it came in second in Lebanon and eighth in the region. Over the years, LAU has forged solid relationships with local companies, many of which go on to hire its talented young graduates.

This strong showing is the natural result of LAU’s efforts to guarantee that its graduates are best prepared for the modern workforce, according to Assistant to the President for Institutional Research and Assessment Diane Nauffal. “As part of our institutional effectiveness efforts, we systematically review our academic programs to enhance their quality and ensure their relevance to the job market involving our stakeholders in the process,” said Dr. Nauffal.

Another key area of strength outlined in the new report includes academic reputation and volume of citations per paper published by faculty – for which LAU came in second nationally.

“The quality of our publications is very good, and that’s why they’re well cited,” noted Dr. Nauffal. “We are always striving for the best and assessing our performance. This is one of the reasons we keep seeing LAU doing well in rankings.”

“The QS results are not surprising considering the efforts we make to ensure we are pillars of innovation, academic excellence and student-centeredness,” said Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra, president of LAU. “Going forward, we are further strengthening our academic standing by ramping up our top-line research, embracing new and powerful teaching methods, and recruiting only the best and brightest faculty,” he added, noting that LAU has announced a plan to hire 100 faculty and add 20 new positions in interdisciplinary areas.

This is all in line with LAU’s Third Strategic Plan, launched in 2017. The plan’s three pillars are already areas of strength for LAU: intellectual capital and knowledge management, pedagogical innovation and integrated delivery, and LAU without borders.

LAU ranked number two in Lebanon and number 16 in the region in the new QS ranking of universities in the Arab World.

In the wake of World War II, Europe faced the monumental task of rebuilding its cities from rubble. For certain countries, the damage done to historical landmarks and urban areas was compounded by a change in demographics and redrawn borders, threatening their very identity.

Post-War Reconstruction: Lessons from Europe, a one-day symposium held on October 18 by LAU’s School of Architecture of Design (SArD) in collaboration with the Cracow University of Technology – and sponsored by Samir Khairallah and Partners – sought to explore which overarching themes from Europe’s reconstruction, if any, can be applied to the MENA region.

In his welcome address, Dean Elie Haddad spoke about the timeliness of the symposium, as “the Arab world is slowly recovering from devastating wars that have leveled entire cities, destroyed historical landmarks, and most dramatically uprooted entire communities that have fled to other countries around the world.” Its purpose, he told an audience of architecture and planning professionals from Lebanon and the region, is “to bring these lessons to life, hoping that some of the mistakes that were made in the past would not be repeated in our present condition.”

Scholars from various countries ravaged during World War II – England, France, Italy, Hungary and Poland – were invited to expound on the difficulties their countries encountered in the reconstruction process, from planning to execution, and the measures taken to surmount them.

The keynote speaker, Professor of Architectural and Planning History at Cambridge University, Nicholas Bullock, set the tone for the day’s discussions. Juxtaposing an image of Berlin in 1945 and one of Aleppo in 2016, he pointed out the “harrowing similarities” between post-WWII Europe and present-day Syria, adding, however, that the former was able to benefit from prior experience. While the role of the state in reconstruction was much reduced after the First World War, he continued, after WWII, the “sense of shared suffering laid the basis for the state to rebalance the rights of individuals and those of the collective,” thereby taking on the reconstruction. Financially bankrupt, European states opened their economies internationally in return for receiving aid via the Marshall Plan, which “helped the European economy bloom in the 1950s and 1960s.”

The choice between mere restoration and modernization along the principles of the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM) forcibly led to a revision of the architectural landscape and practices, Dr. Bullock noted.

In Western Europe, post-war reconstruction was largely marked by a compromise between modernization and tradition, thus ensuring continuity. When it came to urban planning, the French state, said Patrice Gourbin of the Ecole nationale supérieure d’architecture de Normandie, took the opportunity to upgrade its larger cities according to the imperatives of modernity, while observing French aesthetics.

In Milan, on the other hand, a newly formed group of architects, intellectuals and artists encouraged an understanding of the historical, not for the sake of imitation but for the preservation of identity, explained Raffaella Neri of Politecnico of Milan. Nevertheless, the rebuilding process in Italy was not without its ambiguities, remarked Giovanni Corbellini, professor at the Polytechnic of Turin. Central to architectural reflections on reconstruction was the dual wish to create continuity and, at the same time, to erase all reminders of a dictatorship that had plunged the country into war.

During the session on The Polish Condition, Małgorzata Popiołek gave particular insights into the reconstruction of Warsaw, which some considered “a blessing in disguise,” or an opportunity for urban renewal. Rather than a reproduction of the pre-war era, the restoration of Old Town Warsaw, for example, represented a “combination of a romantic vision of history and 20th-century pragmatism.”

Kinga Racoń-Leja, professor at Cracow University of Technology, added that time, shifting borders and demographic movements posed unique challenges for post-war Poland.

In her talk, Utopian Visions, Dr. Virág Molnár from Princeton University, spoke of the collective participation in the reconstruction of Budapest. “Some of the best architecture plans often came from open public competitions and not from state-commissioned private architects,” she explained, showing examples of competition entries, many of which never saw the light. Nevertheless, the people were “provoked to think about what might be possible for a happier future,” commented Dr. Bullock during the discussion.

The President of the Lebanese Order of Engineers and Architects Jad Tabet summed up the recurrent themes across the sessions in his concluding presentation, Reconstruction in the Age of Globalization. From Warsaw to Beirut, at the core of every reconstruction process is the difficult choice between continuity and mutations, the urgency to respond to people’s needs and long-term projections, given that most reconstruction initiated by generations will outlive them, Tabet argued. Most importantly is the participation of all stakeholders, from local communities to the state, in the reconstruction process, which Tabet defined as “a key element in post-trauma recovery.” 

From left: Marwan Basmanji, Mohamad Hamouie (Director of LAU’s Institute of Islamic Art & Architecture), Mr. Samir Khairallah (Chairman of Samir Khairallah & Partners), Jad Tabet, Robert Saliba (Prof. of Architecture and Design at AUB), Dean Haddad, and Bogusław Podhalański (architecture faculty member at Cracow University of Technology).

President of the Lebanese Order of Engineers and Architects Jad Tabet summed up the recurrent themes across the sessions in his concluding presentation.

SArD Lecturer David Aouad (L) moderated the discussion with Virág Molnár (C), and Łukasz Stanek (R) who spoke about Polish influence in the reconstruction of Baghdad during the 1960s.

Post-war Poland was treated by Małgorzata Popiołek (C) and Kinga Racoń-Leja (R), and the panel moderated by SArD Assistant Professor Marwan Basmanji.

The panel on Western Europe, from left: Raffaella Neri, Patrice Gourbain, moderator and SArD Assistant Professor Paola Ardizzola, and Giovanni Corbellini.

Juxtaposing an image of Berlin in 1945 and one of Aleppo in 2016, Prof. Nicholas Bullock pointed out the similarities between post-WWII Europe and present-day Syria.

In his welcome address, Dean Elie Haddad noted the timeliness of the symposium, as the Arab world is slowly recovering from devastating wars.

On November 6, millions of Americans will vote for 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats out of 100 in the Senate.

The School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Social Sciences organized a panel on both campuses to debate what the midterm elections mean for American foreign policy, gender, and social welfare.

The panelists were Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jeffrey G. Karam, Professor of Political Science Sami Baroudi, Lecturer of Social Work Michele Kelly, Director of the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World Lina Abirafeh and Dean of Students Makram Ouaiss, who spoke from Byblos via video conferencing.

Dr. Karam, the organizer of the event, launched the discussion by emphasizing how the results of the elections could either bolster President Donald Trump’s agenda or simply constrain some ongoing policy initiatives in the last two years of his first term in office.

Dr. Ouaiss, who is also an assistant professor of political science and international affairs, was the first to speak. In the two years since Republican Donald Trump’s election, and with the Democrats holding only minorities in the Senate and House, he said, there is increasing concern “about human rights issues, issues pertaining to women’s and minority rights, and how the matter of immigration is being handled.”

In this regard, civil rights groups are increasing efforts to “really back their candidates across the political spectrum,” ahead of the mid-term elections in the hope that Democrats will win back some power on the federal and state levels.

For her part, Dr. Abirafeh said women in the past two years have become more motivated to run for office, driven primarily by Trump’s election and a relentless anti-women agenda by the Republicans.

She also referred to the recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, following multiple accusations of sexual harassment as a “driving force” for women. “What we are seeing is a cultural revolution, and politics is struggling to catch up,” she said.

Dr. Abirafeh also highlighted the #MeToo Movement, which she described as having massive appeal “due, to a large part, to the unfortunate personal experiences that too many women share.”

“But it is also about ideology, it is about principles. It is about these issues being sidelined, dismissed time and again by the president and down. So, we will see ramifications of this movement for the midterm elections,” she said.

Dr. Kelly then spoke about social welfare policies under the Trump administration. She criticized Trump and his fellow Republicans for their continuous attempts to repeal Obamacare, the signature domestic achievement of his predecessor, Barack Obama, and for introducing tax cuts that only favor the rich while cutting resources for the poor. Trump, she said, is trying to “smear the recipients of various welfare programs, and set the stage so that the American people would be OK with cutting the programs for the vulnerable.”

If Democrats win more power on the federal level, they could block him from doing more damage to the social safety net.

As for American foreign policy, Dr. Baroudi, who is also interim director at the Institute for Social Justice and Conflict Resolution, said that he foresaw no real change in that regard, regardless of the elections’ outcome.

While the upcoming elections are important for US domestic policy, he said, they are not as crucial on the global scale as the presidential election. He cautioned against “pinning too much hope on this election. I don’t think it's going to produce a sea of change.”

Concluding the panel, Dr. Karam said that America was pursuing “two incoherent grand strategies: On the one hand, it’s really pushing for America First, retrenching itself from the world, pulling back from many commitments and international agreements. On the other hand, you can see active intervention” in many countries around the world. He added that such a foreign policy is likely to remain even after Trump has left office, warning that it “is going to be entrenched in the minds of people around the world.”

Dr. Karam then moderated the lively questions from students, faculty, staff, and guests of LAU on both campuses.

Attendees included students, faculty, staff, and guests of LAU.

Dean of Students Makram Ouaiss spoke from Byblos via video conferencing.

The panelists engaged in a discussion session with attendees on both Beirut and Byblos campuses.

The panelists (from left): Sami Baroudi, Michelle Kelly, Lina Abirafeh, and Jeffrey Karam.

For civil engineering students, it is never too early to start building a career.

That is why the School of Engineering (SOE) regularly invites leaders in the field who can give students insights into the skills, experience and interests they and their companies look for.

On October 24, leaders from three major building and construction materials firms – Mitsulift, LafargeHolcim and Saint-Gobain – spoke to students at the SOE’s seat on Byblos campus. The School of Architecture and Design as well as the LAU student branches of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers also took part in organizing the event.

The topic was innovations in building solutions. LafargeHolcim’s head of marketing, Samer Mehtar, spoke of cement technologies, while Saint-Gobain Product Manager Nicolas Helwi presented on building envelopes, and Senior Training and Development Engineer at Mitsulift Anthony Abdo covered people-moving systems.

The audience was mostly made up of eager third, fourth and final-year civil and electrical engineering students, as well as those studying architecture.

Students discovered new materials, design approaches and innovations in the construction industry. They also learned a number of fun facts, such as this one from Mitsulift: Engineers use music and mirrors in elevators to distract claustrophobic people so they won’t feel uncomfortable.

According to Dr. Joe Tekli, assistant professor and interim assistant dean at the SOE, the conference was held to add value to students’ academic experience by giving them an introduction to how businesses approach construction-related topics that students learn about in class.

“The students were very interested and discovered new materials and design approaches as a wave of innovation within the construction industry,” said Dr. Tekli.

Fourth-year civil engineering student Gaelle Abi Younes agreed. “I was truly inspired by their presentations, and I benefited from their expertise in the engineering practice,” said Abi Younes, who is also president of the LAU’s ASCE Student Chapter.

“I was interested in learning more about different engineering products that we use, the way they are manufactured and the real science behind them,” said third-year electrical engineering student Tala Dannawi. “It reinforced the fact that learning and improvement should be done by being exposed to the technical world of engineering with all its domains, and not just the ones we are majoring in.”

Senior Training and Development Engineer at Mitsulift Anthony Abdo covered people-moving systems.

During the conference, students discovered new materials, design approaches and innovations in the construction industry.

With the lack of regulations or their enforcement in certain countries, self-medication with antibiotics without proper diagnosis and treatment puts patients’ health at risk, encourages low quality of care and increases the risk of antibiotics resistance. The freely available purchase of antibiotics without prescription poses serious health risks, emphasizes School of Pharmacy Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Hanine Mansour. 

In a research article published in the American Journal of Infection Control, Dr. Mansour and her coauthors highlighted the “pervasive self-medication of antibiotics in Lebanon,” with the intent of helping “clinicians and lawmakers reinforce appropriate practices.” Armed with a comprehensive picture of the problem, medical and policy actors could “take better measures to avoid antibiotic resistance, which is such a big problem nowadays,” Dr. Mansour explains.

Clinical education at LAU’s School of Pharmacy (SOP) ties closely to faculty’s research and practice. The study on the misuse of antibiotics in Lebanon is one of a series of research projects that Dr. Mansour has undertaken recently, all of them related to her clinical pharmacy work. “My research reflects my practice, which is internal medicine with a focus on infectious diseases,” she says, adding, “I get inspired from my practice. Clinicians are scientists, so your scientific curiosity motivates you to investigate and find answers to questions that come your way while practicing.”

In a bid to solidify the university’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge research, LAU has emphasized the value of collaborative investigations by faculty, a call that Dr. Mansour has eagerly embraced.

Particularly in the field of health sciences, including pharmacy, “You cannot publish alone – no one can do clinical research solo,” she shares. And if, as in her view, “collaboration is the key,” she feels particularly lucky to work at the SOP, where the culture promotes precisely this kind of intellectual inter-school and interprofessional collaborations within and outside LAU. “Faculty at the school like to collaborate, which has helped me focus on my research and reach out to other colleagues to work together.”

For example, Dr. Mansour also recently teamed up with another SOP faculty member, Dr. Soumana Nasser, whose scholarly interest is in pharmacoeconomics to study the cost-effectiveness of novel treatment of the hepatitis C virus in Lebanese patients.  While “Dr. Nasser’s role was to determine the cost-effectiveness and different outcomes of treatment,” Dr. Mansour “worked on the clinical aspects of the novel direct acting antivirals,” she says.

Throughout her work, no matter how narrow the question is, Dr. Mansour has focused on results that “can contribute to science, help clinicians in their practice, and guide stakeholders in decision-making.”  In other words, she privileges investigations that have real-world results, changing patients’ lives for the better.

In the case of the Hepatitis C study, “We recommended reinforcing the need to screen for the disease and initiate novel treatment at the early stages,” she says, in the hope of improving patient outcomes. And in another study, “Treatment Outcomes of Fixed-Dose Combination Versus Separate Tablet Regimens in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients with or without Diabetes in Qatar,” published in 2017 by BMC Infectious Diseases, Dr. Mansour and her colleagues demonstrated that diabetic patients may respond better to fixed dosing combinations of antimicrobials than nondiabetic patients, opening up new possibilities for the effective treatment of tuberculosis.

The SOP’s work aligns closely with the three pillars of LAU’s Third Strategic Plan: Enhancing the university’s build-up of intellectual capital, deploying an integrated program of pedagogical innovation, and transforming LAU into a university without borders.

Dr. Mansour privileges investigations that have real-world results, changing patients’ lives for the better.

LAU’s Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing (ARCSON) has been reaccredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a body that establishes quality standards for nursing education. It also works to improve healthcare and “promotes public support for professional nursing education, research, and practice,” according to the CCNE.

ARCSON has achieved a lot since its launch in 2010. Already one of the top nursing schools in the region, it is a leader in interprofessional, clinical and blended learning, and boasts state-of-the-art resources, including its faculty.

Accreditations from internationally-recognized commissions raise universities’ profiles and let potential students and their future employers know of the caliber of the institutions that were accredited. LAU as a university has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, previously known as NEASC) since 2009. In addition to the institutional-level accreditation, many of LAU’s schools and programs are accredited, including ARCSON, which has been accredited by CCNE since November 2013.  

ARCSON’s Dean Anahid Kulwicki and her colleagues at the school have been working toward reaccreditation for much of 2018. Nursing schools must demonstrate to CCNE that their faculty, equipment, curricula, faculty-to-student ratio, research, and mission meet exacting criteria. This spring, a delegation from the CCNE traveled to Byblos campus, where ARCSON sits, to do the reaccreditation.  

While touring the ARCSON facilities, the CCNE evaluation team interviewed school and university officials, faculty, students, alumni, and community representatives. It also reviewed materials submitted by ARCSON, and observed classroom and clinical activities.

In its report published after the tour, the CCNE presented a positive review of ARCSON’s mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and assessment and achievement of program outcomes.

“We are very proud to have been reaccredited by the CCNE,” said Dean Kulwicki. “We have always put maximum effort into our faculty, facilities and programs, and the reaccreditation confirms that our work has been successful.”

In a statement, LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra said, “ARCSON’s reaccreditation is a recognition of the standards we hold ourselves to. We are constantly being acknowledged for our excellence in teaching, innovation and community outreach. These, together, form the three pillars of our Third Strategic Plan, which acts as a guide on our constant development and enhancement as a leading institution of higher education.”  

“There are no words that can explain my appreciation to our president, our family of academics, our community partners and to our students, who make us shine in every way imaginable by adhering to the highest standards of professional nursing performance,” concluded Dean Kulwicki. “I am so proud to lead such a great program and thankful to our president, provost, my colleagues in administration and our partners, who continue to support us in achieving higher levels of success.” 

ARCSON is a leader in interprofessional, clinical and blended learning, and boasts state-of-the-art resources, including its faculty.

How big of a problem is obesity in Lebanon?

According to one recent study, around a third of adults in Lebanon are obese, which doctors define as a person who is 20 percent over their ideal weight. 

Obesity has been tied to a slew of health problems such as diabetes and hypertension, and can carry negative economic and social consequences for people who suffer from it. It is a widespread disease affecting large populations in almost every country, though its prevalence and impact vary considerably. Worldwide, over 500 million adults are estimated to be obese. Here in Lebanon, men are slightly more likely to be obese than women, and young people are more likely to experience it than their elders. In Lebanon it tends to affect wealthier people, whereas in countries like the US and UK, poorer residents see higher rates of obesity. 

The complicated nature of the disease is why a group of leading experts gathered in late October for a major event on the subject.

The Division of Endocrinology within the Department of Internal Medicine at the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine joined the LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital in organizing the conference Advances in the Management of Obesity Disease on October 27.

Endocrinologists, cardiologists, internists, surgeons, nutritionists, pharmacists, psychologists, residents and professors from hospitals, clinics and universities around the country attended and were eligible to receive Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits for their participation.

The purpose of the event, said Dr. Kamal Hirbli, an LAU endocrinologist and chair of the conference, is to bring awareness of the rise in obesity to medical professionals and increase their collaboration across disciplines to treat the disease in a holistic way. While Lebanon’s rate of obesity is not as high as other countries’, Dr. Hirbli noted that “obesity is an under-diagnosed chronic disease that is increasing in both prevalence and severity.”

Several speakers covered the associated risks of being obese and the treatment options. Endocrinologist Dr. Zelia Francis pointed out that a five percent reduction of body mass index among the general population could reduce 3 million cases of hypertension per year, and LAU Assistant Clinical Professor Dr. Jocelyne Fares spoke of future cardiovascular risks for obese children.

But treating obesity also has to do with the mind and the emotional reasons some people overeat to the point of serious weight gain. LAU Assistant Professor of Psychology Myriam Malhame spoke about emotional eating and the toll of stress on the waistline, urging medical professionals to “teach people how to manage their emotions rather than eat them.” Associate Professor of Nutrition at LAU Nadine Zeeni added that, “It is very important not to stigmatize people by their food choices.”

For the day’s moderator, Dr. Charles Saab, the conference’s multidisciplinary aspect made it all the more significant. “Interprofessionalism is the future of treatment,” he said. “The study of obesity involves multiple disciplines that must work together in a collaborative effort to help the patient overcome this chronic disease.”

Dr. Bassem Safadi, chair of LAU’s Department of Surgery and himself a world-leading bariatric surgeon, agreed. Because he usually only sees patients once their obesity becomes so severe that it requires surgery, he believes the answer lies in prevention, necessitating interprofessional work. “The most critical step that we can take is to tackle preventative treatment,” said Dr. Saab, who is the coordinator of the Lebanese Obesity Task Force. “Ultimately, it’s a disease that has emerged due to societal changes. So we have to focus on activities and proper nutrition, which can be done by a multidisciplinary approach.”

The conference also gave attendees the chance to learn more about Lebanon’s specific situation from other Lebanese physicians and professionals. “It’s important to do more research about obesity in a Lebanese context rather than just have guidelines from other international countries,” noted family medicine specialist Dr. Khairat Al Habbal. “We should create campaigns and lobby politicians for better healthcare policies.”

Along those lines, Dr. Zeeni suggested using the Lebanese Cedar Food Guide to steer patients toward healthy choices. The guide promotes a return to traditional Lebanese cuisine, which has been hailed worldwide as one of the healthiest diets.

Attendees left the conference with CME credits. Dr. Vanda Abi Raad, an anesthesiologist and assistant dean of Continuing Medical Education at LAU, noted the role the university and medical center are playing in bolstering the study of preventable diseases such as obesity in Lebanon. “When we provide this sort of knowledge by a multidisciplinary team to our students, residents and doctors, and we educate by using solid facts and proper teaching methods, we can most definitely increase awareness about this issue.”

She added: “This is the sort of impact that we want to have on society.”

The conference was attended by health professionals from hospitals, clinics and universities around the country.

The purpose of the event, said Dr. Hirbli, was to highlight the rise in obesity to medical professionals and increase their collaboration to treat the disease in a holistic way.

In partnership with the Human Rights Club at LAU, the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) hosted Breaking Down Barriers, a panel discussion that brought together MP Paula Yacoubian, activist Joumana Haddad and Director of the Arab Institute for Human Rights in Lebanon Joumana Merhi.

The event drew large crowds of professionals, activists, faculty and students to Beirut campus on November 1, despite it taking place in the evening. It was part of the project “Equality for Everyone: Gender Reform from Grassroots to Governments,” funded by the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), and attended by MEPI Program Coordinator at the US Embassy, Shawn Tenbrink.

IWSAW Director Dr. Lina Abirafeh welcomed attendees, expressing her excitement to be part of a conversation about breaking down barriers for women in politics. Pointing out that women make up half the population, Dr. Abirafeh said that the “time is long overdue for us to claim this space.”

Citing the most recent Lebanese parliamentary elections, moderator Manar Zeaiter, who is a lawyer and human rights activist, kicked off the discussion with a word on the social and political environment in which the elections were held last May. She compared the significant number of women who ran to the results, with the current parliament comprised of six women and 122 men.

One of those six, MP Yacoubian, said that she made it her mission to understand what had gone wrong. Looking back at the months leading up to the elections, she said that “the reason was not lack of proper education or women’s credentials – but, for the most part, the prevalence of fear-mongering as a tool used by the ruling political parties to scare the public away from inviting women into political and public office.”

Panelists discussed a longstanding proposal for a 30 percent female quota in parliament, which the executive body has never held a vote on. “Running for public office should be regarded as a basic human right,” said Haddad, who herself ran in the recent elections but was ruled to have lost after an extremely close race.  She is still contesting the results. “We should be able to achieve proper gender representation before we can call for any change – the quota is not discriminatory, but a step toward equality,” Haddad added.

Joumana Merhi, who has been an activist for over 30 years, shared her own set of learnings on the topic. “The feminist movement in Lebanon had always been elitist and rather alienated from broader social issues,” she declared, asking a series of rhetorical questions about the role of feminism when it comes to fighting corruption, the sectarian system and achieving progress in social justice. “We have been claiming to empower women for far too long now. The time has come to empower – educate, really – the very environment where all these violations occur.”

Following the panel discussion, a large number of attendees were eager to share their viewpoints, ask questions, and even draw discrepancies between activism in Lebanon and abroad. Panelists were very much involved, sometimes tackling one question from different angles, and giving advice to younger student-activists.

During her welcome note, Dr. Abirafeh had quoted the former Chilean President and UN Human Rights Chief, Michelle Bachelet: “One woman in politics changes the woman, but many women in politics changes politics.” 

A lengthy Q&A session gave ample opportunity for the students to engage with the panelists.

Inquisitive students gather round Joumana Haddad.

Activist Joumana Merhi called for the need not only to empower women but also the environment where various violations occur.

Lawyer and human rights activist Manar Zeaiter moderated the panel discussion.

MP Yacoubian said that she made it her mission to understand why few women were elected to parliament last May.

The panelists from left: Joumana Merhi, MP Paula Yacoubian, moderator Manar Zeaiter, and Joumana Haddad.