Issue Nº 2 | Summer 2011

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UNIVERSITY ON THE MOVE In 2010, LAU’s dedication to world-class institutional standards was recognized by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges accreditation body. This milestone, along with the launching of three new schools — Architecture & Design, Nursing, and Medicine — and the introduction of new programs, departments, and facilities on both campuses, are some of the accomplishments testifying to the university’s unprecedented rate of growth over the past decade. For LAU, progress is not a one- time effort, but a continuous strive to maintain a dynamic learning environment and

Mind the gap, Beirut gap, Mind the ensure a first-rate education. www.lau.edu.lb & ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011

FEATURES CONTENTS 8 Faculty Profile: Ray Jureidini Rights and Wrongs 9 Harmony of Differences 4 14 On and Off the Track: The demanding Lebanon’s migrant labor scandal double lives of two business school athletes Lacking legal rights and protection, migrant workers in 16 Migration Studies Finds a Home at LAU the country face widespread discrimination and abuse. Marc Abizeid reports. 22 Student profile: Liane Rabbath 23 Donor Spotlights: Nicolas Ghattas and Salim Hachache

24 Campus Notes 10 Yerevan on the 30 SINARC introduces spring module 31 Cooking for Credit: LAU students learn Mediterranean culinary arts in popular elective

Beirut, capital of the Armenian Diaspora 32 New Appointments Emily Morris explores the long-standing relationship 34 Faculty on the Move between Lebanese society and one of its most vibrant components — the Armenian community. 36 LAU’s Feline Frenzy 37 Faculty Profile: Irma-Kaarina Ghosn 38 The Legacy and the Promise Campaign 18 Art Movements 41 Alumni Profile: Rand Ghayad The Trade Routes of Lebanon’s Creative Class 46 Family Affair: Parents as classmates 48 Cultural Mnemonics: Living History at In a time when Lebanese artists are looking abroad for LAU’s Center for Lebanese Heritage audiences and inspiration, Emily Holman looks into what it may take to reclaim Lebanon’s domestic art scene. 49 Ameen Rihani centennial 50 Serving the Sentence: LAU writing center fosters the craft of composition

51 Regional Upheaval and the Academy 42 Electoral Migration 52 Charles Achi Reaches Power 500’s Top 10 The civic evolution of the Lebanese 53 Alumni Profiles: Dany Doughan and Diaspora Azadouhi Kalaidjian

Lebanon witnesses floods of expatriates returning to 54 Alumni Events cast their ballots during election periods. What does this mean for local policy? Curtis Brown clues us in. 56 Alumni News 60 Why I Give Back

page 1 LAU Magazine & Alumni Bulletin Volume 13 | issue nº2 | Summer 2011

President Joseph G. Jabbra

What do you think? Editorial Advisory Board Richard A. Rumsey, Vice President, University Advancement Peggy Hanna, Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications Abdallah Al Khal, Director, Alumni Relations Gregory Houle, Manager, Advancement Communications Edward Shiner, Director, Alumni and Special Projects

Managing Editor Curtis Brown Associate Editor Zeina Abdallah Contributing Staff Writers Marc Abi Zeid Curtis Brown Greg Houle Nanor Karageozian Emily Morris Contributors Nayla Abou Merhi Mojaess Zana-Maria Cawog Emily Holman Zahi Sahli Rita Sayyah Editorial Assistants Dear LAU Magazine reader, Afkar Barakeh Fidele Hamzeh Tell us what you think about the LAU Magazine and Alumni Bulletin by Ghazal Jbeily participating in this survey: www.lau.edu.lb/magsurvey/ Copy editors Salma Abdelnour We value your feedback, and it will only take minutes of your time. Nanor Karageozian Graphic Designer Your contribution will be of great value towards developing and Marianne Amkieh Siblini improving this major LAU publication. Photographers Zeina Abdallah Thank you, Marc Abi Zeid Matthew Cassel/KAFA LAU editorial team Emily Morris LAU Magazine survey Anthony Saoud Wayne Valzania Photography

LAU Magazine is published quarterly by the Letters to the Editor Marketing and Communications Department at LAU and is distributed free of charge to “We were pleased to receive the spring 2011 issue of your valuable journal. It is of alumni, students, staff, faculty, friends and great value to our researchers and students, and we look forward to further issues.” supporters worldwide. —Mohamed T. Darwish, Hashemite University Library, Zarqa, Jordan Direct comments can be sent to [email protected]. LAU Magazine & Alumni Bulletin “Thank you for featuring my profile in the spring 2011 issue of your magazine. I’m Marketing and Communications Department Lebanese American University back in touch with classmates I haven’t seen or heard from for years —because P.O. Box 13-5053/F24 they read your magazine!” Chouran, Beirut 1102-2801 —Dr. Faiza Fawaz Estrup, Associate Dean and Clinical Professor Emerita of Medicine, Brown University Lebanon Tel. +961 1 786 456 ext 1940 /1917 Fax. +961 1 786 470 New York Office 475 Riverside Drive #1846 Corrections for LAU Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 1, Spring 2011 New York, NY 10115-0065 The program length for the new B.S. in Nursing (highlighted in “LAU Expansion Tel. +1 212 870 2592 Fax +1 212 870 2762 Spawns New Program Offerings” on page 45) is three years including two summer Please send changes of address to: terms, not four years. [email protected] +961/1-786-456 ext 1341 / 1136 Faiza Fawaz Estrup was the Higgins Scholar at Yale, while her future husband Peder The Lebanese American University is an Estrup was the Fulbright Fellow. Estrup was also the first woman to become Clinical American institution operating in Lebanon Professor in Medicine at Brown University. and chartered by the Board of Regents of The State University of New York.

page 2 From thePresident’s Desk President Joseph G. Jabbra will serveuswellaswemove deeperintothemostglobalizedcenturyofhumanhistory. resourcefulness Lebanese our and migration. resources human These of patterns large-scale scholars researching top the world’s ethical, the economic, of political,some cultural,to and environmental, Studies, and Migration health for dimensions Institute of the to home be proud to are We region. MENA entire the and Lebanon serving hybridity, cultural Lebanese of example institutional excellent an is — worldwide research of centers to ties close and LAUpolyglot,— diverse, non-sectarian,and facultybody, international student an and with political andeconomiclifeofLebanon. and character, national culture, arts, the enriched significantly has pattern migration This here. live to return ultimately and Lebanon with ties close maintain émigrés these of many Gulf,the to opportunities,of challenge.pursuit brain-drain in the increased Fortunately,has every continent, but the emigration of large numbers of Lebanese graduates to the West and the Lebanese are one of the great world’s diasporas, with large and thriving communities on Furthermore, not. others dignity,in with treated are cases some in who laborers migrant of modern Lebanon. In more recent decades, Lebanon has become home to a significant number fabric,social the to significantly contributed have identity,cultural of realities political and Both 1948. after Palestinians the Worldafterand War I,Armenians the history: modern in or forced migration, of voluntary, century economic or political. Lebanon a has absorbed two over of the largest assess refugee migrations and understand to placed uniquely are We assume acentralpositionwithinit. to ready borders,are crossing to Lebanese,accustomed multilingual,multi-confessional the and globalization, and mobility,transnationalism, talent century accelerated of one present be to promises Our asset. greatest single nation’s the recent forward, its looking of also, episodes is painful it history,most the in factor a been has pluralism its If civilizations. heyday, cosmopolitan and twentieth-century right mid up to its its through multicultural times present, ancient Lebanon has in always roots been seafaring a its gateway between From Dear Friends, page 3 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 FEATURES

Rights and Wrongs Lebanon’s simmering migrant

labor scandal By Marc Abizeid

A maid is severely injured after she falls on a car while attempting to escape from the bathroom window page 4 mlyr wih s bec o itrainl ao standards,”Jureidini says. labor international of breach a is employer, which principles offree andfreedom labor ofmovement. violating for organizations labor and groups rights human from their of duration the contracts for isgranted unlesspermission toleave. employer same the with remain to sponsors,workersas forcing the act system, employers which in country. the into trafficked illegally otherwise are or bans travel around local maneuver — with underage them of coordinate many — that Others counterparts. countries home their in agencies experimented prohibitingwith bans theircitizensfrom workinginLebanon. or imposed either have — Philippines the and domestic migrant 200,000 workers inthecountry. estimated the to relating abuses go and out get to desperate home.” is she because not, than often court.moreconciliatedbrought to get charges “Complaintsand be to case the for waiting while year a than more for Lebanon in remain must employer abusive an against charges pressing against them,” he adds, explaining that in most cases a domestic benefits, or join form unions. labor wage, to right minimum the and leave, of paid hours, working form maximum the in rights of-workers protection- basic sets law,which labor Lebanese from excluded are workers domestic that notes Jureidiniissues. labor migrant regional on scholar published widely a and LAU at sociology of professor associate Jureidini, Dr. problematic,” Ray says deeply and sexualabuse. physical even and withholding wage conditions, unsafe hours, their of hands the at death employers. to strangled or beaten been or have jumped off balconies, ingested detergent, hung themselves, Lebanonwho in foreignmaids of number total the fractionof a only represent well may newspapers, private and Agency News “ A desperate togetoutandgohome.” and chargesgetconciliated,becausetheyare acts committedagainstthem.Complaints There isalmostnoprosecutionofcriminal Te aaa ytm rmnlzs h at f evn the leaving of act the criminalizes system kafala “The The system, widely used in the Gulf, has drawn heavy criticism kafala so-called the under Lebanon in work women The through Lebanon to way their find workers the of Most Several countries — including Madagascar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka forrights notoriety human Lebanoninternational gained has “What kindofjustice isthat?” Jureidini asks. committed acts criminal of prosecution no almost is “There are workers domestic migrant for conditions structural “The working excessive to subjected are more thousands Tensof —Dr. RayJureidini,associateprofessorofsociology, LAU That figure, based on reports by the Lebanese National Lebanese the by reports or on figure,based That killed were workers domestic committed suicideinLebanon lastyear. migrant 33 least t of movement,” says. Nashabe freedomas such address issues to serious plan serious a include rights issuesinLebanon. human monitors closely which section, Justice Akhbar’s Al of editor the and LAU at sociology of instructor Nashabe, parttime Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Labor,” says Dr. Omar proper theiremployees’hidden tocurtail paperwork movements. other that keep or commonly passports employers since without documents, often are They years. and or centers months for remain detention sometimes they in where prisons, kept women’s and arrested are authorities of sides the down climbing buildings. and sheets by bed homes together employers’ tying their escape to attempt occur workers deaths when most and by injuries granted of as number off, day significant single A contracts. a enjoy to or break a for outside step to right the denied and employers their of homes why thefamily refused tofeed her. their relatives, andallowedheronlyscraps andwater. offood of homes the also but home their only not clean to her forced had employers Her 2009. August in Lebanon in arrived house, with aheavy, framed ofJesushungonthewall. portrait head the over her struck repeatedly mother the when instance day,”every an recallingsays,me she beat mother The wall. the smacking heracross theface. daughter would sporadically beat her, her and forcing employer her by the the neck and says, to Aline There, relatives. Aline his for sent work instead and refused agent The Philippines. to the return to begged and 30 August on agency the to returned here to work. I’mhere toearnmoney.” scrubbed, andshouting, clean?” thislook “Does her, regularly forcing her head to the bathroom toilet she had just weeks, without compensation. Her second employer manhandled detail. 2010. She the describes timeline of events in excruciatingly vivid the Lebanon,in work to Philippines 19,January on in Beirut in arriving factory undergarment an at job her left She situations. extreme in women house,for safereserved Caritas the in living are migrants currently seekingprotection. 120 than more where house safe a and shelters two has center families.The their and for workers migrant abused support provide to 1994 in up Center, set Migrant Caritas the at refuge find to enough lucky are workers domestic Some Safe Houses I oe h nw oenets iitra dcaain will declaration ministerial government’s new the hope “I the of part the on monitoring more be to needs “There by caught are and employers their flee who Women the to confined often are workers worse, matters make To “I worked like a machine,”a likeworked “I Mirana,says understand to unable safe Caritas the in living also Malagasy 27-year-old Mirana,a against head my hit and room the to me bring would “They mistreatment,finally of Aline months several enduring After “I told her I don’t want to treatedbe this way,” Aline says. “I’m Aline’s first employer sent her back to the agency after just two women so or 30 the of one is Aline Thirty-four-year-old page 5 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Rights and Wrongs

Flora works inside the kitchen of Kainang Pinoy, a Filipino store and restaurant in Beirut Awareness brochures produced by IWSAW

Overworked and underfed as she was, Mirana was reluctant to Ethiopians represent the single largest nationality employed ask for a new employer after three of her cousins, also working in as migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, at 33,033 in 2010, Lebanon, shared their horror stories. according to the Ministry, followed by women from the “Their employers beat them,” she says. “I decided to stay Philippines (30,340), Bangladesh (25,463), Sri Lanka (13,118) and because I was afraid of how a new family would treat me.” Nepal (12,406). She finally switched employers after seven months, but her According to research conducted by LAU’s Institute for health at that point had deteriorated. She says she suffers from Women’s Studies in the Arab World, there were 189 foreign dizziness, severe migraines and insomnia. Stress, fatigue and domestic workers behind bars in 2010. The figure represents a malnourishment have visibly taken their toll, even on her skin. large increase since the institute’s last study in 1999, when it When the new employer took Mirana to the agency to recorded 39 such cases. recommend that she see a doctor, the agent accused her of “I saw many domestic workers in the prisons and listened to faking her symptoms, then beat her. their stories. Most of them were there due to paperwork issues,” Aline and Mirana both express a desire to return to their Anita Nassar, assistant director of IWSAW, says. “They could sit countries, but they have become criminals in the eyes of the law there for an indefinite amount of time and no one would know for fleeing, and must wait as lawyers from Caritas resolve their about them.” cases and retrieve their passports. IWSAW sent a letter last year to Ziad Baroud, Lebanese Minister Jureidini explains the growing prevalence of Asian and African of the Interior, which Nassar says led to the immediate release of migrant domestic workers as a relatively recent phenomenon in 60 domestic workers. Lebanon, beginning 20-25 years ago. The middle-class demand The institute also began publishing and distributing awareness for this type of labor has spread across the world, not only in guides this year, clarifying the rights of migrant workers and Lebanon. the rights of their employers. The pamphlets are published in the four languages understood by most Filipinas, Sri Lankans, Ethiopians and Nepalese. Current Statistics

Migrant domestic workers account for the majority of all foreign Reform on the Horizon? workers in Lebanon. According to the latest figures collected by the Lebanese Ministry of Labor and released in January, of At the grassroots level, NGOs and individual activists have the 159,764 registered foreigners working in Lebanon in 2010, stepped up the campaign to support the rights of migrant migrant domestic workers employed in households accounted workers. Many are pinning their hopes on a draft law before for 123,576, or 77.34 percent. Parliament, which may lead to a significant improvement in the The real figure is thought to be much higher, as tens of workers’ circumstances. thousands of women are believed to be working illegally, either The 46-article law is the product of months of deliberation in households or as freelance cleaners. by a ministerial committee comprising activists, representatives

page 6 beings, asequals indignity.”human as treated be to them want we but house, the of boss the it,” be do to we workers for asking says.Roukossnot “We’re of framework the justice. within issue the discuss to youth, schools country’s visiting the in investment an made has Caritas says the Caritas Migrant Center. by organized campaigns awareness the for responsible is who withregard ofthepeople totheseissues.”on thepart culture of human rights and justice. There needs to be conviction critical be to prove may challenges. employers of compliance the and the law. drafting in role a played all Lebanon,have to workers domestic send that countries from as well as groups, rights human and issue,this pressureorganizationsfromof that international and says that Lebanon’s image abroad has tarnished been as a result problems.faceserious Lebanon Fayadin workers domestic that administrative director at the Department of Labor, who concedes home. the employer’s outside spent be may which week, per off day one and hours, nine of rest daily continuous a week, work maximum 60-hour a setting benefits, and wages conditions, working employees’ and Caritas. labor organizations such as the and International Labor Organization NGOs from lawyers Security, and General Lebanese from “Whenever we have an opportunity to talk about the issue, the about talk to opportunity an have we “Whenever Roukoss attitudes, public change help to efforts its Among change,”taketo will time mentality “The Roukoss,Noha says a need law,” “We Nashabe. a says have to enough not “It’s enforcement legal books, the on laws new with even But “There are several reasons for this new law,” explains Ali Fayad, the of aspects many surrounding ambiguity no leaves It Awareness brochures produced by IWSAW turn tosuicide. desperationaway, their run in to others attempt while Many and effectively imprisoned by the families that employ them. raped, workers,foreignbeing domestic beaten, describe who home andfamily toworkasadomesticservantinLebanon. shocked Mansour documentary narrated by a Sri Lankan woman who Carolleaves her filmmaker of release the with audiences Lebanese 2005, In about it.”about more talk and awarenessraise to need films.moremakeWe subject,”to need we says.unfair— Mansour so is issue “The orfamily.not evenofherchildhood accident,the to prior anything of recollection no had absolutely and down, waist the from paralyzed was balcony. She or window a from stories several down falling after hospital film featured piercing testimoniesfrom maids. second predecessor, the its Like domestics. their families and many complicated between develop the that revealing dynamics employer,emotional the of perspective — approached Mansourwiththeideaofcreating asequel. Caritas with along it co-financed had which — Organization hadanimpact.”definitely happening,” what’s see has says.to “It she needs generation Lebanese discussion. for screening students. evenbegan thefilm schools public and consciousness collective into — denial ignoranceor in whether — overlooked largely remainpossibly unknown. could country the in widespread so problem a that skeptical manifestly says, happening,” Mansour was this know didn’t Maid inLebanonMaid Carol Mansour’s Te is ratos gt were got I reactions first “The with interviews painful of series a features film The “I think any filmmaker with a budget should work on this on work should budget a with filmmaker any think “I the in up woke sequel the in interviewed woman One the from told is 2008, in released II, Lebanon in Maid Labour International the release, film’s the after Shortly young the because development significant a is “This been had that issue an bringing in succeeded Mansour Maid in Lebanon30-minute ,in a Maid SIDEBAR as if people people if haram!,’‘Yii, as A scene from MaidinLebanon page 7 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 LAU Faculty Profile Migrant Scholar Ray Jureidini returns to Beirut by way of Australia and Egypt By Curtis Brown

Dr. Ray Jureidini, an authority on the issue of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, recently joined LAU’s Department of Social Sciences under the School of Arts and Sciences. Jureidini, an Australian national born to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, previously served as director of the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies at the American University in Cairo (AUC). He had held a series of academic and administrative posts at AUC, from 2005 till 2010. From 1999 to 2005, Jureidini taught at the American University of Beirut in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and served as department chair between 2001 and 2003. He was instrumental in developing a master’s program in migration and refugee studies at AUB. Jureidini has published extensively over the years on human trafficking, migrant labor and migrant rights, among other aspects of migration. He considers it a personal goal to help change the conditions and legal status of the estimated 200,000 women working as domestic helpers in Lebanon. Jureidini had been hoping to return to Lebanon for some time when Dr. Paul Tabar, director of LAU’s Institute for Migration Studies and a friend of Jureidini’s, convinced him to join LAU and help establish a major in sociology as well as a master’s program in migration and refugee studies. Jureidini received his PhD in sociology in 1987 from Flinders University of South Australia, where he had also completed his BA in sociology and psychology.

Q&A What were some of your accomplishments as the director Can you tell readers a little about your personal or academic of AUC’s Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, and goals? what will be the nature of your involvement with LAU’s My current academic goal is to complete a book on migrant Institute for Migration Studies? domestic workers that brings together my work and thinking on At AUC I was part of the transition from the Forced Migration the issue over the past 8 years or so. I am also interested in and Refugee Studies program — which offered only a one-year assisting various advocacy groups and institutions in Lebanon graduate diploma — to the Center for Migration and Refugee to bring about human-rights reforms pertaining to migrant Studies, with has an additional Masters program and another domestic workers. graduate diploma in Psychosocial Issues for Forced Migrant and Refugees. When I began, the program had 23 graduate Why did you decide to leave Australia for an academic students. When I left, the Center had 72 graduate students. career in the Middle East? At LAU I will be assisting in developing a Master’s in I was asked to apply for a position at AUB in 1999 and was offered Migration Studies degree program at the Institute for Migration a position. I thought it was a good opportunity to return to the Studies. place of my birth though I had never lived here before. I was so pleased that I gave up a tenured position in Australia to remain in the region, which I have not regretted.

page 8 ih lv promne odce b meto akv Taslakian. Barkev maestro by conducted performance live a with followed backgrounds, cultural and religious various from men and audience. by instructed are nuns. students where 1, to 3 roughly of ratio student Muslim–Christian a mentioned with Lebanon, the Tripoli, Another God.” in of “What’s schools House evangelical asking, the and still time is first This difference? the for mosque a entering live together,” Raphaëlexplained. to how about it’s politics; about not is Islam–Christianity “Hyphen citizens.as similarities their find to differencesreligious their past and ofourLebanon,” saidSalem. Enrollment Elise and Dr. Management atLAU. Development by Student speech for president introductory vice short Salem, a by followed Anthem, National Lebanese the singing Choir Fayha Tripoli-based the with villages across Lebanon. 1,200 over of inhabitants of images and thoughts the — depicting all exhibition photography a and Française), Langue de des Écrivains Association the the by at organized Contest Mention France–Lebanon Special a 2011 of (winner book collector’s as 700-page well a as head, and founder documentary project a the is who includes Raphaël project Nada by The globe. the across cities 19 Beirut LAU’s on campus onMarch hosted 17. was that coexistence and the emphasizing reconciliation of project traveling theme a event, the was Islam-Christianity Fall” Hyphen We Divided Celebrate, We “United By Zana-MariaCawog Harmony ofDifferences WithinLebanon The award-winning Fayha Choir, comprising 50 young women women young 50 Choir, comprising Fayha the award-winning The from questions took Raphaël screening, film the After man Christian a recalled documentary the in interviewee One look to Lebanese for need the stressed documentary Raphaël’s “This should be a celebration of our differences, of our potential, Auditorium Hall Irwin the in opened event interactive The than more to traveled has team Islam–Christianity’s Hyphen Dialogue Week in Lebanon. The following two days, it was also also was it days, two hosted attheSafadi Cultural Center inTripoli following andatUSJ. The Lebanon. in Week Dialogue Islamo-Christian the within Saint-Joseph, Université the of Studies Islamic–Christian of Institute – Sciences Religious of Faculty the neartheendofevening. Salem reflected Lebanese,” us makes what of importance the to issues,profound more to back get to materialism, and politics Lebanese petty from was alsodepictedonthecover program oftheevent’s booklet. of of a tabbouleh, which picture bowl to an next enormous mingled most perhaps Tueni, capturedpoignantly theunityandpluralism ofLebanon. Gebran late the to Egyptian. and dedicated Kassam,”“Al Armenian to Palestinian from ranging selections International ChoirFestival. Warsaw the by two including awards, many received has choir The and LAU, Foundation, Safadi the by organized was event The away get to was event moving very this of purposes the of “One crowd the where reception cocktail a with closed event The musical eclectic by reflected also was diversity choir’s The Harmony ofDifferences Within Lebanon page 9 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 FEATURES

(Yerevan on the Mediterranean) By Emily Morris

Beirut, capital of the Armenian diaspora

Bourj Hammoud skyline page 10 I etr, utrl soitos n sot cus B te 1950s, the cities.shanty townshad givenwaytoflourishing By clubs. sports and associations cultural centers, schools,building organizedby themselves churches, community jobsasartisans,finding photographers, cobblers and soon. They situation,their improve to worked immediately they Bekaa,but the in Anjar,town in a and area Hammoud Bourj the in camps mostly assisted by traveling and missionaries. orphans Many settled in of refugee number significant a with arriving Ekmekji, to Ottoman rule. 1.5 estimated an which million Armenians were in deliberately and persecuted killed under genocide, survivors Armenian were 1915 Most the Empire).of Ottoman the partitioned War that World First the after settlement negotiated (the Mandate French the under 1920s early the in Turkey modern-day from at HaigazianUniversity. identity,”ethnic Dr.says Sciencesand ArdaEkmekji, Arts of dean their keep to determination strong very a have they addition in that,but are Armenians is,the that whatever is,then Lebanese while retaining adistinctcultural identity. society Lebanese of fabric the into woven been has decades the over community, which Armenian Lebanon’s for metaphor of kind past,a shared a with traditions two celebrates that cuisine — hummus, withanArmeniantwist. kebab dishes —often Lebanese popular are menu the on classics and pastry) beef), smoked (Armenian The first immigrants were a kind of hardship group, according numbers large in Lebanon to migrating began Armenians a what define can one If Armenians. Lebanese are “We a is house stone old charming this in find will diners What and locals alike looking for authentic eats such as such eats authentic for looking alike locals and in restaurant tourists Armenian with packed quarter,is an Gemmayzeh trendy Mayrig,Beirut’s and night Friday t’s siy rein asg) I aog these among In sausage). Armenian (spicy soujok (layered three-cheese three-cheese (layered beureg sou basterma basterma kibbeh, nvriy te BW ad agza Uiest. Established University. Haigazian and BCW) (then American University Lebanese Beirut, of University American between activity intellectual with time the at alive was area Beirut Beirut’s Ras of Hospital. University percent American 90 in school about nursing up the made in Armenians 1970s, point one early at the that recalls Ekmekji hospitals. and colleges of Lebanese society. They were a major presence in universities, part inseparable an become had Armenians 1975,Lebanese By Civil war demographic shifts loyal citizens.” Armenians that was result Lebanon,homeland,to their as attached Lebanese true a became as happened “What notes. she their develop and newspapers thanotherArmeniansinthediaspora.language better own their establish culture, their advancetraditions, their uphold to able were Lebanon in as refugees but treated them as equals, Kalaidjian adds, Armenians regarded inasenseasthemothercommunity.” the leader of the communities scattered around the world. It was in Lebanon,” one the as she says. privileges and “The Lebanese rights Armenian same community became the enjoyed diaspora Armenian the in community other professor, “No agrees.LAU the non-Armenian day Lebanese. became Lebanese officially day same the in the is Lebanese deputies Ekmekji, became of Armenians to giving number according certain Essentially, system, a parliament. with multi-confessional quota a a Armenians created government “This I say with great gratitude to the Lebanese community,”Lebanese the to gratitude great with say I “This Because the Lebanese did not discriminate against Armenians longtime former and alumna LAU an Kalaidjian, Azadouhi new the 1943, in independence gained Lebanon When Armenian restaurant inBeirut, by anLAU graduate co-owned page 11 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Yerevan on the Mediterranean

Armenian Catholic Church in Geitawi in 1955, Haigazian opened its doors to Armenians and non- Garabedian is proud of his Armenian heritage and has visited Armenians, with instruction in English. It was, and still is, the Armenia with his wife, Lena, who, he says, is more “into the only Armenian university outside of Armenia. It has a major history” and speaks the language better than he. Armenian library and a research center with Armenian journals When the time came to decide on an educational system unavailable anywhere else in the Middle East. for their 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, they chose a The Armenian community felt the impact of the civil war French school. Though his son, Alain Haig, is learning Arabic and acutely. Today there are approximately 150,000 Armenians in French in class, and will eventually learn English, Garabedian Lebanon, or around four percent of the population, but that sends him to an Armenian school every Saturday to learn his number was far higher before 1975. ancestral language. “My son speaks a different language with “There was a major demographic shift as a result of the civil different sets of grandparents— French with my parents and war,” Ekmekji says. Armenians had had a strong presence in Ras Armenian with Lena’s,” Garabedian says. “It is important to us Beirut, but many now moved either to East Beirut or north of that they understand their heritage and its values.” the city to Antelias and Rabieh — or out of Lebanon entirely. Like Garabedian, many Lebanese Armenians from the Caught in the crossfire of warring factions, Haigazian had to second and third generations are a testament to the intricate move its campus to Achrafieh for 10 years. relationship between the two cultures, and prove that one “At Christmas of 1975 there were 56 of us, but by Christmas of doesn’t have to compromise the other. 1982 only five in my family remained — my husband, daughter Chant Koroukian, 21, a senior at LAU Beirut’s School of and in-laws,” Ekmekji says. Her story is a familiar one not only to Business, is the president of the Armenian Cultural Club. He Lebanese Armenians, but to the majority of Lebanese. believes parents can play a major role in keeping the Armenian “What we Lebanese Armenians really lost was a strong middle class, because the first to leave were the doctors, businessmen and so on, those with degrees who could find work elsewhere,” she adds. “And we lost the children of the middle class who would have been the community’s central asset, had they stayed.”

Keeping Armenian culture alive

Sami Garabedian, director of athletics at LAU Beirut and an instructor of physical education in the Department of Natural Sciences, has been the advisor of the student-led Armenian Cultural Club for about five years now. The club’s major annual event is the commemoration of the Armenian genocide on April 24. LAU’s Armenian Cultural Club

page 12 he says. belonging,”of strongersense a genocide, them the gave which the home. “The in elder generations had grandparents Armenian who witnessed only speaking by Lebanon in alive heritage without thecontributions ofthisresilient community. care for it.” they and country this love They issues. Lebanese in engaged are and Lebanese like think they language; local the mastered background.They’ve cultural Armenian an with Lebanese are a world,” as shesays. identity our keep to community. stronghold It cannot compared be to any other country in the last our is “Lebanon learn languages. usually other to addition fluently,in Arabic Armenians and Armenian Lebanese young where with Lebanon, case the not is identity. This own generation its new losing gradually the is but culture and language their keep to best their try Armenians numbers, large in exist communities Armenian where States United the and France like countries Western in decades, for community Armenian Lebanon’s in is.”what Armenianfood know now who Saudis of full It’s Jeddah. in branch a opened we’ve that Gulf the from visitors among popular so been has “Mayrig Maacaron. culture,” sats culinary our to tourists and name inArmenianmeans“littlemother.” had an epiphany of sorts and decided to open a restaurant. The for friends one night using their grandmother’s recipes, the pair his cousin Aline Kamakian. After cooking a big with Armenian dinnerMayrig co-owns Maacaron Serge (’98) alumna LAUalive. It is safe to say that Lebanon would not be quite the same the quite be not would Lebanon that say to safe is It children “Our else: anywhere herself see can’t Ekmekji involved actively been has who Kalaidjian, to According locals expose to grandmother,wanted our we by “Inspired culture the keeping to contribute restaurants Armenian Traditional Armenian dish, Mante music.” with you all the years of your life, and that comes out in your in the later stages of life — and it’s not by accident. You carry understanding and maturity. “The greatest conductors flower exactly what he’s doing now — conducting — only with more already demonstrated natural ability. artistic passing on to their daughter Tia, 11, and son Berj, 7, who have he says, and it’s a lesson he and his wife, Noura, a painter, are craft.his free-for-all,”a “Art be can’t it — discipline demands at hard work and technique learn must one enough; not is talent innate believes firmly he but calling, his is music that Armenian with tour Lebanese artists. to inviting or Beirut in play and to musicians concerts, and orchestras for occasionally there education inArmenia, receiving hisdoctorate in2008. music Ph.D.in a pursue to chose later Honors.Fazlian with both conduction, opera and symphony in degrees master’s music in Yerevan for seven years, receiving his andbachelor’s classical studied 1980s.He the during Armenia in education free a him thinker, made Canada and that he owes his technique as a conductor to his in years 20 than more for living musically.” say to want ofI what say rebuilding can I here the like feelcountry, I my to and contribute to wanted “I him. for one war,criticalcivil a the was 1996 in return to decision his and he tellsLAU Magazine. old. All these memories still have a very big influence on me,” years 10 was I when class my in girl a with love in fell I place first the time, first the for knee my scraped and fell I where bicycle,a ride to how learned home.callsI wherehe is “This place the — be will always and — world,is Lebanonthe but around all orchestrasconducted has FazlianHarout Maestro Maestro Harout Fazlian on: Spotlight ite yas on h ln, ala hps o e doing be to hopes Fazlian line, the down years Fifteen Born into a family of famous artists, Fazlian has always felt traveling Armenia, with ties musical maintains still He that says he but inspired, most feels he where is Lebanon of result a as years of number a for abroad lived Fazlian SIDEBAR page 13 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 On and Off the Track

Noel Jammal celebrates a second place win On and Off the Track The demanding double lives of two business school athletes By Marc Abizeid

It’s around 4:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Noel Jammal’s “work” (for want of a better word) and school, Jammal is now flight from Rome has just touched down in Beirut. committed to the latter, vowing to finish his degree in business Exhausted, the 21-year-old LAU student collects his bags and marketing — even if it means missing 17 out of 19 training heads home to enjoy whatever rest he can squeeze in before days, like he did last year. his 9:00 a.m. class. Come Thursday, Jammal will return to the “I would never quit university,” Jammal says with a measure airport and fly back to Europe for the weekend. of conviction. “It’s my dream to make it to Formula 1, and I have Not an ideal routine, but for a champion Formula 3 racecar a lot of support and sponsors after winning the championship driver juggling a full-time university schedule with weekend last year. But if it doesn’t work out with racing, I’ll need to have competitions in Europe, it’ll have to do. a degree behind me.” From April to November, Jammal, who was born in Madrid to Jammal’s situation is both hectic and glamorous, and it’s a Spanish mother and a Lebanese father, represents Lebanon in not the only one of its kind at LAU. the European Formula 3 Open Championship, racing regularly Nineteen-year-old Jasmine Busson, a professional horseback in France, Belgium, England, Portugal, Italy and Spain. rider, is also struggling to balance her studies at LAU with the “It’s very tiring,” says Jammal, who beat 13 other racers last competitive passion that has her on the road most weekends. year to win the Class C championship.” “Weekend races start Unlike Jammal, Busson has no off-season. From October on Friday, so my team puts me in a room on Thursday to rest to March, she competes in the Arab Tour. Then from April till beforehand. Then I leave right after the Sunday races to make it October, she travels to Europe for competitions that begin to class Monday morning.” Friday and continue through the weekend. He somehow manages to pull it off. Well, sort of. “I’m trying to combine university with horseback riding, but Last year, LAU dropped him for a semester for excessive it’s not easy,” says the French-Lebanese Busson, who spends her absences. Despite the persistent scheduling conflict between summers in Europe.

page 14 hold represent dual citizenship. They both Both study business marketing. Lebanese. Both they though even half competitions, international their at and Lebanon European half are Both sick, is preferring days“for tosaveheroff somethingimportant.” she when class misses never racer. She speed Spanish the the relationship.” about it’s — you about all not “It’s communication,”says. she the control. You you the have to horse; have have to understand tounderstand. difficult animal thatnon-riderswouldfind stop. Ilovetheadrenaline rush.” never stop,” “I’ll says.can’t she you riding, horseback start you she 2008, in where she placed fourth. Then Final,Challenge Jumping World Angeles. FEI the at Chile Los in competed in Competition Jumping International Children’s the in compete to spot a won 12,she usn n Jma mro ec ohr lot uncannily. almost other each mirror Jammal and Busson than cautious more seems attendance,Busson class for As “Horseback riding is not like other wheresports you have all the and her between intimacy sacred of a sort describes She addiction.“When an were it if as sport the about talks She Busson riding has sincebeen the age of seven. At the age of Jammal races his#33car make sacrifices.” personal compromises the suchdedication entails. about realism cold-eyed their and track, the to — aniPhone4andaBlackBerry. safety. And oddly enough, they both carry the same two phones competitive their their for concerns serious express who mothers and support endeavors, enthusiastically who fathers have “When you love something that much,” Busson says, “you “you says, much,” Busson that something love you “When loyalty unshakable their in is resemblance strongest the But Jasmine Bussoncarries herhorse over anobstacle page 15 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Migration Studies Finds a Home at LAU

Migration Studies Finds a Home at LAU By Curtis Brown

Collected essays from IMS’s inaugural conference

“Lebanon is by definition a country of migration, and of everything from international relations and international law to immigration,” says Dr. Paul Tabar, the founder and chair of LAU’s gender studies and the literature of exile. Institute for Migration Studies (IMS). “It was obvious that it Tabar and Skulte-Ouaiss both express gratitude for the level needed an institute or research center to study this vital and of administrative backing the institute has received from LAU. important topic.” “We’ve had fantastic support from the university, and Launched in 2007, IMS is the first institute of its kind in have been receiving seed money ever since,” Tabar says. The Lebanon. In the region more generally, only the Center for seed money in turn has helped the institute obtain research Migration and Refugee Studies at the American University of grants. Cairo has a similar profile. While AUC’s program focuses heavily With $350,000 from Canada’s International Development on forced migration and refugee studies, however, IMS’s research Research Centre (IDRC), IMS is currently carrying out a three- has a more comprehensive scope, including emigration from year study of the relationship between Lebanon and its and immigration to Lebanon and the Middle East, interregional expatriate communities in three countries: Australia, Canada migration, return migration, diasporic communities, and and the United States. Of particular interest is the shaping citizenship and migrant communities. influence of these relationships on the transnational Lebanese “The institute was founded with the aim of becoming a “public sphere,” a concept encompassing everything from major regional and international research center, and offering politics to the activities of charities, religious organizations policy advice on issues of migration in the Arab world,” says Dr. and other branches of civil society. Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss, assistant professor of political science “Prior to our research, everything we could find on the topic and international affairs and a faculty member of IMS. was almost anecdotal in nature,” Skulte-Ouaiss stresses. “We “Our mandate stems from the fact that Lebanese migration want to understand how the Lebanese diaspora impacts both is such a longstanding historical phenomenon, and there’s conflict-perpetuation and peace-building, and to understand this huge diaspora that’s incredibly active across the board — that in a systematic way.” economically and politically,” she explains. “That puts Lebanon To that end, IMS’s research team is conducting extensive in a fairly unique position.” in-depth interviews — 150 in Lebanon, and 75 each in Canada, IMS’s intellectual orientation is thoroughly interdisciplinary. the U.S. and Australia. When the project is finished, they hope LAU’s minor in sociology offers a course in the sociology of to have produced a huge database, which in turn will be a migration, which makes use of the institute’s findings. The major resource for future scholarship. existing M.A. in international relations will soon include a “So far, we’re getting fascinating data on how active course called “Politics and Migration,” and will cross-list courses expatriates are developmentally — building wells, roads and in research methodology. A master’s degree in migration studies hospitals in villages, for example. And of course, they play a is in the planning stages, and will include cross-listed courses in major role in elections,” Skulte-Ouaiss says.

page 16 communities, letaloneLebanon,” saysTabar. and itsrelationship totheUnitedStates. America Latin on focused Tabar,mostly to is accordingtopic, transnationalism about the on literature general.in existing The relations debates diasporic and scholarly enrich to is hand, Lebanese andrelevant politicians stateministries. published Arabicwill in be both and English, and distributed to emigration and ministries, aswellscholarsdoingparallel kindsofresearch. embassies various and Organization, Labor host representatives of internationalNGOs, will the World Bank,and major 2011 the International of end a the at place organizing take will conference,which is institute To the recommendations. end, policy that into findings its translate and relations Lebanon of between diaspora. anditsglobal and expatriates Lebanese empirical, toward scholarly knowledge about the policy history of transnational state coherent “ Lebanese migrationisalongstanding puts Lebanoninafairlyuniqueposition.” that’s incrediblyactiveacrosstheboard—that phenomenon, andthere’sthishugediaspora n diin o h IR suy IS s odcig several conducting is IMS study, IDRC the to addition In diasporaits and Europe on done been even has much “Not other the on goal, theoretical and academic study’s The report final institute’s as the as well Conference proceedings synthesize to therefore is study the of goal practical The a of both lack longstanding a Tabar, is to there According — Dr. JenniferSkulte-Ouaiss,assistantprofessor, LAU by a by another,YetAustralia. in supported community diaspora a and patterns of intermarriage between a specific village in the the north on home come and weekends. Another, example, for funded by Gulf,the Qatar foundation, focuses the on in work who Lebanese — migration” world Arab the “circular in so-called on data gathering is these of projects.researchOne smaller-scale professional training todoit.” says Tabar, recently,“and until so few and have had the scholarly character. own its having while programs, M.A. existing by fertilized be withIMS. affiliated andwillbe department sciences social LAU’s by recruited recently was communities, on migrant-worker Jureidini, regional scholar a published widely Dr.AUB. Ray from degrees master’s with LAU to come of whom both Nahas, Nathalie and Rassi Rima researchers include migrant workers inLebanon. Palestinian and Syrian of conditions the to community Jewish Lebanon’s from ranging topics on papers research individual published has IMS Tabar by Skulte-Ouaiss. essays,and of edited volume Scholars Cambridge a to led which of conferences, one migration toFrance andAustralia. professional on focuses name], full organization’s this correct “There is a regional need to address migration-related issues,” programTabara build to willis that goal institute’s the says members IMS’s Skulte-Ouaiss, and Tabar to addition In major two hosted has far, so institute the tenure brief its In € 20,000 grant from SEDR [ed. note — I need to verify & verify to need I — note [ed. SEDR from grant 20,000

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& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 FEATURES

Art Movements Lebanon’s Art Diaspora

By Emily Holman

The “Konafa” maker,” by Muhamad Youssef, Cairo, Egypt, 1960. Collection: AIF/Gihane Ahmad. Copyright © Arab Image Foundation page 18 uoeti taiin: Tees o eog mtra i the in material enough not “There’s traditions: teaching of Eurocentric necessity the about blunt herself, is artist an and LAU at design graphic of professor assistant Taan, an Yasmine inspiration.for and audience an for abroad, both look naturally currently hasjustonestudentenrolled. major history art AUB’s that symptomatic artists.”is aspiring It for tuition university paying on keen “aren’t parents Lebanese of majority economy,the precarious a of grip the in and says, credibility,”generalof in “fallenout humanities have The Scheid diminishing. be well may art for market however,domestic the level,prosaic more a On nationality,passport. no no inspiration audience for the oldest and most venerable reason: Influence has and sometimesopportunistically. critically ironically, sometimes sometimes — logic this engage Arabthe in World” often Lebaneseexample.) artists good a is — talk book in London — “Voices from the Lands of Anger: Dissent recenta of exotic.title and threatening (The both as world Arab is tinged occasionally with romanticism, colored by a view of the place internationally. take Senegal. to often more tend and indeed FAI’smaterial using Exhibitions Mexico as such presence, Arab strong a is there collection Its accessibility.”where areasfrom as East,well Middle as the acrossfrom comes and the “preservation of is aim the foundation that explains Chkeibane Sana FAI’s archives. and captures FAI the go, they where artists; Arab of diaspora” institutions.art present-day Beirut’s of result a chiefly is that phenomenon one strengthen,to continues capitals art relationship other and The Beirut Lebanon. between to even nor Beirut, to limited not it astheeconomyas soon did. with brought war the of collapsedart, that trendin a invest to numerouskeenreturnees end The abundance. in were — people,”conventional to “catered that Scheid ones to according war,the mostly after — immediately galleries to close.and During began galleries local that — shifts economic to largely due — afterward years until not was industry,it art the decimated since thelate1990s.” accessible. Gallery attendance has in fact gone down, particularly scene, art Lebanesemore“Art the not of is historian a and AUB at anthropology of professor a Scheid,Dr. Kirsten to According mission preciselymore as“makingart accessible.” center’s the describes Joreige Lamia BAC’s art.Indeed promote its as has Each Lounge,98weeks: Art (BAC), Center Art Beirut The years. recent in Beirut around all of increased accessibility. Formal art institutions have up popped not erase. could war civil of years 15 even that heritage a exists there and 1960s, the least at since hub art an been has history.Lebanon A When artists anywhere encounter indifference at home,indifferenceencounterat anywhere they artists When Ideally, Lebanese orientthemselvestoaninternational artists Western interest in Lebanese and Arab art, however welcome, the “followsinstance, (FAI),for Foundation Image Arab The scene increasinglyis it that is artistic Beirut’s of truer is What war civil the that notion widespread the despite fact, In The goal is laudable in theory but debatable in its achievement. The sense of a renaissance derives partly from the impression hny oraitc lcé i nal oltrts vital a obliterates neatly it cliché, journalistic handy “up-and-coming.”A it call to is today Beirut of world art the regarding misdemeanour verbal all-too-common n the desire to desire the d’être raison typecast asa“daughterof Lebanon.”typecast being avoid to her helped has work her abstractionin of degree the and themes her of obliqueness the says She work. her see the to it “make to world,” art the capitalof desire a from over”all art whereof “lovers of could out latter the on sights her set and LAU alumna who has exhibited in both Beirut and New York, presentLebanese Laraway work? the their artists Nasr, painter a inLebanon.”— especially neatly puts it, ease with other languages “gives you extra avenues cosmopolitanism is a source of credibility and survival; as Scheid word French the prefer artists Arabic in “artist” for word very The designs. languages. in flavor” European “the these in for ask clients overwhelmingly Lebanese her even TaanProfessorthat remarked are and catalogues biographies Exhibition French. artist or English prefer understand even to or likely are — tourists international mention to foralso look itsprospects abroad. Gulf.the or community hardlyshould is It art the that surprising Europe,U.S.,in the Canada studies their further whom of most graduates, Lebanese of tendencies transnational the on spurs diaspora existing huge a of fact the trilingual,and is educated population the of Most locale. national the of out art Lebanese of locus the shifts narrative and character national Lebanon’s to central so cosmopolitanism Paradoxically, society. the their and artists Lebanese between relationship vexed unusually an but these cultural, historical and economic factors may make for perceptionsnative ofit.”and — culture the of context temporal measured the be of terms “must in adds, she is East, Middle the design in Modernity Contemporary “Western.” is itself Orient: that concept a modernity, the with interwoven and design between relationship the of culture,complexity and underscoresthe also Orient.” Taan, who teaches courses on Oriental theory and design Does awareness of an international audience also influence influence also audience international an of awareness Does not — galleries and institutions art to visitors Lebanese stereotype,familiar universally a course of is artist aloof The has negative connotations, and many Lebanese many connotations,and negative has (faanan) Sawsan BouKhaled’s Vessels debutSat Beirut Monnot Theater . In Lebanon as elsewhere,as Lebanon In .artiste page 19 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Art Movements

“I feel compelled to share stories reflecting the multiculturalism and diversity of the region. For a Lebanese audience that rarely sees itself on the screen, there’s a sensitivity, a hyper-awareness as to how they are portrayed.” —Merva Faddoul, Filmmaker and LAU alumna

The Arab Image Foundation “follows the diaspora” of Arab culture, as well as collecting and preserving its photographic heritage. Above: Pipe construction for the Darbandi Khan water pipeline project, Latif el Ani, Iraq, 1961

Others, however, ironically note the inexorable pull of “typically Though the book jacket introduces Hage as a “Lebanese refugee Lebanese” themes. In her celebrated 2008 memoir Beirut, I Love living in Montreal,” he is in fact a Canadian citizen. The civil war is You, Zena el Khalil promised not to write about the civil war and many things at once for Lebanese artists — a historical trauma, not to write about coffee. The thematic fixation on the civil war an artistic theme and a promotional blurb. has long been acknowledged, even mocked — yet it endures. It For Merva Faddoul, a filmmaker and LAU alumna who now gives international audiences a “handle” on the work, and can act resides in the United States but sets her films in her native as a catalyst to fame. Lebanon, it is difficult to separate her artistic vision from a sense of her cultural identity vis-à-vis her Western audience. “In America especially, for various sociopolitical reasons, Western interest in Lebanese and Arab art there’s a sense of curiosity about the Middle East as well as a tendency to stereotype,” says Faddoul. “I feel compelled to is tinged with romanticism, colored by a share stories reflecting the multiculturalism and diversity of the view of the Arab world as both threatening region. For a Lebanese audience that rarely sees itself on the screen, there’s a sensitivity, a hyper-awareness as to how they and exotic. are portrayed.” Other Lebanese artists pointedly eschew stock Lebanese themes. Sawsan Bou Khaled is a Lebanese playwright and actress Rawi Hage, who gained literary acclaim with his first novel De whose play Vessels debuted in February at Monnot Theater. Niro’s Game, attributes the pervasiveness of the theme to “the Written in the tradition of theater of the absurd, it trades explicitly absence of an initiative by the Lebanese government to preserve on its Western influences; indeed the script comprises extracts a memory of the war.” from Western plays, and was largely a product of Bou Khaled’s “It was artists and writers who took it upon themselves to theatrical training trip to Sweden. Yet she insisted on staging create and recreate these events, through the fictitious or the it in Lebanon. Bou Khaled is representative of a counter-trend real,” Hage told an interviewer in 2007. in Lebanese art: innovation that deliberately resists regional Interestingly enough, Hage left Lebanon in 1984 at the age traditions. of 18, and has since lived in Montreal, and when he published Robert Myers, a playwright and professor of English at AUB, De Niro’s Game had last visited Beirut in 1998. His portrayal of sees two main strains of theater in Lebanon. The first is “neo- civil-war-era Lebanon is largely the result of artistic imagination. Brechtian,” where the theatrical nature of the performance — its

page 20 n poesoa popcs i ayhn big oe o hang to done being anything is prospects, professional and circulate, notvigorously andKhourydoes disputeit. to continues legend civil-war jazz.The of love his was by inspired he that privately said has He BO18. nightclub Beirut of having been inspired by the civil war in his gothic construction most renowned contemporary architect, is always asdescribed Lebanon’s Khoury, possibly Bernard representatives. national Lebanese,”or Arabsas as abroad “going on contingent be to typically is which return, of Yetneutralized into“anaestheticlonging.” right egalitarianism. Palestinian own the its is of another sense West’s the theme flatters a that oppression, women’s is “always “Arab” issue becomes stereotypically thus seriously.” Another taken war “never terms, Scheid’s absurdist,” in civil The lens. “avant-garde” self-consciously a through issues regional refract who artists of distortions,subtle the on compromisespandering alleged and some circles withanAmerican agenda. political byassociation in stigmatized be to used example, for Foundation, Ford the have up heated autonomy and since artistic 2000. Funding from patronage world. about art of the Lebanese Debates orientation the absurd. – exemplified by Bou Khaled – comes straight from Beckett and as opposed to psychological issues are foregrounded. The second constructedness — is fully exposed, and political and economical View ofthevenue ofStudy’‘Objects at The Photographer’s Gallery inLondon, 2004 October ih ay rit loig bod o bt inspiration both for abroad looking artists many With critics by said is funding institutional foreign all, Above focus patronage foreign of however, critiques often, More Funding and patronage are also relevant to the international abroad, however, thetemptation todosowillremain. birthplace her brand or commercial of sort his a be “Arabto art” on Until ceases alone. trade to wishes artist ‘who’ are.” No of they qualification this by credited as well as discredited are they that feel to artists for natural is “it out, points Scheid Lebanese, provisothe being is Lebanon. in based being not As artist emerging annual an exhibition, has BAC The best? Beirut’s to on Exposure, which aims to encourage local talent —but London was publishedinBeirut and memoir Beirut, ILove You Zena ElKhalil’s 2008 page 21 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Liane Rabbath

Liane Rabbath From the Professional Art World to LAU’s Fine Arts Program By Emily Morris

Liane Mathes Rabbath is a woman of many trades—mother, Born in Luxembourg, Rabbath met her Lebanese husband, full-time professional artist, and now a full-time student at LAU. entrepreneur Habib Rabbath, while they were at university Although she holds a Masters degree in Finance and has made together in Switzerland. They have three children who, she her name as an artist nationally and internationally, Rabbath says, are “completely Lebanese”—Charlotte, 19, Laura, 17, and decided to return to university in the Fall of 2010 to pursue a Georges, 12. B.A. in Fine Arts. LAU Magazine recently caught up with Rabbath to find out “After courses at LAU are through for the day, I try to keep two more about her double life as artist and student. or three hours free to work in my studio in downtown Beirut,” she says. “My schedule can be hectic, of course, but I love what I do, and I am interested in learning from what the LAU program has to offer.” The intricate patterns of Rabbath’s art, as well as her unique style, quirky vision and meticulous attention to detail, have earned her international acclaim along with an original niche in the Lebanese art scene. Her paintings make use of a single material — cigarette papers (also known as Damascus papers), which she rolls and folds to create geometrical forms bursting with color. Rabbath’s work featured in the ‘Université Pour Tous’ collective exhibition in Beirut in 2002, and regularly at the Espace SD until 2006. She showed at the Salon d’Automne in Beirut’s Sursock Museum in 2003, 2005 and 2010, and at the Lee Gallery in Paris in April of this year. In August of 2012, she will show for the first time at the prestigious House of Latin America in Monaco. Q&A What made you return to university to study fine arts? And more convinced than ever that if you enjoy something a great why LAU? deal, you will do well at it. I have spent almost 20 years in Lebanon and have taken lots of independent art courses. After all the time and effort I put into When did you start experimenting with the tobacco papers, this I realized I didn’t have a piece of paper—a degree—to show and why? for it. After extensive research, I realized that LAU has an excellent I was working with Lebanese artist Tania Bakalian Safieddine at the reputation in Fine Arts. Because I already have a Masters degree time, and I have her to thank for introducing me to the world of in Finance, I only need to take the required courses in Fine Arts, collage. I really liked the intricacy of it. Why the cigarette papers? which is what I am really interested in. I had access to them through my husband’s company (cigarette paper manufacturing company). I fell in love with the designs on Have you always considered yourself an artist? them. It’s very oriental yet very modern. Until that day I found I wasn’t an artist when I came here but Lebanon gave me the oriental designs heavy, but I have liked them ever since. It was chance. I decided to go for something new. I began painting almost like an acceptance of my life over here in the Middle East. at the atelier of the famous Armenian Lebanese painter, Paul Guiragossian, in 1996; his sons taught painting courses there. From there I went to a number of art workshops over the years and developed my craft.

Where does your passion for art come from? I think maybe it’s something that has always been inside me, but I didn’t have the chance to express it while studying, traveling, raising a family, and so on. But I believe that — even with art — it’s 98 percent work and 2 percent inspiration. At the beginning, I used to tell my instructors “I can’t even draw one correct line!” and they’d tell me art is always a work in progress. Today I’m

page 22 all whoknewand lovedhim. family. of birth “baby Salim” brought joy special to him and the entire was very grateful and always proud of all his grandchildren, the Salim” “Grandpa Although well. as alumna LAU an Marashli, Nadine wife his and Raef son his to born was Junior Hachach away,Salim passed he before months few A him. to close up generous, andhumble. His means. modest educational of family, provide students friends, colleagues, and employees knew him talented to as patient, to wanted opportunities always and education, of the in runs truly Hachache family. LAU to Loyalty university. the at currently enrolled are Idriss Hani and Hachache Leen grandchildren Hachache AnnualScholarshipGrant. Salim the since 1985,donations supported mainly have which to LAU. contributor long-time Hachache, Salim late of son eldest Hachache, Ramzi friend”, says and teacher, husband,father, “It is an honor for our family to carry the name of such a great Longtime FriendofLAU In Loving MemoryofSalimHachache, with battling others support to sickness. Shenevergaveup. deflecting herself always from optimism, attention with brimming and smiling cancer,with struggle long her throughfacebrave a wore She all shecould toassistotherswhowere lessfortunate. tutoring did she life, her as Throughout disabilities. such with children deeds, young good in engaged always woman, for heralmamater. love wife’s his honoring LAU, at while studies their pursue to wishing students deserving to scholarship support financial endowed provide will the American that of delighted is president Inc., and Properties, States United the in residing from hisgenerosity.students willbenefit come, to needy toher. years for and after endowment Now fund scholarship an chosen naming by has wife Ghattas, beloved his Kutteh commemorate Maggie alumna 1967 of class Women for College Beirut of widower Ghattas,Nicolas Courageous Humanitarian In MemoryofMaggieKutteh Ghattas, Donor Profiles His sudden death on February 23, 2011 was a huge shock to grow to fortunate were grandchildren and children His importance the in believed strongly Hachache Salim his and alumnus, LAU an is Raef son youngest His His name lives on at LAU through the history of his generous courage. great her for remembered be also will Maggie compassionate and caring a was Ghattas Kutteh Maggie Ghattas, a University of Massachusetts and Harvard graduate commitment tothenoblecause ofeducation. the was of heart, supporters “giant businessman” hehadbecome. biggest his the to of one dearest career Atifa, his throughout wife His kingdom. the to indeed becoming the first to introduce central air conditioning Arabia,Saudia in GE of distributors largest the of one became company,own which his establish to managed challenges,he encounteredand many years those during fromfarhome was Jeddah, in career his (GE).Company started he Electric GeneralThough with Arabia Saudia He success. his to secret the in Chapter New York duringtheearly1990s. Alumni LAU the for president as serving years, publishedoneday.be her for would and family. of poetry her some that hope the life expressed She of love her reflected words war. Her civil by torn motherland her for Beirut,and in explosion bomb a in lost she brother the for feelings her express to poems Arabic A wl awy ceih i mmr ad rie his praise and memory his cherish always will LAU was dedication and work, his to dedicated was Hachache university her after LAU with involved remained Maggie Maggie had a great for passion poetry. She wrote beautiful page 23 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Campus Notes

For more details about these LAU activities, Campus visit the news section of www.lau.edu.lb. Edited by Nanor Karageozian NoTes Community Outreach and Civic Engagement Youth Leadership Program As part of the Youth Leadership Program, a peer training initiative organized by LAU’s Outreach and Civic Engagement unit, around 20 LAU students recently traveled to South and North Lebanon to empower local school children to become active citizens and unleash their leadership potential. The program was launched in November 2010 in Tripoli and Sidon, in collaboration with the Safadi Foundation and with the participation of around 250 students from 54 public and private schools. In February 2011, the program reached Hasroun, in North Lebanon, where 220 students from 10 schools in Bsharri and the surrounding areas took part in the training, organized in collaboration with the Bishop Philippe Shebaya Foundation. The program will be expanded in the coming months to cover more areas throughout Lebanon, including the Shouf and the Bekaa.

Capacity-building for non-profits LAU’s Continuing Education Program, in partnership with the Lebanese Development Network, launched a new academic program for NGO professionals, with a press conference held on January 20 at LAU Beirut. Titled “Capacity-building Program for Non-profits,” the module targets NGO managers, program developers, fundraisers and team members, as well as corporate leaders involved in social responsibility, volunteers and community activists. Its objectives include addressing real-life problems in an interactive learning environment for the enhancement of the management of NGOs. Participants can opt for a diploma or a non-diploma structure, and choose a fundraising, management or personal dynamics track. Courses began on March 7.

New season for LAU Model UN program LAU celebrated the inauguration of the sixth annual High School AL WALID Global Classrooms–LAU Model United Nations (MUN) program, and the first annual Middle School MUN, with a ceremony held at LAU Beirut on December 4. Under the motto “Youth Will Change the World,” the program includes a series of training sessions that prepare participants for a two-day final conference in spring 2011. Around 320 people attended the opening ceremony, including university officers, representatives from the Alwaleed Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation (the program’s main sponsor), school representatives, students, and ambassadors. After the ceremony, LAU MUN trainers informed school representatives and students about the details of the program.

Inspiring grassroots efforts in Oman LAU students Batoul Haidar and Ali Sibai, the president and vice president of LAU’s UNESCO Club respectively, were tapped by the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO to extend their civic efforts past the boundaries of the country, during the second Muscat Youth Summit, in Oman, in early November. They spent three days there, along with about a dozen other activists from the Middle East and Europe, inspiring local youth to get involved in community projects. About 170 Omani youth participated in the summit, which targeted three main areas: entrepreneurship, urban development, and digital media.

page 24 Shaer, athird-year communication major. arts Guantanamo, The Meaning of Waiting, an LAU student production directed by Farah wastheater. secondDr. of professorthe by assistant Abyad,directedAnd LAU Lina Kafka, His Father, the Boss, the Wolf, International Cairoand the Pigs, 22nd LAU’s Theatre,Egypt.was Festivalin forExperimental 10–20 first spring fromThe October held 2010 the major production during performed were productions play LAU Two LAU playsdraw crowds inCairo ofCommunicationwith LAU’s andtheBritishCouncil. Department Arts workshops were organized by the English Speaking Union in communicators.The Lebanon,effective more become in participants cooperation the help to Shakespeare and 26, Coleman, Education, Globe at a Shakespeare’s practitioner senior drew from 23 February between held were that University.workshops Arab the Beirut During throughout (AUB),and Beirut of schools University high American LAU, the from 13 students 13 from and Lebanon students 350 around for workshops 10 led he British theater actor Adam Coleman was back at LAU Beirut for a fourth time, where Shakespeare’s Theater Workshops Globe Arts, Culture andLanguage video, streamed that pictures ofawideronlinecommunity. andtweetstomembers platform broadcasting live a up setting for responsible was class, media digital a a Social, LAU viewers. web of hundreds gave to addition in people, Nasr 150 around Octavia drew lecture LAU, Nasr’s at Research Training correspondentand Media for Institute East The by 9.Organized November Middle on Beirut LAU at media social veteran about presentation and alumna LAU presentation media onsocial Octavia Nasr’s Media Training andResearch orait, hr te dsusd iiaiis n dfeecs ewe each each between between differences differences TrainingTraining andResearch andResearch atLAU. atLAU.MediaMedia forfor and and Institute Institute The The by by organizedorganized was was similarities similarities event event culture.culture.The The and and Lebanese Lebanese media media discussed discussed country’scountry’s influential influential of of they they group group where where a a and and journalists,journalists, Iraqis Iraqis the the between between discussion discussion aa roundtableroundtable included included also also country’s country’s programprogram The The Beirut.Beirut. the the of of sights sights the the visited visited in in personalities, personalities, took took and and newsrooms,newsrooms, media media major major Lebanese Lebanese workshop famous famous training with with met met campus,campus, weeklong a Beirut Beirut LAU’s LAU’s on on for seminars seminars attended attended journalists journalists exchange.exchange.The The intercultural intercultural foster foster to to and and practicespractices journalists media media Lebanese Lebanese to to them them Iraqi introduce introduce to to designed designed 22–26) 22–26) veteran (November (November 13 hosted LAU Weeklong LAU workshopfor Iraqi journalists aaeet t A, n olbrto wt Te rne laed i Tll Bin Talal Bin Alwaleed Prince The AlsaudCenterAbdulaziz for American with StudiesandResearch atAUB. collaboration in Enrollment LAU, and Development at Student Management of Department office the the by and organized Arts was Communication and of Beirut, LAU at held was actress winning AUB and award- students the by workshop courses.literature The arts English and drama communication taking students LAU 70 around for workshop conducted acting Chalfant an Kathleen actress stage American renowned 1, December On Acting workshopfor LAU andAUB students page 25 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Campus Notes

Architecture, Design and Photography Graphic design “intervention” projects Twelve third-year graphic design students from LAU Byblos tried to bring attention to some pressing, and sometimes forgotten or ignored, issues in Lebanon through the “intervention” projects they prepared as part of the fall 2010 visual perception course. Topics included the environment, the issue of Lebanese war prisoners, Lebanon’s ongoing political tensions, and the need to unite and work together. Most projects were presented in Byblos, but some students also took theirs off campus. They also used social media to expose their projects to as wide an audience as possible.

Community-based projects by architecture and design students As part of their course titled Landscape Workshop: Challenging the Privatization of Public Spaces, 64 fourth-year students from LAU’s School of Architecture and Design were given a challenging midterm group assignment: use urban- and landscape- planning tools to envision ways to integrate, preserve and create public spaces in communities around Lebanon. The student groups presented their community-based projects at both campuses during November.

LAU participants’ top prizes at UN photo competition Two LAU graduates and one student were among the 10 prizewinners of a UN photo competition, titled “A Snapshot for Development,” which aimed to highlight Lebanon’s work toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). During an award ceremony held at UNESCO palace on October 22, LAU alumna Abir Ghattas received the top prize for her photo called “The Girl with the Green Eyes,” under the MDG 1 category, to “Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger.” Sahar Khatib, another LAU alumna, took home the top prize in the seventh MDG category, to “Ensure Environmental Sustainability,” for her photo titled “Tree of Life.” LAU graphic design student Nadine Khoury received the award for the best photo under the MDG 3 category, to “Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women,” for her photo titled “Home Scary Home.” Bassam Lahoud, who has been teaching photography at LAU for 23 years, helped coordinate the competition on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme–Lebanon.

Science, Technology and Engineering LAU student wins gold in organic chemistry competition Jad Abdul Samad, a second-year pre-pharmacy student at LAU Byblos, tied for first place at Lebanon’s first-ever Organic Chemistry Competition held at the American University of Beirut (AUB) on February 7. Even though his partner had to cancel at the last minute due to an emergency, Abdul Samad was allowed to compete solo and shared the gold with a team from AUB. The competition brought together 42 teams from six Lebanese universities. The competition was organized in celebration of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 declared by UNESCO in cooperation with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

“100 Years of Technology” exhibition A rare collection of antiques revealing the progression of technology from the earliest days of the 20th century were displayed at LAU Beirut’s Riyad Nassar Library in January and February. The collection featured at the exhibition, which was titled “100 Years of Technology,” belongs to Dr. Ale Hejase, an engineer who has been teaching part time at LAU’s School of Business over the past 23 years. The items included personal computers, computer accessories, calculators, tape recorders, CD writers, phonographs, and vacuum tubes, among others.

page 26 an integral role inputting togethertheNewYork exhibit. played board, advisory IWSAW the of member current a and LAU at trustee former a Khalaf.Mona Director formerCruikshank,IWSAW’s Ron of direction the under 2005 LAU’s by conceived Mayin Arabassembled was the (IWSAW)in World forStudies Institute first Women’s and exhibit photo The present. the to backgrounds century 19th social the and from religious various with women veiled of perceptions) (and depictions differing Photographic highlighting A photographs striking Veil(s): 30 13. about March featured Overview till 23 midtown January of from heart City, York the New in Church Manhattan, Presbyterian Avenue Fifth the in displayed was globe the across from women veiled of images modern and historical of mixture A Photography exhibitiononveils Women’s StudiesandPeace Education home goldmedals, andAyman Safa80kg) wonabronze (below medal. took each kg) 68 (below Safieddine Mohammad Sharif Al kg),and 87 (below Al Abdel and at Sciences,LAU’s of Arts School LAU 73 kg),students Ahmad Khatib (below Yazan 150 aroundRjeily, Mark member event.facultyby the Coachedpart-time and in a participated players clubs official 23 than More 31. at October held on Championships, Stadium Taekwondo Lahoud Emile Men’s National Lebanese the at category belt blue the in overall place first and medals four won team taekwondo men’s LAU The Taekwondo teamwinsbigatnationalchampionships Sports aims togatheryoungfamily businessleaderstoshare practices best andsolutions. under the auspices of IFEB. of its kind in the Middle East — The network— the first Network Leaders Business Family the launched also It business experiences. leaders their shared familywho business family Lebanon’s three featured Family of event the members Beirut, in LAU for at Business,community. Held Planning of School “Succession LAU’s at titled (IFEB) discussion, panel Business Entrepreneurial and Family of Institute the a Businesses,”by organized was 8, December On Events for family businesscommunity Business News the LAU center. NVIDIA has25CUDATeaching Centers around theglobe. establish to dollars of thousands worth trainingsoftware and teaching equipment the with parallel computing systems engine for NVIDIA cards,familiarized known as CUDA. be NVIDIA donated to Byblos in students science computer to opportunity the give will Center. Teaching This CUDA a as university the designate to Mathematics, and ScienceComputer of Dr.Department by Byblos LAU the Harmanani,of preparedHaidar chair proposal, LAU’s approved NVIDIA designer card December, graphics In LAU: CUDATeaching Center the MennoniteCentral IPJE’s Committee tosupport work. peace-building by LAU to providedgrants generous by possible made was publicationworld. The the aroundcontextsdifferent in out carried have educators projectsthat peace-education actual of number a describe and talks,inspirational and reflections contain chapters director.16 Dr.IPJEGhosn, Irma-KaarinaIts by edited was December.It in School, of titled (IPJE)book a launched In an effort to promote peace education, LAU’s Institute for Peace and Justice Education onpeace educationNew book Educators & YouthEducators& out Peace:and fromBuilding in Stories page 27 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Campus Notes

Women’s Studies and Peace Education

Ending violence against women On December 8, LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World, the Outreach and Civic Engagement (OCE) unit, and LAU Beirut’s Dean of Students Office launched a series of events on the Beirut campus, as part of the White Ribbon Campaign, a global campaign that strives to compel men to take more responsibility for reducing the level of violence against women, and that came to the Middle East for the first time this year. Using the slogan “Be a Man: Men and Women Against Violence,” the campaign aimed to encourage positive masculinity and promote a petition to the Lebanese Parliament in support of a law protecting women against domestic violence and other forms of abuse. It was held in partnership with three NGOs: KAFA (enough) Violence & Exploitation, Oxfam GB, and International Medical Corps.

In a related event, LAU’s OCE unit partnered with the United Nations Information Center in Beirut to raise youth’s voice to end violence against women, with a series of events held from December 10–11, under the “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women” campaign launched in 2008 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Regional Conferences Farewell to Young Women Leaders program LAU’s Young Women Leaders program, supported by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. government’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, wrapped up its activities with the First Regional Conference on Advancing Young Women Leaders in the Arab Gulf States, held from November 28–30. The program had been launched in the summer of 2009, when 20 participants from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen and Oman underwent two weeks of rigorous leadership training at LAU, and returned to their countries to put their new skills into action. Although the program has officially ended, its legacy will continue through the newly formed Young Women Leaders Network, which will lobby for women across the Gulf and help them achieve leadership positions.

Second regional conference on program and learning assessment The second regional conference on “Program and Learning Assessment in Higher Education” gathered around 40 educators from institutions throughout Lebanon and four other Arab countries (Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Qatar) at LAU Beirut from October 29–30 to share their expertise in the field. Over 20 presentations were given by the different participants on a wide range of topics that included general assessment tips as well as issues relevant to specific disciplines. The conference was organized by LAU’s Center for Program and Learning Assessment.

Health care Workshop on medical clerkships With a commitment to deliver a top-notch clerkship program for medical students, LAU’s School of Medicine, in collaboration with Partners Harvard Medical International, organized a two-day workshop for physicians from the University Medical Center – Rizk Hospital (UMC–RH), on February 11 and 12. The event was held in anticipation of the first clerkships of the medical school’s founding class expected to begin in early summer. Also known as clinical rotations, clerkships will allow LAU students to perform the duties of physicians in different departments and specializations at the hospital, under the supervision of UMC–RH doctors.

page 28 tdns fie Cre ad lcmn Srie) ad a be acpe it the into accepted been had program acompetitive selectionprocess. after and Services), Placement and (Career Office of Students Dean Byblos LAU the through opportunity internship the about heard had Oussi world.the around dispatchers company’s the Liquide by adopted Air was of tool new products.system The delivery the optimize to tool a modifying in succeeded Oussi 19. November on Byblos LAU at presentation a during Liquide, Air provider services and gas industrial with Paris,France,working in program internship two-month a of LAUFifth-year computer engineering student Christian Jr. Oussi shared his experiences “More thananinternship” Career Guidance &NBJMDFQCFJSVU!MBVFEVMC]XXXMBVFEVMCDFQ 5 4VNNFS$BNQ -"6 VONBUDIFE -"6µTTVNNFSDBNQJTBOFYQFSJFODFUIBUJT HBNFT BOEBDUJWJUJFTGSPNBSPVOEUIFXPSME 8JUIBNJYPGHPPEPMEGBTIJPOFETVNNFSGVO FYUSBPSEJOBSZTVNNFSFYQFSJFODFGPSZPVSDIJME DSFBUJWF BOEFYQFSJFODFETUBGGQSPWJEFTBO XFMMSPVOEFEQSPHSBNBOEBUBMFOUFE 0VSDPNCJOBUJPOPGBOFYDJUJOH +VM FYU ]' UI "VH UI development onFebruary 24. (December 10, Byblos). Also, the Byblos launched office a lecture series on professional Career The Techniques” “Internships: Writing LetterCover and “CV as and 13,Beirut) and Kick-offs”9 such (December topics, career-guidance other Presentations on industries. given different also were from companies by presentations well-known recruitment of of Placement number representatives and a (Career organized offices campuses both Students on of Services) Dean the March, till November From Recruitment presentations andmore… page 29 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 More than a Summer Ssensation

More than a Summer Sensation SINARC introduces spring module By Marc Abizeid

LAU’s Summer Institute for Intensive Arabic Language and special programs tailored to their students’ circumstances. Culture (SINARC) manages to outdo itself every year, setting In January, SINARC hosted a group of students from Oberlin, new enrollment records and attracting increasing numbers of a liberal arts college in Ohio, for three weeks. In addition to international applicants hoping to enhance their Arabic skills. rigorous Arabic training, the program also offered them a course But with 164 participants last summer — an increase of in political science, Lebanese writing and dialect, and a cooking more than 50 from the previous year — SINARC Director Dr. class administered by LAU’s hospitality department. Mimi Jeha says campus dorms that house the students have Exchange students studying at LAU as part of a recent nearly reached capacity. agreement between the university and Sciences Po in France This summer, Jeha says, “We expect to have about the same constitute about half of the spring module students. number of students as last year,” despite the likelihood that the One of them, Vanessa Listl from Germany, chose to spend number of applicants will significantly increase over previous her third year abroad at LAU because of her interest in Middle years. East affairs. She says she is more than satisfied with SINARC. As it approaches its summer capacity, the program continues “I absolutely wanted to go to Beirut,” Listl says. “The classes to find ways to expand. SINARC years ago marked its departure are good and I’m happy to be learning not only Fus’ha, but from a purely summer program when it began offering modules Lebanese dialect too,” she says. “We have so much fun speaking in the fall. outside — Lebanese people are so supportive and excited when Keeping up with demand, the program introduced a spring we practice our Arabic with them.” module this year, allowing year-round study for the first time in “I’m definitely getting better — I can speak with a certain its 12-year history. amount of confidence now,” says Omar Shah, a 26-year-old New modules also mean new opportunities and a wider graduate in Middle East studies from the United States who variety of options. hopes that improving his Arabic will better his chances of The Australian Embassy in Lebanon, which has traditionally getting into graduate school. Shah has been studying at SINARC sent its diplomats to Oman for a year of Arabic language since August, and plans to continue all the way through till next training, is now enrolling them in one-on-one tutoring sessions August, making him one of the program’s first students to study with SINARC instructors. Two of the embassy’s diplomats are for a continuous year. currently enrolled and two others will soon join them. SINARC limited enrollment this spring to a manageable 15 “I did my research and discovered that SINARC was the one,” students, as a sort of test run to ensure the module’s success. says one of the diplomats, who convinced Australian officials to Having met all expectations, SINARC is beginning to advertise change state policy. “It’s very organized. It markets itself.” for next spring, when Jeha expects to see a much higher Jeha maintains close touch with Arabic departments at enrollment. universities across the world, which often contact her requesting

page 30 Enrollment isfulleverysemester.” courses. run other several with we along each, of “Today sections nine Department.about Accounting and Management Hospitality the of chair Ladki,II,”Dr. Said Food says of section one and I Food of section one offered program,we hospitality Management Program. Tourism and Hospitality LAU’s a by offered courses in cooking the of all one in slot arecoveted a get who seafood students for work and semester’s sorbets pasta, pastries, Preparing By EmilyMorris elective LAU inpopular students learnculinaryarts Cooking for Credit teaching withthe program years. for five learn,”to easy and realworld the to Hachem,says been has who prepare,they’ll dishes of types the maketo try I applicable them oriented,hospitality-management comesit when so selecting to a from industry food team oftopchefs, Hachem. ledbyheadinstructorAfif the of A-Z dietary an health-related get students and restrictions, rules safety food-storage learning each studenthashisorherownworkstation,” Ladki explains. very limited. is students,spaceLAU but all to open elective three-credit-hour developed.a is being Each also is Arts Food coursecalled new A Production/Catering. Food Quantity and Pastry; and Chocolate don students of leadingU.S. universities. the where standard facilitiescooks’ uniforms followand mirroringcurriculum a that kitchen state-of-the-art Students train at LAU’s state-of-the-art hospitality lab Students train at LAU’s state-of-the-art h 15 The the to component cooking this added first we “When According to fourth-year business marketing student Afkar Afkar student marketing business fourth-year to According aren’t and elective an as this taking are students “Many to sautéing, and chopping to entrees and starters From class,ensure to per students 15 around to restrictedare “We Baking, II; Food I; Food are available currently courses The th lo o LU erts col f uies houses Business of School Beirut’s LAU of floor take thenextone!” to left electives more had I wish I everything. with way a such friends,” entirebecame the class explains.she “And had chef the eventually and awesome was dips,groupsoups,salads, etc.The she could. U.S. the have writtentoexpress in interest initandrequest thesyllabus.” universities other from reviewers And that. about University now uses the course we developed, and we are excited Cigars,”and Wine,Spirits developed Ladki.State “Louisianasays popular wildly the and “Wine, class SpiritsandCigars.” etiquette business a including courses,non-food-related other of host a provides Programalso need intheirfuture careers andinlife,” saysTamer. “teamwork andcooking are anatural pair.” pleasure eatingthemealswecooked.” a such fun.was much it groupsso and workedin was always We not class the were that, than we other “But Otherwise recalls. attend,” beards. she to allowed their shave to had guys and the gowns, chef wear and tied hair our have to had We flops. class semester,environment the isveryprofessional butalsoalotoffun. 2010 fall the in I Food took who Barakeh, “I learned so many things — such a variety of meals, starters, if again over all I Food repeat would she that says Barakeh we when campus on commotion of lot a was “There Developed in 1996, the Hospitality and Tourism Management that “These courses enhance the arsenal of skills our students will believes Tamer Georges supervisor lab Hospitality flip or accessories polish, nail No strict: were rules “Class Cooking for Credit page 31 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 New Appointments Curtis Michael Brown Associate Director, Managing Editor Marketing and Communications Department

Curtis Brown was recently appointed Managing Editor at LAU’s Marketing and Communications Department. Brown completed his bachelor’s degree in English literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and his non-terminal master’s at Harvard University. He is currently completing his doctoral dissertation. His wife Diana Allan is a Harvard filmmaker and anthropologist whose field work focuses on Lebanon. Brown has also taught literature courses at Harvard University, Stonehill College, and Haigazian University. He says that despite differences of intellectual emphasis, the work of an editor is not so different from that of a professor. “In both settings,” he says, “your job is to recognize talent and to nurture it.” He comes to LAU with journalistic experience writing for The Daily Star, Bidoun Magazine, and the Journal of Palestine Studies, and academic experience as a university instructor in English and American literature. In parallel with his duties at MarCom, he currently teaches one section of LAU’s Literature 2, a survey course. Brown says his goals at LAU include improving the quality of university communications, cultivating the talent of staff and student writers, and bringing LAU Magazine to the next level of journalistic professionalism. “The trend in the best university magazines now is to bridge the format of a traditional alumni newsletter with that of a general-interest magazine, linking the intellectual life and history of the university with larger social issues,” Brown explains. “The magazine had grown enormously thanks to the energy and vision of the existing staff — long before I arrived. My challenge is to harness and maximize that, and see how far we can go with it.”

Salim Chehab Executive Director of Business Services

Salim Chehab was recently appointed Executive Director of Business Services, overseeing LAU’s offices of Purchasing, Supply, Hospitality Management and Auxiliary Services. In his new position, Chehab says his goals will be to re-engineer, implement and automate LAU business processes with a particular focus on the procurement area, and to facililate coordination with upper management as well as the business services team. Before coming to LAU, Chehab had worked at the United Nations since 1998. The first of his several high-ranking positions was IT coordinator at the UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, a division of the oil-for-food program. Chehab led a multinational team of professionals and implemented the purchasing, tracking, monitoring and observation of humanitarian supplies. Chehab joined the United Nations Secretariat headquarters in New York in 2001, where he led the review, reengineering, implementation and automation of processes to optimize the procurement life cycle, promote transparency and eliminate collusion. From 2003 to 2008 Chehab worked as a program officer at the UN’s Department of Management, then moved to the Office of Central Support, which oversees the offices of procurement, property management and inventory control, special events, travel and transportation, information and reception, and garage administration for diplomats and staff. Chehab says his extensive experience at the UN in leading and managing the reengineering and automation of business processes will help him “excel in optimizing processes to improve services to end-users” At LAU. Chehab holds a BE in Computer and Communications from the American University of Beirut.

page 32 Computer Engineering from St. JosephUniversity(E.S.I.B). provider.solutions software B.E.a holds Hage in emphasis an Electricalwith in Engineering Banner,maintaining andupdating aswellinterfacingitwithothersystems. in instrumental been has Hage LAU.then at Since System Information Student Banner of implementation technical the IT),led (now whereshe office InformationSystems the then alumni keep to connected andclosertoLAU. designed solution, portal Alumni the of launch and acquisition the lead also certificates.She and transcripts accessible electronicallyexample, statements,and for web services and enrich the experience of students, faculty and staff, introducing online fee which she took on in 2006, Hage managed a range of initiatives to streamline the university’s you,”and success willfind HagetellsLAU Magazine. that one should not seek rewards; when you’re committed, diligent and ethical, appreciation IT applications. LAU by solutions providingto the services community high-quality and throughstate-of-art IT innovative an as university the at reputation professional. 13-year LAU her at to Solutions adding and 2011, Applications March IT in of Director appointed was Hage Matta Roula Ms. Director ofITApplications andSolutions Roula Matta Hage AUB. at school medical of years two Biology,completed in B.S.and a holds also AUB.He from treatment facilities intheregion,” hesays. and teaching premier the of one as hospital the position to necessary support the donors care health delivery. in heights new reach Hospital Center-Rizk Medical University the helping to renovation. facilities and development,program professorships,educational scholarships, for support campaign. Promise,raisingof formillion university,goal $65 the its nearing is The which & largereven an initiate and Legacy The Excellence: for Campaign LAU’s finalize to wants he says He and businessleadersinKuwait, AbuDhabi, Dubai, QatarandSaudiArabia. to 100. 65 from treated children of number the increase to it years,allowing five of period a over international Center. As director of Medical CCCL, Nasr Beirut’s succeeded in increasing of donations to the University center by millions Americanof dollars the at (CCCL) Lebanon Nassib Nasrwasrecently AssistantVice appointed President for DevelopmentatLAU. Assistant Vice President for DevelopmentMiddleEastandEurope Nassib Nasr eoe onn LU Hg wre a a aayt n dvlpr o BL sihrt a Isticharat, BML for developer and analyst an as worked Hage LAU, joining Before Informationwas LAUManagement what joined thein Hage as assistant 1998 System in In her previous role as project manager in the IT Applications and Solutions Department, feel“I gratefulcareer my proudand LAUpath. way shaped the has of LAU proved me to Hage says that her main goal in her new role is to contribute to the continuous growth of Nasr holds a Master in Public Health – Hospital Administration and Health Management “We need the to principle identify needs of UMC-RH, in order to seek from international raisingchildren’sforexperience center,medicalthe funds his With keythe be may Nasr Among other projects, and increase he the also Development wants Office to its expand Nasr comes to LAU with ambitious plans and innovative ideas to help the university grow. He also formed one of the largest donor networks in the region, including country heads proud“I’ve been towake upeachmorningknowingI’msavingchildren’s lives,” hesays. of Center Cancer Children’s the of Director International as post a held previously He page 33 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Faculty on the Move

Faculty on the Move

Dr. Myrna Doumit Dr. Myrna Doumit has been recruited as Assistant Dean and Associated Professor at LAU ’s School of Nursing. She previously served as an assistant professor at the American University of Beirut’s School of Nursing. She says her aim at LAU is to “achieve excellence in teaching and research, and to promote the image of nursing as a scientific profession and the nurse as a caregiver, counselor, teacher, researcher, leader, manager and patient advocate.” She is a member of the Lebanese Cancer Society and a member of the National Committee for Breast Cancer Awareness. She holds a B.S. in Nursing and a Master of Public Health from AUB , and received her Ph.D. in Nursing from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has published extensively on matters related to cancer, psychological distress, and palliative care. Doumit has also participated in conferences across the world. Aside from Lebanon, Doumit has given presentations in the United States, Canada and Singapore. Her research interests include oncology and palliative care in Lebanon.

Dr. Rechdi Ahdab Dr. Rechdi M. Ahdab recently joined LAU’s School of Medicine. He has previous experience teaching neurophysiolgy and cell membrane physiology at Université Paris XII, Faculté de Médecine from 2007-2010. Ahdab recieved an M.D. in 2000 from Lebanenese University. He completed his residency in 2005, also at Lebanese University, before undergoing specialized training in neurology in Paris. Ahdab received a post-graduate diploma in clinicial neurophysiology from the Université de Lille II in 2009, then completed his fellowship in the same field at Henri Mondor Hospital in Creteil, France the following year. Finally, in 2010, Ahdab received a PhD in neuroscience from Université Paris Est in Creteil. “I decided to join the LAU because I found in this institution a breeding ground for my teaching and research ambitions,” he says.

Zeina Al Hakim Nassrawi Zeina Al Hakim Nassrawi began teaching part-time at LAU’s School of Business in Ocober, 2009 before taking on a full-time position this year. She teaches management and marketing courses. Her teaching experience also includes three years at the Hariri Canadian University. Prior to teaching, she served as a senior HR officer at Credit Card Services Company S.A.R.L. for two years, and before that, was Marketing Coordinator at Khatib & Alami for four years. She holds an M.B.A. from the American University of Beirut, and is currently pursuing a D.B.A. from Grenoble Ecole De Management in France, where she has completed her course work and earned her doctorate. She hopes to establish a long-term career of teaching and research at LAU.

Dr. Julie Tanios El-Ferzli Dr. Julie Tanios El-Ferzli is a new recruit to LAU’s School of Medicine. She is an attending physician in the Radiology Department as University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, where she is specialized in adult and pediatric radiology. She works part-time as a radiologist at St. Joseph Medical Center and at the CEDIM Medical Center. Upon graduating from Lebanese University in 2003, Tanios El-Ferzli traveled first to France and then Belgium to complete fellowships, from 2003 to 2006. She loves to travel, and is studying Italian as well as learning to dance. “This is an excellent opportunity for me to be part of LAU,” she says. “Working with medical students is a good way for me to continue learning and evolving, and perhaps become a professor down the road.”

page 34 f nornlg, n cmltd flosi a Hsia PteSlerees eatet of Department Pitie-Salpetriere’s Hospital inParis, andMetabolism Endocrinology training withspecial inLipidology. at fellowship a completed and Endocrinology, of Department Hospital’s St.University,Hotel-Dieu at Joseph ad residency school her medical did where she leads monthly conferences and organizes one major congress each year. 2002, She attended and Endocrinology,of Society Lebanese 1998 the of president the currentlycolleagues. is her She among since Hospital Joseph St.teaching of spirit the foster to and wants she LAU,says respectively.at roleNemr new her Through Hospital Center-Rizk Medical University at worked Endocrinology.also professorof has assistant She an as LAU joined Dr.has Nemr Rita Dr. Rita Nemr technology inimagingfields,” hesays, ofthisjourney.” part “andIamveryenthusiastictobe several UMC-RH committees. at the will forefrontbe “Ultimately our department of the modern Medical the for MedicalCenter-RizkUniversity at vice-chairman Department sinceImaging Hospital 2004, of member a is and as served has He 2010. till 2006 University, from Lebanese at hospital in management quality LAU,radiologyauditing.joining in lecturesinternal practiceto didactic and Prior gave Mahfoud concerning projects several in volunteered has He 1995. in Radiology in MD Paris,an receivedin he where Descartes René Université at years six next the Mahfoud received Medicine.an MD of in School General LAU’s Medicine fromto radiologySt. in Joseph experience University in of 1990 years before 15 spending brings Mahfoud Dr.Daniel Dr. DanielEliasMahf the UniversityofOxford. related to global ethics and sustainable global governance. He holds a D.Phil. in philosophy from LAU is his “interest in the life and politics of the Middle East.” His research interests are especially PoliticalLockeof Fromto History Philosophy: Thucydides (2010). join to motivation his says He A of author the is politics,and and philosophy in widely published Republic.has Czech He the Korea,South in University Hee Praguerecentlyof most University and in Anglo-American the at relationsinternational of Bilkentat Turkey,in University departments at taught has He Kyungat diplomat.a became then and Gdansk Ironof the Mayor Curtain.Deputy elected was he 1991 In of fall the to contributed movement,which Solidarity Poland’s in participated he student a as Sciences.and Arts Gdansk,of of city raisedSchool the and the in relationsBorn at international and philosophy of professor associate visiting a as LAU joins Korab-KarpowiczDr. W.Julian Dr. W systems success andstrategy, andtheethicalofinformation impacts technology. Florida. Her current research interests include knowledge management, data mining, information LAU, and a D.B.A. in Information Technology Management from Nova Southeastern University in from Management Business M.S.B.S.in and a holds Systems.IntelligenceHalawi Business and Support Decision textbook the to contributor a and articles severaljournal of author the is She years.Brandon, in Avisfive forfor manager Florida operations the Dubai.was in She University of American the TampaUniversity,University,and of professorQuinnipiac University Bethune-Cookman at assistant an as Business of School Management Information Systems. Prior to joining LAU’sLAU, Halawi was an assistant joined professor of CIS recently Halawi A. Leila Dr. Dr. LeilaA. Halawi then chairmanoftheMedical ImagingDepartment. UMC-RH,at division and Radiology the University.Lebaneseof head at appointed 2004,was In he II Med and I Med for radiology in lecturer a became he year same 1997.That in radiologist moved to back Lebanon and joined University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital as an interventional training,then radiology interventional for France to moved he 1994 Educators.In for Institute to 1992 when he was a lecturer at St. of Pharmacy and, Joseph University’s School the Lebanese Dr. Joe El-Khoury recently joined LAU’s of School Medicine. His teaching experience dates back Dr. JoeEl-Khoury . JulianK orab-K arpowicz oud page 35 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 LAU’s Feline Frenzy

LAU’s Feline Frenzy By Marc Abizeid

LAU Beirut is more than a university for the clowder of cats and Sciences in Beirut and a passionate cat lover, began feeding that have infiltrated its stone walls and steel gates: It’s a feline them. Soon enough others got involved. fairground. “We used to call her ‘the cat lady,’” recalls Dr. Jim Finlay, And while most people belonging to this community assistant dean of the School of Business, who was among the couldn’t distinguish one fur ball from the next, the handful of first to participate in the effort. faculty members who contribute monthly to a fund supporting Finlay grew up in a family of animal lovers. He says one of the cats know them better, in some cases, than they know their his daughters in the United States has five cats, while another students. daughter in Lebanon took home a blind cat she found hiding in “They have characters,” says Reine Azzi, assistant professor some bushes a few years ago. of English at LAU. Her face lights up adoringly as she describes “I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have pets. They some of her favorites, like “Crazy Big Bob,” who became more grow on you,” he says, revealing a picture of his two cats in aggressive after a harrowing experience with attackers, or Sox, Illinois, which he set as the desktop background on his computer who attends only the fanciest of LAU’s receptions in order to screen. gets his paws on the hors d’œuvres. On top of the 50,000 LL Finlay contributes to the fund each Then there is Haboula, as Azzi calls her, known by others as month, he says he spends an additional 75,000 LL to feed the Vinny for her tomboyish resemblance to Vincent Van Gogh. finicky eaters like Sox, who “don’t like cheap cat food.” Tawny and petite, with soulful eyes and a deep scar across her Today, Dr. Dima Dabbous-Sensenig, director of the Institute stomach, Vinny spends her days office-hopping in Nicol Hall, for Women’s Studies in the Arab World, heads the effort. She where she sleeps for hours next to her hosts, much to the collects faculty contributions, buys food at discounted prices, dismay of the cleaners who complain about the fur making a and coordinates with local organizations whenever needed. mess. But with a cat so gentle, calm and endearing, many don’t Feeding is only one part of the initiative to protect the cats. have the heart to show her the door. In 2008, Dabbous-Sensenig teamed up with Animals Lebanon The faculty members take turns feeding the cats each day to prevent LAU from spraying pesticides on campus that were at a set time and location, but as Azzi points out, the cats don’t shown to be harmful to the cats. only show up to chow down. And with the help of students from the Animal Care Club, “A lot of them don’t come for food; they just want to play volunteers and faculty were able to collect and neuter 30 cats with us, to be petted. They just want love,” Azzi says. “We don’t three years ago. Several more have been neutered in the years just take care of them out of some sense of moral duty. It also since. fulfills something in us.” “If you feed cats, they will multiply quickly and the population The effort to look after the cats took shape several years will explode,” Dabbous-Sensenig explains. ago, when Dr. Hadia Harb, former dean of the School of Arts

page 36 Birmingham education intheCommonweatlh andbeyond, andhumanrights real thepromise-citizenship Bottom: at theBritishCouncil Making Seminar Campaign for Peace Education of theInternationalBoard advisory oftheGlobal Top: At theUnited Nations inNew York, meeting By EmilyMorris Crossing thecultural dividetopromote tolerance Irma-Kaarina Ghosn LAU FacultyProfile Q&A schools inLebanon.schools gradesforUNRWA1,for 3 and textbooks 2 language English developing currently also am soon.I out comingByblos, is in Friends”,set story “Phoenician fiction historical a What canfrom weexpect younext? Emma Boutros. book,student design graphicLAU The Lilmalayin,by illustratedEl-Ilm ending.was Dar by published also surprise new a with Arabic in story “Wolf, Wolf” classic the write re- to husband translator my with collaborated 2009,Arabic.I In into translated been has boy,which Bangladeshi little a of story true 1999.“Abul,Truethe Hero”in the is from TESOL for a draft of my “Caring Kids” series, which Dar El-Ilm Lilmalayin published The Mary Finocchiaro Award for Excellence in the Development of Pedagogical Materials Can you tell us more about writing children’s books as a hobby? subject. the on workshops conferencesand inspiring of number a attended have I then Since forforPeace.Peace Campaign Appeal Education,Global Hague the the of initiative an of board advisory international the in member a become to me led That educators. Teachersthe College Columbiaat of University, Reardon foremostworld’s the of one peace is who Betty International meet to the enough lucky joined was then and (IPRA), I Association Research hooked. Peace immediately was I and me, to sense greatmade thing whole The materials. and classes their into education peace infusing in involved all in were who professionals CollegeEnglish-language inspiring several Vermont.met Michael’s I St. at Education Peace on Institute Summer Languages)of Speakers Other to English of (Teachers TESOL two-week a attend to scholarship a had I How didyougetinvolvedinpeace education? asapeace educator andhersidelineinchildren’sbeginnings books. the UniversityofVirginia ofEducation intheU.S. CurrySchool of from Education School of Foundations Leicester Lebanon. Social and of Psychology M.Ed.in Education, and a University U.K. and the States from Linguistics United Applied the in Ph.D. Greece, a in holds She lived have children two and husband her diverse, multicultural background. Born and raised in Finland, she and her Lebanese Lebanese context andfeature children solvingcommunity problems,” Ghosnexplains. Responsibility ThroughSocial Literature.” she writes in her spare time, including series,her award-winning 10-book “Caring Kids: she teaches, regardless of the main subject. The same goes for the children’s books that cross-cultural and education teacher communication. psychology, child English, including 1991, in Byblos LAU to coming courses”since of taught collection “eclectic has a Ghosn as Education, describes she Justice what and Peace for Institute LAU’s of director and children’s authoring to books. LAU at courses conflict-resolution teaching from does, she Dr. Irma-Kaarina Ghosn’s passion for building a more peaceful society infuses everything LAU Magazine recently caught up with Ghosn to find out more about both her both about more out find to Ghosn with up caught recently Magazine LAU of result a partly be may writing and teaching to approach socially-conscious Her the in set are many and children school-age primary at aimed are books “These Ghosn says she weaves themes of and peace-building social justice into each course Sciences Social and Humanities of Department the in professor associate an As In 1998 I received page 37 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 The Legacy & the Promise Campaign

THE LEGACY & THE PROMISE CAMPAIGN

Gala committee members Wadih “Bill” Jordan, Eva Kotite Farha, and Paul Boulos (left to right) join honoree Suad Juffali and President Jabbra LAU Heads Midtown for its Annual Gala By Greg Houle

LAU held its second annual gala at the Pierre Hotel in midtown “My alma mater was the guiding star of my life,” Juffali Manhattan on April 15th. Like the inaugural gala a year ago, said. “It prepared me to pursue my dreams and aspirations, the event provided LAU with the opportunity to connect with and it taught me the value of education and how to invest in its broad community of supporters from around the world, human beings. The university provided me with a passion to as well as to celebrate recent achievements of the university. make things happen and never to give up.” But the gala also serves another valuable purpose for LAU, Ray Irani is best known for his role at Occidental Petroleum something that its organizers at the university’s New York (Oxy), having transformed the chemical production company office had in mind from the very beginning: introducing the during his tenure there, as director in the 1980s and later university to a wider network of new people. chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, Oxy has become One way the gala does this is by recognizing members of the fourth-largest oil and gas company in America. Irani, who the community for public service. This year the university has also been active in causes ranging from strengthening honored educator and humanitarian Suad Juffali, the ties between the US and Lebanon to waging the battle against managing director of the Ahmed Juffali Benevolent cancer, said he was “thrilled to be honored by Lebanese Foundation, and business giant Ray Irani, chairman and CEO American University.” of Occidental Petroleum. Both were presented with the Sarah “Under the remarkable leadership of Dr. Joseph Jabbra,” Award for Excellence, named after Sarah Lanman Huntington Itani said, “LAU continues to be a beacon of educational Smith, the American woman who in the 1830s founded the excellence in Lebanon, providing a world-class curriculum school that eventually became LAU. and outstanding cultural programs for all of its students.” Suad Juffali, a 1954 graduate of Beirut College for Women Richard Rumsey, LAU’s Vice-President for University (as LAU was then known), has been committed for nearly sixty Advancement, said his division’s goal is “to build this gala years to issues related to social welfare in the Middle East into something more than just an event.” and beyond. In Saudi Arabia, she established and organized “We want to use this gala as an opportunity to let the the Women’s Welfare Society and the Al-Faisaliyah Women’s widest possible audience know about the good work that LAU Society, both dedicated to helping women and children, as does,” Rumsey said. “LAU has become an important part of well as the Help Center, an organization designed to help the landscape of Lebanon and the Middle East.” children with special needs.

page 38 LAU honoree Ray Irani withPresident Jabbra and noted Lebanese journalist May Chidiac (seated, third are from joinedby others left) Lebanon’s to theUnited Nations Nawaf (seated, Salam ambassador second from left) Honoree SuadJuffali withPresident Jabbra Photos courtesy of Wayne Valzania Photography Women’s Studies inthe Arab World, “Veil(s): A Photographic Overview,” presented by LAU’s Institute for was exhibited during thegala RAISED GOAL $65 Million $57,315,193 page 39 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 The Legacy & the Promise Campaign

THE LEGACY & THE PROMISE CAMPAIGN

Mutual Fund Fadi Rajeh and LAU invest in each other

Fadi Rajeh has ambition in spades, and for as long as he areas of Lebanon. In March he was accepted to the Middle East can remember has nurtured the same dream: to become a Partnership Initiative’s Student Leaders program, a prestigious businessman, an investor, and a success story. A graduating five-week intensive leadership-training program held in the senior in business administration with an emphasis in United States each summer. international business and marketing, Rajeh has made the And Rajeh’s contributions don’t end there. While a full-time most of his time at LAU, recognizing both the centrality of student Rajeh has worked in marketing and business strategy education to his future success, and his good fortune in development for Aotearoa Abroad, a New-Zealand-based receiving his from LAU. company looking to break into the Lebanese market; offered A native of Baakleen in the Shouf region of Lebanon, Rajeh private business and mathematics tutorials; and even found attended high school at Shouf National College, then moved time to be an emergency-medical-services volunteer with the to Beirut after graduation. Red Cross, all while holding down a part-time job at night to “Passing the gates of LAU I used to dream of becoming shore up his spending money. a student here, but my financial background seemed an “The financial aid I have received from the university has insurmountable obstacle,” says Rajah. been the cornerstone to my education,” says Rajeh. “It made Rajeh nevertheless summoned the nerve to apply, and possible my time at LAU, which is now drawing to a close, as his good grades and obvious academic aptitude won him an well as my career, which is about to begin.” acceptance. “I’ve invested myself in LAU,” he adds, already thinking like Rajeh applied for financial aid after his first semester the businessman he’s about to become. “And I’ve tried very at LAU, and to his surprise and delight received a generous hard to get a good return on that investment.” package comprising a grant, a student loan, and a work-study agreement. This aid package has continued throughout Rajeh’s time at LAU. It is probably not possible to be more active and involved as a student than Rajeh has been at LAU. He chaired and directed LAU’s highly regarded Model United Nations training program for high-school students, he attended the Institute for Peace and Justice Education’s annual Summer School for Emerging Leaders on Conflict Prevention and Transformation, and he has led numerous leadership training courses in rural

page 40 Alumni Profiles the Beirutcampus. Talato Khalifeh, fellowa LAUon graduate office currentlyAuditing who the in works two professors from MIT. macroeconomics.lecturerteaching LAUwith at seminar conducta to hopes also He Beacon Hill Institute, andTheHudsonInstitute. Programme,Development the Nations United the institutions,including economic major several for center,consulted the Ghayad launching to Prior response. policy adjustment,market shocks,labor global structuralchange, post-crisis with deals and focusing on issues related to marketslabor around the world. Ghayad’s own research Pennsylvania recently founded the Center for Labor Market Development, a think tank systemintheUS. restructure theunemploymentbenefits Advisers Economic of PresidentBarackdirectionof the Obama.projectto created under the is of goal The Council the with project a to advisor, on assistant his Dickens, research non-residentWilliam a as works also the He Economics. at of Econometrics Applied Department in PhD the for candidate a currently is and Analysis strong a found he where hisownresearchoverlap between interests Northeastern, andthatofthefaculty. from fellowship doctoral full a accept to successfullyapplied Ghayad programsPhD to fourat different universities. chose He of theYear andpresented himwithanExcellence inGraduate Studiesaward. and multinational commerce, and a cumulative GPA of 3.96. BU named him Student He studies. graduate pursue to economics financial Scienceof degreesMasters both with in graduated2009 May in (BU) University Boston at Business of School the Ghayad remains inclosecontact withboth. faculty,Dr.Dr. School and particular Business Dah in the Ariss.citing Abdallah Rima among mentors his careerfarto and successesso motivation early his attributes He Economics.in BS a with 2006 in LAUfrom distinction with graduated Ghayad Rand Rand Ghayad’srisingstar Beirut toBoston But it’s not all business and study for Ghayad. This summer he will be engaged be will he summer Ghayad.This for study and business all not it’s But Rand Ghayad will return to LAU this summer, where he a will visiting be part-time of University MIT,the fromprofessors and of Northeastern group a and Ghayad Policy in MA his received has Northeastern,Ghayad at career his in point this At With encouragement from his mentors at BU to continue his graduate education, from scholarship full a receiving after 2007 August in Boston to came Ghayad page 41 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 FEATURES

Electoral Migration The Civic Evolution of the

Lebanese Diaspora By Curtis Brown

Lebanese expats return to vote during 2009 Parliamentary elections (Courtesy of Mahmoud Kheir, The Daily Star) page 42 he says. with intra-sectarian, now andregionalsome local ‘chiefs’ fearing theirownnon-residents,” is issue sectarian “The protecting clientelism. with do to more and balance confessional with do and USA Canada, Africa, to Australia.” moving — well as contingents Sunni and emigrated,— Muslims Shia of of largenumbers with war,however,civil waves large the “Afterrights. voting resident non- of advocate prominent a and Byblos LAU at engineering of professor associate Karam, Dr. Gebran Christian,” says were abroad.” communities the of composition and numbers the of politics were now leaving the country, Brand says, thus “transforming the — classes social and time,sects representing, all first — the for when 20–25 percent of the population emigrated. Entire families the UniversityofSouthernCalifornia. professor and director of the of School International Relations at independence,”Dr.Brand, beyond Lauriesays then and toward moved it as Lebanon in balance political and confessional the was rejected asaconfessional play. power move the interim, the in nationality secured had who émigrés when President Ayub Tabet in 1943 attempted to add to the rolls Lebanon” in1920. “Greater established France when diluted further was strength demographic community’s That Christian. predominantly was triggered by the downturn in the Mount Lebanon silk industry and thornysince hasbeen beforepolitics therepublic’s founding. Lebanese in participation émigré of subject very logistical.The vote,” saysSkulte-Ouaiss.here “Butyouhavetobe tovote.” generation and have never lived in the country, you can fly in and for absenteevoting. more citizens abroad than in the country — and yet no provisions Canada, France, WestAfrica andsoon.” the 2009, Australia,from expats “In in ship to (IMS).planes whole chartered parties Studies Migration for Institute LAU’s of member a and LAU at affairs international and science political of professor assistant Skulte-Ouaiss, country,” Dr. Jennifer says junket. international all-expenses-paid seem,an would involve it it does form, a notarized signature and registered mail. Only official in Lebanon,an involves abroad from voting countries, many In bill. the footing were parties political Lebanon’s that hurt didn’t it Lebanese with shopping, sightseeing, of —andvoting. beach-going thousands country,home of completethe of tour whirlwind a tens for expatriates disgorging Beirut, in down T aa mitis ht eitne o eom o hs es to less has now reform to resistance that maintains Karam emigrants Lebanese most when issue sectarian a was “It war, however, civil 18-year the by altered was diaspora The with do to everything “had short, in citizenship, Expatriate but expatriates, counted 1932) (in census only Lebanon’s The first wave of emigration — beginning in the 1860s — was The obstacles to non-resident voting in Lebanon are not purely third- you’re if even card, identity Lebanese a have you “If are there — diaspora huge a having in unique is Lebanon the outside extensions have parties political major the “All Democratic zeal in a tightly knit global diaspora? Perhaps. But electoral gains but that of a stream jets of touching jumbo Marchof that short-lived 14’s be not may 2009 of election contestedLebanon’sgeneralclosely of image enduring he oiia atvte, ilg ad aiy soitos religious associations, family associations, and charityandlobbying. village activities, political including sphere, public Lebanese the of areas all in relations research three-year projecta carryingout transnational studying at anthropology LAU, and Tabar IMS,directorof founderand the currentlyis is which sociology of professor associate An law. Lebanese are veryreal, eveniftheyaren’t formalized inelectoral home at Lebanese and abroad. between last, at link, real “a creating one democraticcircle,”enlargementthe immediate of an “demand Revolution Cedar the by sparked possibilities the that arguing abroad,vote to 2005 right the ill-fated law Lebanese an into incorporating bill drafted School, Law professor University visiting Harvard current at and alumnus LAU attorney, rights a many.by echoed theme is Dr. politics Mallat,Chibli prominenthuman- a power Lebanese of backrooms the into air fresh communities radical.” tendtobe limited to the Lebanese case — is that elements vocal of émigré not is which — tension this another.of towardsresult you The push peers your while identity cultural your retain to you want émigrés.of Yourparents child — boat the ‘FOB’ off an fresh — “existential” crisisoffirst- andsecond-generation emigrants. the to it attributes Zionists),Brooklynand among extremism to describes this phenomenon as “the Brooklyn syndrome”Beirut, LAU at (alluding science political of professor associate Salloukh, homeland.Dr.the in Bassel than radical more often is diaspora secular to exposure sustained democracies.” with voters’ ‘civic-trained of participation the with discourse, political our different into a perspective bring also would “It Karam. 2009,” says in saw we the “right” ballots. their transatlantic trip to the polls, represents chaperoning a surer way of delivering to and subsidizing blocs arranging, voter and participate, diaspora specific inviting expense, enormous the and logistics the Despite ballots. absentee for little enthusiasm show country the into voters flying dollars of millions of “ o D. al aa, h pltcl ik bten transnational between links Tabar, political Dr. Paul the For let might vote diasporic the that idea the Nevertheless, be to means it what saw I years; 14 for Canada in lived “I the in discourse political that suggest however, Others, effects vote-brokering the reduce “would voting Absentee tens spend to willing elites why, says,political is Karam This than singingFairuzandsendingmoney.” and emotions.BeingLebanesemeansmore people, relationships,culture,aspirations The diasporaisnotjustadonorbase;it’s — and sociology Dr. Paul Tabar, associateprofessorofanthropology page 43 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Electoral Migration

Meeting of the World Lebanese Cultural Union in the 60s (Courtesy of Nada Itani, Al-Hayat)

IMS’s research begins to shed light on the apparent reconstruction. But according to both Brand and Tabar, the state contradictions between diaspora cosmopolitanism and the has too often seen the diaspora as a mere “milk cow,” a source of “Brooklyn syndrome.” On the one hand, Tabar confirms that funds and little more. Lebanon — as a so-called “weak state” — has tended to “export “There’s a lack of knowledge, as well as a lack of policy,” says Tabar. its divisions to the diaspora.” On the other hand, he underlines “The diaspora is not just a donor base. It’s people, relationships, a crucial distinction within diaspora communities between a culture, aspirations and emotions. We hope to translate our data vocal, politically organized and deeply sectarian minority and a on these questions into policy recommendations.” dormant, disengaged but tantalizingly moderate majority: “So Possible recommendations range from improving consular many are muted, silent, and prefer — understandably — to avoid services to establishing quotas of parliamentary seats for the Lebanese game. They want to play a role when their role can diasporic “districts” (Africa, Australia, South and North America, make a difference.” etc.), from supporting cultural centers, Arabic-language study and IMS plans to make policy recommendations aimed at tapping newspaper-publication abroad to sponsoring trips for diaspora this reservoir of moderate, progressive political energies in the youth to visit Lebanon. diaspora. To do this effectively, Tabar maintains, requires more “These efforts would not amount to asking them to return — than absentee ballots. many will not return — but rather, in an increasingly transnational “Émigrés have what sociologists call ‘social capital’. The world, to be invested, in more than the monetary and emotional Lebanese state has always looked to its diaspora as a source of senses of the word,” Tabar says. “Being Lebanese means more financial capital. But social capital — ideas, habits, values — can than singing Fairuz and sending money.” also be sent back to the homeland.” Fairuz, tabbouleh and remittances aside, the definition of Partly due to controversy, and partly to its weak institutions what it is to be Lebanese is vexed and contested, and likely to and laissez-faire economic liberalism, the Lebanese state remain so even if non-resident electoral reform comes to pass. has never had a unified policy toward its diaspora. Implicit There is no official current census of the diaspora, for the same recognition of expatriates as part of the body politic — as with reason there has been no domestic census for almost 80 years. President Camille Chamoun’s historic 1954 visit to Brazil, home Estimates range wildly. Further muddling the issue is the fact that to the world’s largest Lebanese émigré community — has been Lebanese nationality can only be passed on by the father. sporadic at best. The World Lebanese Cultural Union, founded But the paradoxes run deeper. On the one hand, no country’s in 1960 with indirect government sponsorship, never had a national character and narrative have been as formatively clear mandate and over the decades fell victim to inertia and shaped by the experience of migration and return as Lebanon’s. infighting. On the other hand, there is an undeniably painful history of The state has always welcomed remittances, and fostered weak sovereignty and foreign meddling in the country’s affairs. what Brand calls the “romanticized” image of emigration “as a Lebanon is both justly proud of and understandably haunted by path to success for the entrepreneurial and adaptable Lebanese.” the porousness — literal and figurative — of its borders. The It turns to them in times of crisis, as after the civil war when cosmopolitanism of its public culture, meanwhile, is matched Rafiq Hariri’s administration pleaded for their assistance in only by the parochialism of its state institutions.

page 44 theory at the University of Melbourne, has studied the “political Melbourne,“political of the University studied the has at theory participate.” subconscious,in the diasporic leading emigrants to seek ways to village,” global Lebanese the Karamreverberatedsays, they “and by simultaneously lived were modern events the these Lebanon, of in history time first the “For 2005–06. of events the to à-vis thehomecountry. his mixture of passionate investment and ironic detachment vis- in generation his of representative is — commentator political sprung upinrecent years: QifaNabki,have on that blogs Lebanese many expatriate of one fictional dialogue between “Abu Samir” and “Abu Michel,” posted (Courtesy ofPedro Alcaraz Ruiz) Commemorative Brazilian stamp ofLebanese President, Camille Chamoun Dr. Ghassan Hage, an anthropologist and professor of social social of professor and anthropologist an Hage,Dr. Ghassan Commentators trace the rise of the expat political blogosphere The author — a Harvard Ph.D. student and a widely published Abu Samir:Pass thesugar. needs, foreigners it’s takinganinterest inLebanese affairs. Lebanonthat thing point.one there’s If Good Michel: Abu maybe elections, our takinganinterest start inLebanesethey’ll finally affairs. in vote them let we If Samir: Abu of number Abu Michel:Iheard itwasmore like twentymillion… the That’s million! Lebanese livinginthediaspora. Fourteen Samir: Abu Abu Michel:Thousands! Abu Samir:Hundreds! would Abu Michel:Ihavesomanyaswell. picture Dozens! entire the vote, change. could outside living they relatives If many Lebanon. soooo have I Samir: Abu a by captured is ambivalence resulting the of Something quaint. seem to come may — se per rights voting meant diaspora the participation”of “political when days the even indeed,perhaps feel itin Lebanon next.” to expect can elsewhere.We Egypt,Tunisiaand in media social of impact political the seen We’ve non-sectarian. and detached a creating political been new public sphere, ironic expatriate but engaged, have savvy politically but more of expats kind Lebanese different “Young a participation: for stage the set has indifference.and particular in media social of rise the says Hage impotence of poles the of clear well emotions political tapping news the event andthereader.” between gap symbolic and physical the of “narrowing strategies as interpret to came he work, field ethnographic his gestures in repeatedly and saw Hage distance,newspaper,which the slapping by like heightened is feels reader émigré reading,”of the scene anger,impotence notes.The and he guilt the to migration of reality the of intrusion “unwelcome creates about, say, the 2006 war with Israel — in an Australian newspaper in relation to various forms of media. Reading Lebanese news — crisis,of especially times emotions”at diasporaLebanese the of n we w d, h dy o jne fihs o h pls — polls the to flights junket of days the do, we when And immediacy, of sense a provides contrast by internet The The late 19 The late 19 1905. (Courtesy ofBadrEl-Hage) ofBeirut in handlers at theport baggage Above: of Lebanese emigration. th century witnessedtheﬁrst majorwave page 45 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Family Affair

Family Affair By Emily Morris What is it like to attend the same university at the same time as your mother? LAU Magazine recently caught up with five LAU students and their moms, who also happen to be studying at LAU, to find out how they feel about sharing the university life in such close quarters. Is LAU big enough for the two of them? The responses from both generations are overwhelmingly positive.

Sawsan Khanafer and Tanya Mohamad-Khalil

This is not the first time that Sawsan Khanafer and her daughter Tanya have been at LAU Beirut together. When Sawsan was an undergraduate in political science in the mid-1990s, she would bring Tanya to LAU’s nursery school to streamline her personal and academic lives. “I made sure that my courses fit with her nursery schedule, and we would come to campus together,” Sawsan remembers. Fast-forward 15 years, and the two are back on campus again, Sawsan pursuing an M.A. in international affairs and Tanya a B.A. in communication arts with an emphasis in theater. Sawsan has one course and a thesis left to complete her degree, and Tanya expects to graduate in 2013. “It is very different now because she is an independent young lady, plus our schedules are not the same. I still make sure to call her when I’m on campus to meet for a quick chat,” says Sawsan, “but I‘m careful not to invade her privacy at university.” Tanya is proud of her mom, saying it “takes guts to go back” to university. “I think it’s really cool that she can balance both worlds,” she says. “Oddly enough, my photography professor, Albert Saikaly, used to teach my mom the same course 20 years ago,” Tanya muses. “When I told him that I’m Sawsan’s daughter, he was so surprised. He knew me from baby photos my mom had used for her projects!”

Sawsan Al Sidani and Moustapha Al Jaroudi

Sawsan Al Sidani graduated from AUB in the 1980s with a business degree and has been a teacher for a number of years. She enrolled in LAU’s Teaching Diploma course after learning that the university sponsors full-time teachers who don’t yet hold a teaching certificate. She completed the course in the spring of 2009 and says it has opened up new avenues in her career. Sawsan admits it was a bit overwhelming to go back to university and sit next to classmates the age of her son, but she found that the students accepted her without hesitation, and would even ask if she needed anything. “And having my son there was great. After 25 years it’s not a piece of cake to go back to school, but he helped me register for courses and told me where to go on campus,” she says. Her son, Moustapha Al Jaroudi, graduated from LAU in the fall of 2009 with a B.S. in business studies with an emphasis in accounting. He currently works as an audit assistant at Deloitte & Touche in Abu Dhabi and plans to take the Certified Public Accountant exam this summer. Moustapha says he was never embarrassed about having his mom on campus with him; on the contrary, he invited her to sit with his group of friends before her classes and asked her teachers to take special care of her. “I am really amazed by her will to continue pursuing education, especially given the responsibilities she has as a mom, housewife, teacher and a student — all at the same time,” he says.

page 46 By EmilyMorris Family Affair

Salpi and Anahid Samitian

lhuh hy tde o dfeet A cmue, Anahid campuses, LAU different on studied they Although Samitiansaysthat having hermother fellowaas student helped her cope with the transition from high school to college.

ihsho vctos I led ke m wy rud both around way my knew already I vacations, high-school campuses before starting college,”campusesstartingbefore currentlyAnahid,is says who majoring in architecture at LAU Byblos.

withan emphasis in journalism in 2009. She iscurrently working on her first children’s picture book, called “The Little Cedar Tree,” which will be out in May.

to pursue my dream, but also to show my children that determination can overcome the odds.”

ultimate surprise for the children.”

Anahidrecalls, “A friend mineof the insame classlooked through mymom’s photos andsaid: ‘This myfriend. is How do you know her?’ And mom replied: ‘She’s my daughter.’her?’myreplied:know‘She’s momyou And looksdo mom How my shockedbecause wasfriend My pretty young.”

“Because I used to attend some of her classes with her during

Salpi Samitian graduated with a B.A. in communicationB.A.inarts a graduated Samitian withSalpi

“I belong to ageneration whose lives and dreams were disrupted by war,” she says. “At LAU, not only was ableI

hn h rgsrr ald e nm a gauto ad none “ih itnto, Sli as t a “the was distinction,” it “with announced says andgraduation Salpi at name her called registrar the When

“I told them I expected nothing less from them — just kidding! I just want them to do their best,” she says. ap hd n msn mmn i hr htgah cas hn h ue prris f nhd o a project. a for Anahid of portraits used she when photography class her in moment amusing an had Salpi

Liane Mathes Rabbath and Charlotte Rabbath

Charlotte Rabbath is a first-year student at LAU Beirut, majoring in economics.Shehas her mom Liane tothank forencouraging her o hoe h fed “ didn’tmuch economicsaboutknow veryfield. choose the “Ito u togt t ol b interesting.been always has bemom would My thought it but supportivewhateverof wewantpursue,to andfar,so reallyI like the program,” she says.

thesame campus herasmother, Charlotte sayswithtwinkle, a “I mean she’s cool for a mom, but still. They’re always spying.”

story,because alsousedI work tothe athigh school thechildren attended. And now here I am at LAU, with classmates who are friends of my daughter,” she says. “So when I see her with a group of friends, I try to maintain a respectful distance.”

aboutartists, known forheruse rolledof cigarette papers colorfulin collages. theInfall2010,of shedecided to return to university to pursue a B.A. in fine arts.

structured program. I chose LAU because of its strong reputation in the arts,” Liane says.

hn se i se ie suyn a te ae ie n on and time same the studying at likes she if askedWhen

Lianeagrees. “It’s not so much fun for my daughter. It’s an old

Lianeholds amaster’s degree in finance and over the past decade has become one of Lebanon’s most talked-

“I had“Ibeen taking lotsindependentof coursesart over theyears andwanted compareto them withmore a

raised us,” she says. “I completely support her dreams.” her support completely “I us,”says. she raised

mom’s dual life as a full-time professional and student. “It’s her time now. My brother and I are grown up — she’s she’s — up grown are I and brother My now. time her “It’s student. and professional full-time a as life dual mom’s

great deal,” Cendrella says. deal,” Cendrella great

sounds funny coming out of my mouth. But they encourage me a a me encourage they But mouth. my of out coming funny sounds

and help me in budgeting, thinking creatively, and so on.” so and creatively, thinking budgeting, in me help and

as a manager: “It will give me new insight on how to deal with staff, with deal to how on insight new me give will “It manager: a as

hectic!”

home at night, from 8 to 11 p.m. I’m preparing for my classes. It’s It’s classes. my for preparing I’m p.m. 11 to 8 from night, at home

Library. “I essentially have two full-time jobs,” she says. “When I go go I “When says. jobs,”she full-time two have essentially “I Library.

at LAU Beirut, where she also serves as director of the Riyad Nasser Nasser Riyad the of director as serves also she where Beirut, LAU at

Cendrella Habre recently enrolled in the Executive M.B.A. program program M.B.A. Executive the in enrolled recently Habre Cendrella

“Rana drops by my office from time to time, especially when she needs money,” Cendrella says, smiling. says, money,” Cendrella needs she when especially time, to time from office my by drops “Rana

Cendrella Habre and Rana Abdallah Rana and Habre Cendrella

Rana Abdallah is in her fifth and final year as an interior architecture student. She is “totally supportive” of her her of supportive” “totally is She student. architecture interior an as year final and fifth her in is Abdallah Rana

“When I tell my kids I have a final the next day, they say it it say they day, next the final a have I kids my tell I “When Cendrella believes that the M.B.A. course will enhance her role role her enhance will course M.B.A. the that believes Cendrella page 47 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Cultural Mnemonics

Cultural Mnemonics Living history at LAU’s Center for Lebanese Heritage By Emily Morris

Henri Zoghaib, director of LAU’s Center for Lebanese Heritage, is Zoghaib says the LAU presence, especially that of students, has on a personal mission to keep the cultural memory of Lebanon been fairly light. He has ideas about how to change that. alive. “I am hoping, and President Jabbra has expressed his The CLH was formed in January 2002 out of what he and support in this, that there will soon be a course or credit on other like-minded people saw as the mismanagement of Lebanese heritage, so the young generation will know about Lebanon’s heritage. the face of their country — its history and culture, its eminent Zoghaib, a well-known Lebanese poet and novelist, had first personalities,” he says. proposed the idea of a center in 2001, in a letter to then-LAU Although Zoghaib is the main spokesperson and organizer president Dr. Riyad F. Nassar. “I wanted to partner with LAU in for the CLH, the center relies on members of an advisory council order to raise awareness about the work we do, and have access to give expert advice from different disciplines. to the variety of resources a reputable university has to offer,” Renowned Lebanese composer and conductor Dr. Walid he says. Golmieh, director of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory Over the years the main aim of the Center has been two-fold: of Music and a member of the council since 2002, credits LAU to locate, restore and preserve materials relating to Lebanese for “giving the center a moral and financial push.” Golmieh heritage; and to organize functions, debates and conferences faults government institutions for being remiss in their duty to about historical books, periodicals and art, as well as the work preserve cultural memory. of Lebanese cultural eminences. “I feel if I don’t know my heritage, I don’t know my present The CLH is funded by LAU and by private donations from time and I don’t know my future,” says Golmieh, who is the various sources. Most of its collection — which includes founder of both the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra everything from out-of-print books and periodicals to the and the Lebanese National Arabic Oriental Orchestra. personal effects of Lebanese writers — has been donated by “Culture doesn’t come about abruptly — it’s laid down individuals concerned with safeguarding the cultural legacy of continuously, layer upon layer. Having a proper understanding their assets. of our cultural heritage makes us more critical when we read “These people give to CLH because they know it is the and re-read our history,” he adds. best place to keep and preserve their heritage documents and Zoghaib’s favorite items in the center’s collection are the old items,” Zoghaib explains. journals and newspapers. These, he says, “are the real cultural Most of the archives CLH has collected are housed at LAU history of Lebanon.” Byblos. “We’re waiting for what will hopefully be a whole floor in a new building to display them,” he says. Every first Monday of the month, Zoghaib organizes a cultural forum on a notable Lebanese cultural figure. These have included the musicians and composers Assi and Mansour Rahbani (famed for their Fairuz collaborations) and Karam Melhem Karam, a renowned Lebanese author and journalist. Zoghaib is meticulous in his documentation of the Center’s events. At the end of each academic year, he compiles the transcripts and summaries from all CLH’s activities, and publishes them in bound volumes for free distribution. “I do this job because I love my country and want to preserve its cultural memory for future generations,” he says. The Center’s events are well attended by members of the media, government officials and influential literary figures, but Historic poster of Karam Melhem Karam at LAU’s Riyad Nassar Library page 48 among the great books of the turn-of-the-20th-century American American immigrant experience. turn-of-the-20th-century the of books great the among generally place its takes also but literature, Arab-American of major work first the constitutes only not it transcendentalists, the and that haveproved socentral toLebanese identity. return and migration of cycles spiritual the captured having it, and having for literature, illustrations the Lebanese drew who Gibran, of Khalil influenced classic profoundly a is It classics. several is it Massachusetts in even unveiledanAmeenRihanibustontheircampus.” of University Library Tufts D.C. the Washington, and in Library Congress Public City York New the University, Princeton at events,including international major but articles only not — things many so seeing we’re Rihani,”“Now says. about she university inJanuary. helped who for LAU symposium centennial a organize to at linguistics and English of professor assistant more widelyread nowthaneverbefore. is making its way onto school syllabi and into public consciousness, over the last century. of With its the publication, centennial his story fake selling “Holy Land” peddler trinkets. street a becomes and room damp a rents he Syria, where Little Manhattan’s to there from way his makes Khalid Emigration.”hero of His Bureau the into dumped are steerage the of children unhappy Island,”“the where Ellis of “Jahannam the as describes Rihani what at arrived they when pockets their in dollars of Marseilles, andtheIslandofEllisinNewYork.”hostelries verminous the Beirut, of Port “the include cross the emigrant,” the of Dolorosa of Via “the as stations America to whose voyage the century. 19th late describes the He of York New City the Khalid, novel Rihani’s Ameen of protagonist fictional The celebrates itscentennial A bicultural classic Mount Lebanon The Muse of By Curtis BrownBy Curtis It is an American classic as well. Drawing on Whitman, Emerson, but speak, to so novel, one only be may Khalid of Book The know people many not said have would I ago, years ten “Even an Diab, Dr. now,” Nuwar says international is reputation “His considerably increased have shores foreign on fortunes Khalid’s 32 under average,just had, on era that in immigrants Lebanese published exactly a century ago, emigrates from Baalbek to to Baalbek from ago,emigrates century a exactly published at the the at Khalid of Book The The Book of of Book The launched bythe U.S.-based AmeenRihaniInstitute. initiative centennial Khalid,” “Project international to an according forreconciliation,”urgentneed or peril its time,lost not has which from the outside. world,” imposed be not could she change such audience,the that told Arab stressing the in change of force primary the as education but of in humanism. the ideals rhetoric “He saw of political crucible in Lebanese particularism, Arab unityandWesternculture. “dialectical identity” Rihani’s belonging,” and “tri-centric of rooted as it was simultaneously spoke Sidney, of University the at Studies Islamic and Arabic of Najjar, Dr.chair Nijmeh political. or cultural, literary,whether systems,“bridging” value in significance Rihani’s the LAU symposium. to address his in future,”said the Rihani and present the between vision. Rihani’s in synthesized all America” are of science the and Europe, of art East,the the of spirituality work,“the his of scholar a as well as nephew novelist’s the is who University, Dame Notre at Affairs that. after Europe and countries two the between sporadically moved 12, and of age the U.S. at the to 1876,migrated in Freike,Lebanon in born was Rihani merchant, silk a of spiritual.”son the The and material the to Khalid both devoted worlds, of two of citizen “a Book as of himself The describing in qualities Rihani sublime quotes the who Diab, other,” to says the culture each introducing West, the the in last decade. much so about bandied civilizations” of “clash ballyhooed much- the — than fruitful more and — from different of West and East classic between encounter an 21st-century does it a as presenting becoming literature, world is it centennial, book’s the Rihani’s work “seems uncannily made for this moment in in moment this for made uncannily “seems work Rihani’s the in not loyalties these fused Rihani Najjar, to According emphasized similarly symposium the at speakers the of Many bridge intellectual an building suggests Khalid of Book “The Academic of president vice Rihani, A. Dr. Ameen to According about Arabic in and East the about English in wrote “Rihani by occasioned now Rihani in interest of revival the with And The MuseofMountLebanon Courtesy ofthe Ameen Museum, Rihani Freike, Lebanon. page 49 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Serving the Sentence

Serving the Sentence Writing Center cultivates the craft of composition By Marc Abizeid

It hasn’t even been around long enough to mark its first By the end of the semester, Azzi was proud to find the anniversary, but already LAU’s writing center has gained student’s extra hustle and determination landing him a passing recognition across the Beirut campus as one of the most vital grade. of student services. “But the center is not just for students who are struggling “The primary aim of the writing center is to provide with their writing,” Azzi adds, pointing out that even good individual support to students and to help them develop,” says writing always leaves room for improvement. Dr. Rula Diab, the founder and director of the center, and an Some students bring personal and creative writing projects assistant professor of English. into the center, which staff are happy to critique. Others ask But as the center grows out of its infancy, Diab adds, it may tutors for help writing CVs and cover letters. play a larger role in nurturing a culture of writing at LAU with Students are never required to visit the center. Those who programs, activities and workshops. do have the option of dropping in for help on the spot, or The center was officially inaugurated on May 12, 2010 with scheduling an appointment. With the students’ permission, a ribbon cutting, but regular services didn’t begin till fall when, tutors inform their instructors of the sessions. according to the staff logs, a total of 77 students completed 136 “We do that to show the teachers that their students are sessions. serious,” says Rebecca Ammar, a graduate student tutor. “It “A center like this was needed, and I knew it would be well shows that they are investing extra effort.” received,. My main concern was publicizing it, but I’m very happy with the number of students we received in the fall,” Diab says. “We’ve met, and even exceeded our expectations.” The writing center staff, which comprises English instructors and graduate students, say there has been a significant increase in students seeking help in the spring. All told, they expect to receive about twice as many. In order to accommodate the spring increase, the center hired extra tutors and added an additional two hours each day. It is now open daily from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Instructors are sometimes stunned by the improvements in their students’ writing after even only a couple visits to the center. Reine Azzi, an assistant professor of English and writing center tutor, recalls a case of one of her own struggling students. The quality of his work was so poor, she says, that he was going to fail the course till she encouraged him to seek help at the writing center. “He had the right attitude,” she says. “He would visit the writing center regularly with practice essays, even when I didn’t ask him to. He wanted to improve.”

page 50 Islamists byvarious Arab governments wasunwise. common the focus on “regional stability” criticized and insisted that the suppression Trabulsiof analysis, political dominant ofupheaval,”the possibility saidTrabulsi. failures inacademia itself. flaws inturnshedlightonanalytical predictive that was — session Q-and-A animated and long a to in latespring. heavily very and similar discussions began to proliferate was on Beirut campuses — panel point one at only standing-room was it indeed LAU — attended The community. intellectual ofthepanel.members self-reflection, Trabulsi to according academic serious other and the subjectheldatLAU BeirutinlateMarch. on LAU,discussion at science panel political a and at history of prominent historian, columnist,political and part-time professor coming,”revolutions Dr.these Trabulsi,said Fawwazsaw a one youth huge the region,demographic and the mass emigration the from villages to cities, no ruled that systems ethnological matter bluntly—theydidn’tseeitcoming. the put to — why ask to begun have subsides,academics many an indigenous“Arab spring.” was it invasion, unfoldingof the forwitness progressivethrilling to intellectuals foreign with synonymous became change” of wave demonstrations a euphoria through thehallsofacademe. sent naturally major quite Syria sparked and Bahrain, Yemen, and in Libya, in intervention that world Arab swept away the the Tunisian in and uprisings Egyptian regimes, of triggered wave Western unprecedented The By ZahiSahli Scholars lookinthemirrorfollowingregionaltumult Late SpringReflections iig ht e ecie a msae asmtos of assumptions mistaken as described he what Citing from away directed always were programs academic “Our led which — event LAU the at discussion the of thrust The Lebanon’s in many of minds the on clearly is question The occasion should upheavals regional anticipate to Failure the poverty, existing the of awareness our “Despite giddiness the As chastening. somewhat been also has It “regime which in winter political decade-long a After science at LAUBeirut. at science moderated by Dr. Bassel Salloukh, associate professor of political movements, according toKiwan. democratic of success the to pivotal been also corruption, have government of clear steered have who entrepreneurs regional important. asparticularly society freer a for youth bourgeoisie and middle-class of demands the measures toimprove livingstandards,” sheadded. social of state rise incremental of absence the and the youth Arab among economies, media own their in states of part the on investment of nationalism,lack Arab life,a in interest rising increase in poverty rates, a lack of citizen engagement in political people,” of groups contradictory Kiwan said. by and wars multiple after ones, founded artificial been have nation-states Arab failing the between direct andindirect causes. distinguishing revolts, Arab the for motives various back.” camel’s outlined the brokeKiwan that straw “the merely Tunisia,in was Revolution Jasmine the for catalyst a as served science attheUniversitéSaint-Joseph. said another panel discussant, parties, Dr. political their Fadia Kiwan, bypassing a professor simply of political numbers large in governments wouldremain unchanged.” the offer, they meanwhile went, services and argument civil the the through benefit would movements Islamist moderate “The Islamists,”extreme the marginalize would conditionsadded. he The discussion was organized by the LAUby the Retirees’organized was discussion The Circle and as well society,as civil of elements other and Tradeunions cited Kiwan upheaval, of causes direct more the Among “Other indirect factors for revolt include Western interference, that fact the is uprising the for reasons indirect “Among the self-immolation,Bouazizi‘s Mohamed that said Kiwan which people of spectacle striking the provided have uprisings The worsening that was opinion academic “Consensus Late SpringReflections page 51 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Space Pioneer and Chairman of the Board Reaches Power 500

Space Pioneer and Chairman of the Board Reaches Power 500 By Curtis Brown

Chairman of LAU’s Board of Trustees Dr. Charles Elachi’s fame Elachi résumé is studded with dozens of major international travels far and wide — indeed throughout the solar system. awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Literally. An asteroid hurtling through the inner main belt Lebanon’s Order of Cedars, and the Royal Society of London’s between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter bears his name. Here on Massey Award. In 2006 he was honored as one of “America’s Earth, he has been named the world’s seventh most influential Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report, in collaboration Arab by Arabian Business magazine, in its “Power 500” list for with Harvard University. 2011. This year he received the Space Foundation’s highest honor, The vastly accomplished Lebanese-American scientist has the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award. degrees in business administration, physics and electrical Elachi has served as an LAU trustee since 2006, and was engineering, but is best known for his work in support of space named chairman of the board in 2009. He appears regularly at exploration. the university, lecturing on everything from the environment “If there’s one person who has driven mankind’s thirst for and global warming (which is studied using satellite technology knowledge about other planets in our solar system, that man is developed through space exploration) to youth empowerment probably Charles Elachi,” wrote the Power 500 editors. in the Middle East. Elachi is director of the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) and vice- Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra, LAU president and a personal friend of president of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Elachi, described him as a “master of his discipline, a passionate where he holds professorships in electrical engineering and advocate of space exploration, a terrific administrator and a planetary science. caring, deeply engaged person.” Elachi joined JPL — a NASA field center managed by Caltech “It reflects well on our university to have someone of his — over forty years ago, and has been central to a number of stature as chairman of our board,” Jabbra added. flight and radar imaging projects. As director of JPL’s space Arabian Business emphasized that the list aimed to recognize and Earth science programs, he developed flight missions and achievement and impact, rather than worldly wealth. instruments for Earth observation, planetary exploration, and “We define power as influence. Whether you’re a CEO in a astrophysics. corporate boardroom or a blogger in an Egyptian bedroom, you JPL’s many projects under Elachi’s current directorship still have the power to affect millions of people,” says Edward include the Mars rovers, the Galileo mission to Jupiter, the Attwood, Arabian Business’s deputy editor. Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, and the Deep Space Network. Elachi remains active as a scholar, publishing more than 230 articles on microwave remote sensing and electromagnetic theory, fields in which he holds multiple patents. He has participated in archeological expeditions in Egypt, Oman and China, and lectured in over 20 countries about space exploration and Earth observation. “I was completely surprised,” said Elachi in his gracious response to the news. “I was particularly delighted that they selected two scientists — both Lebanese — in their top ten,” he added, referring to the cardiologist Adib Jatene. “This shows the business community’s growing recognition that science, technology and engineering are essential for leadership in today’s business and economic world.”

page 52 Alumni Profiles Club atLAU Beirut. at OSU, president of the Lebanese Student Association at OSU; and president of the Science Organization Student International the St.Gregory’s,of at president Department Sciences Sage Hallfaculty members. Theywere, andstillare, mysecond family.” and communicating andconcerns theirviewpoints totheOSRHE. level,state the at faculty post-secondary the of meetings,efforts monthly the coordinating university life,” headds. in active being enjoyed always have opportunity,I unique and a is April.“It in duties new higher learning. of Whenhehastime, healsoteachesintroductory institution andintermediateArabic. oldest University, Oklahoma’s Gregory’s St. at biochemistry and chemistry State Oklahoma at assistantship graduate a offered University (OSU), was degree where inphysical hewentontoearnhismaster’s chemistry. he 2001, In 2001. in Science under thestatelegislature. to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE), operatingan academic body LAU graduate Dany Doughan has recently been elected chair of the Faculty Advisory Council of Michigan, AnnArbor, intheUnitedStates. Beirut. She has specialized in the teaching of English as a foreign language at the University of University American fromLiterature English M.A.in her earn to on went students.She founding its of one as University Haigazian at years two spending Literature, English after the“Yearthat 2010be oftheArmenianWoman.” contributionswho havemadesignificant toArmenianculture, literature andthe arts. those to given award insignia,an Mashdots St.MesrobAntelias, Lebanon,the receivingin have come toknowandrespect whotheArmeniansare,” sheadds. students,and colleaguesmy they to and culturalintroduceheritage my to opportunity the approachopen-minded toteachinganddealing withstudents,” Kalaidjian says. “Iwasgiven member. family, cultural, about journals educational andacademic issues. Lebanese-Armenian various in Armenian books in both articles published and also has She writers. women Armenian of study the to dedicated Lebanon. in community Armenian the for passion her to linked inextricably been always has work Kalaidjian,academicSimonian Azadouhi professorLAU long-time former and alumna For Armenian community Potent combination of academic work and service to Azadouhi SimonianKalaidjian education advisorycouncil Alum appointed chair of Oklahoma higher Dany Doughan Doughan has previous leadership experience as chair of the Mathematics and Physical and Mathematics the of chair as experience leadership previous has Doughan “incomparable the LAU,praises at Doughan history his in most out stands what Asked conductingagendas, meeting setting include will duties main his chairperson,FAC As position,”this to elected his been Doughan,began have says who to excited very am “I Doughan has lived in Oklahoma ever since. He currently teaches general chemistry, organic Doughan graduated from LAU with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1998 and an M.S. in Computer Kalaidjian graduated from LAU (then Beirut College for Women) in 1960 with a B.A.in a with 1960 in Women) for College Beirut (then LAU from graduated Kalaidjian CatholicosHoliness His Aram decreehis of forher chose I prestigiousthis part as honor Last spring, she was honored by the Armenian Orthodox Church’s Catholicosate of Cilicia “I owe a lot to the diverse academic environment at LAU for forming and developing my faculty a as years 47 her in students countless of minds the shape helped Kalaidjian particularly been has professor literature and language English the years, the Over (B.S. ’98, M.S. ’01)

(B.A. ’60) page 53 page

& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Alumni Events

Alumni Events November 2010 Alumni Relations Office Lecture: “Awaken the Leader in You” Over 200 alumni packed an LAU lecture hall November 26 for a presentation on leadership organized as part of the Alumni Relations Office’s “Keep Learning” lecture series. The lecture was led by Elie Samia, lecturer in political science and sociology, and executive director of Outreach and Civic Engagement at LAU.

Dubai & Northern Emirates Alumni Chapter – Musical Evening The LAU, AUB & USG Alumni Associations for Dubai & Northern Emirates Chapter held their annual cultural evening on Tuesday November 30, 2010 at Masrah ElMadinah- Madinat Jumeirah. The event was a Christmas Musical Evening by “ Sharq Orchestra” led by Musician Mohamad Hammami.

December 2010 Abu Dhabi Chapter’s New Year’s Eve Party The LAU Alumni Association – Abu Dhabi Chapter organized a New Year’s Eve Party at the Marina Al Bateen Resort in the city. 250 alumni and their friends were in attendance.

Damascus Alumni Chapter organizes workshops in collaboration with CEP

The LAU Alumni Association – Damascus Chapter, in collaboration with LAU’s Continuing Education Program, held a pair of practical-skills workshops on December 1 and 2 at the city’s Dedeman Hotel. The first workshop focused on time management, the second on critical thinking and problem solving. They form part of a series of six workshops held over the current academic year 2010-2011. The third and fourth workshops are currently in preparation.

The workshops were sponsored by two major corporations, MTN Syria (a telecom company) and Byblos Bank, among other sponsors. The milestone event marked CEP’s organizational debut beyond Lebanon’s borders. The project was a major undertaking, and took over three months to plan and coordinate, with over 70 LAU alumni as well as professionals from the local community taking part in sessions offering the opportunity for both personal enrichment and credential-building.

The unique program helps to position the Damascus alumni chapter as more than just a social chapter, but one providing professional services as well. Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra, LAU President, recognized the significance of the event, and expressed his hopes that it will set a precedent for future international collaboration of this kind between CEP, corporations and alumni chapters in other countries.

page 54 South LebanonChapter Alumni Elections2011 February 2011 lecturesthan 430alumniandfriendsattendedboth atLAU IrwinHall. Beirut’s 21.more January of audienceon placeAn Beirut. LAU took at I Students Part of Dean Mohsen, a specialist in human communication and marital and family therapy, and the organizedlecture a on two-part “Relationships: Managing Life Partnership,” Office Relations by Dr.Alumni program,the lectures Raed Learning” alumni “Keep its of part As Managing LifePartnership” Part Iof Alumni Lectureprogram, “Relationships: January 2011 Duo at dinner with hispresence. annual attendees 200+ the its honored Dr. 2010. Jabbra 18, organized December on Chapter Beirut in restaurant Alumni Engineering of School The School ofEngineering Alumni Chapterannualdinner for children onDecember 10atBurger King. party Christmas a organized also on chapter The 3. held December and Kuwait in annually league organized Women’s American Bazaar the Holiday by a in time first the for participated Chapter Kuwait – Association Alumni LAU The & ChristmasParty Kuwait Alumni Chapter-Holiday Bazaar welcomewelcome address address anduniversityupdate. anduniversityupdate. a a presented presented and and dinner dinner the the in in attended attended Dr. Dr. Moalim. Moalim. Jabbra Jabbra Lebanon Lebanon El El of of Ghassan Ghassan General General H.E.M. H.E.M. Jeddah,Jeddah, Consul Consul the the of of patronage patronage the the Lebanese Lebanese under under the the held held at at was was place place and and consulate,consulate, took took event event dinner. dinner. The The annual annual the the for for 2 2 December December together together Over 300 alumni and friends from the LAU Alumni Association – Jeddah Chapter came Jeddah Alumni Chapterhostsannualdinner The second part took place took onFebruaryThe second part 25. Partnership” “Relationships: ManagingLife Part IIof Alumni Lectureprogram, the formation committee. ofa15-member in resulting 18, February on elections held Chapter Alumni Lebanon South The page 55 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Alumni Events

Bahrain Alumni Chapter – Desert Outing Following last year’s Desert Camp Outing, the LAU Alumni Association – Bahrain Chapter organized a desert camp on February 11, with over 250 alumni participating with family and friends. Activities included a welcome breakfast, children’s games, magic and music shows, camel rides, free tombola gifts and giveaways for children, and a BBQ lunch.

BCW Chapter presents “Sham Gate” On Friday Friday February 11, 2011, the BCW Chapter presented a new comedy show, “Sham Gate,” at LAU Beirut’s Irwin Hall. The event attracted over 380 alumni and friends.

Alumni participation in the New Student Orientation Program The Alumni Relations Office participated in the New Students Orientation Program on both campuses February 7. The office introduced the Alumni Association to new students, described its post-graduation benefits, and presented them with a souvenir and a brochure.

March 2011 Oman Alumni Chapter Gala Dinner 2011 Over 300 alumni and friends from the Alumni Association – Oman Chapter got together for its fourth annual Gala Dinner on March 3 at the Intercontinental Hotel Gardens in Muscat.

Montreal Alumni enjoy a Cocktail About 40 alumni from the Montreal Chapter networked during a cocktail party at Rosalie Restaurant on the night of March 3.

Beirut Chapter – Karaoke Dinner The LAU Alumni Association – Beirut Chapter organized a karaoke dinner on March 10 at the Hard Rock Café in Ain el Mreisseh. The event attracted more than 150 alumni and friends.

Kuwait Chapter – Open Day The LAU Alumni Association – Kuwait Chapter organized an Open Day on March 11 at Ahl al Barr Camp. Around 450 alumni attended the event with their families and friends. The day began with a SAJ breakfast and concluded with a barbecue lunch. The activities included volleyball, soccer, backgammon, cards and other fun games for adults. There was also kiting, a Barney show, a jumping castle, cotton candy, face painting, popcorn and donkey rides for children.

page 56 Annual Ball Relations Office atLAU.Relations Office Khal,Al Alumni Abdallah of Directorand UAE; the in Counsel Business Lebanese in The of President University former and World the Cultural of President Lebanese Matta, the Albert in UAE; Embassy the Lebanese the of d’affairs charge acting al-Hariri, including al-Khatib Farah figures prominent honored which event, the in and participated friends alumni Hotel 550 than Rotana More Towers. Beach & the at 2011 24, Marchon Dinner Gala Red – Carpet Ball Abu – Dhabi Association Chapter organized its 18th Annual Alumni LAU The Abu DhabiChapter’s 18 in guests attendance. 400+ the provided for Medawar entertainment Grace and Hanna gala in Hotel Tonysingers Lebanese RenownedDoha. Marriott annual the at 18 its March on organized Qatar Chapter – Association Alumni LAU The Annual GalaDinner Qatar Alumni Chapter rcs, n sae te objectives chapter. alumni elected newly the the of plans shared and and process, all those who participated in the elections South the thanked Awkal, Chapter, Majdi of Lebanon President The Saida. in Restaurant Alhan at 2011,25, March on reception a organized Chapter South Lebanon – Association Alumni Alumni LAU The Lebanon Chapter Reception South th page 57 page

& ALUMNI BULLETIN VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Alumni News Alumni News

Alice Melikian (A.A.’48) has retired in Toronto, Canada. She enjoys Yahya Khalil (B.S.’99) is currently working for the company of her friends and painting with watercolors. the International Committee of the Red Cross as the Head of Central Region in Afghanistan. He Ilham Khalife (B.S.’70) owns a boutique in Metro Ghazir for Art manages ICRC operations in twelve of the thirty- de la Table. She assists psychiatric centers that help patients with four provinces of the country. personality disorders. Maamoun Aboul Nasr Yafi (B.S.’00) got married to Fadi Soubra (A.A.S.’73) is the Chief Financial Officer for an insurance fellow LAU alumnae Caroline Abdul Kader (B.A.’02). company in Newport Beach, California. He has been married for 33 He is working as a senior communication manager years and has no children. at Leo Burnett/MS&L in the field of Advertising and PR. Saad Abdul Aziz Al Zein (B.S.’89) works for the United Arab Emirates International advertising Mohammed Nawlo (B.S.’00) has been working as Association. the Branch Manager at Bank of Jordan - Syria since 2009. Bachir Sakka (A.A.S.’90) is Quality Control Manager at the Head Office of Ogero, and the Nadine Maktabi (B.S.’98, M.B.A.’01) is currently a part time CEO of Sidoon National School. He recently instructor of Marketing Research and Marketing Promotional Mix at served as a member of the LAU Alumni – Beirut the American University of Science and Technology. Chapter. He is married to Raifa al Arabi and has three children. Nisrine Machaka-Houri (B.S.’01) is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Reading and expects to Roula Sami Hussami (M.B.A.’91) has been working as a consultant graduate in September 2012. A mother of three, for organizations in different industries. she has published the second volume of the Photographic Guide to Wild Flowers of Lebanon. Nada Ghazal (A.A.S.’92) has continued to develop her own jewelry brand, Nada G, with a full fledge workshop in Gemmayze, a boutique George Aboud (B.S.’02) has launched Earth Technologies, a green in Beirut Souks and a point sale in ABC Dbayeh. She got married to solution provider offering solutions and products in the Renewable Elias Gannage in December 2007 and has two children, Antoun and Energy industry. He married Christiane Hakim and now has a Malak. daughter named Gaia, born in November 2010.

Elie Maalouf (B.E.’92) is currently an MIS/Management instructor Rouba Ead (B.Pharm.’00, Pharm.D.’02) is currently at LAU. He is married to Darine Maalouf and has a son named Joe. working at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maryland where she is involved in research and Souheir Nassar (B.S.’92) is the Branch Manager of Byblos Bank – investigative projects. Nabatieh. She has three children, two girls and a boy. Marie El Haddad (B.A.’02) is completing a Master’s Rania El Husseini (B.A.’96) is married with two children, four-year- in Urban Design at the Universitat de Barcelona, old Jude and two-year-old Sarah. She has been living in California having worked at Horizon International for the last since 2005. five years.

Sawsan Khanafer (B.A.’96) is the General Manager Maysa Al Tannir Hamed (B.S.’03) married Nasser of a company called Promo I. She recently began Hamed on November 20, 2010. She has been working writing her M.A. thesis. at Lebanese Canadian Bank as the assistant head of the Internal Audit Department since February 2009. Dr. Fouad Zmokhol (B.S.’96) was elected President of the Lebanese Businessmen Nisreen Wehbe (B.S.’00, M.B.A.’03) currently lives in Jeddah Association (RDCL) in January 2011. with her husband Mohamad Jaber, and baby boy, Ali. Nisreen was a member of the LAU Oman Alumni Chapter. Rola Assaf (M.B.A.’99) has her own business in accounting and auditing, and has taught at NDU Moussa Al Rifai (B.S.’04) has been living in Sweden since 2006 and AUL after receiving her Ph.D. in educational where she set up an Al Rifai Roastery production plant to serve the management in 2007 in Washington, D.C. European market.

Nada Bazih (B.A.’99) has recently published her second novella, Lama El Labban (M.B.A.’04) is married to Omar Omran and has titled, Daniel. two kids, a four-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy.

Amr Habbal (B.S.’99) is currently completing his M.B.A. at AUB Jean Bassil (B.A.’94, M.B.A.’05) is the Assistant General Manager/ and has founded Mynditude, an organization that combines group Head of Commercial Banking at Byblos Bank Syria SA in Damascus, training and one-on-one coaching to help individuals realize their Syria. He is married to Karen Bou Ramia and has two boys, Victor and ambitions. Christopher.

page 58 girl, ChristinaFakhoury. Paolo Boghossian (M.B.A.’08) has a baby newborn Commercial Controller atFransabank. (B.S.’05, M.B.A.’08) Tabet Manal Analyst. Financial aChartered currently as certification is for studying He Department. Risks Underwriting the in Insurer is Credit Lebanese at M.B.A’07) Manager (B.S.’05,Deputy Sabban Rahman Abdel atMerceran associate Consulting, amanagementconsulting firm. (B.S.’04,Awad as William appointed M.B.A.’07) been recently has 12-year-old a daughter, has Yasmine. and divorced is She Wings. Cedar magazine, flight in Airline’s East Middle of coordinator and representative an as advertising working is (A.A.S.’06) Shaar Ghenwa 2008. girlinearlyAugust. Thecouple ababy isexpecting August in married Company,got Hathaway Birkshireand Re,a Gen (M.B.A.’06)Salame Ibrahim plans togetmarriedin2012. with Dima to engaged is Ajaltoun.He in located groupINDEVCO at since 2007 in the Management and Information Systems department Georges Joseph Hage (B.E.’06) has been a senior software engineer is livinginRiyadh. (B.S.’06)Natout (B.S.’06) Hachach Dana the JFKMedical Center inAtlantis, Florida. Beach, Florida. He also practices clinical pharmacy at University Gregory School of Pharmacy in West Palm assistant professor of an pharmacy practice is at Palm (Pharm.D.’06) Beach Atlantic Chahine Elias Dr. 2006 inWataMusaytbeh, Beirut. (B.Pharm.’05) Telyani Mohamad AUB asAssistantDirector for DevelopmentServices. at working currently is (B.S.’08) Jomaa Abi Rami h Mdl Es ad ot Arc. e s currently is pursuing hisM.B.A. attheUniversity of Strathclyde. He Africa. North and East for Middle manager the development business a as Systems Axios joined recently has (B.S.’05) Khalaf Maged region. Dubai as the live@edu Program Manager for the Gulf in Microsoft for works (A.A.S.’08) Sabaiti Chirine Ph.D. is and 2008,a pursue to scholarship a getting to forward since looking a Jeddah been in lecturer has university M.B.A.’07) (B.S.’04, Kayyal Rana and has a new-born baby called Mohammad.She called baby new-born a has and s are t flo LU graduate LAU fellow to married is is the Senior Accountant Manager at Manager Accountant Senior the is s urnl the currently is pnd i on hray in pharmacy own his opened Ali friends inRasBeirut asanenthusiasticBridgeplayer. her by remembered be will She grandsons. two retirement. She was survived by her son Wael and her until LAU at hostess college a as served and away Yahya Dr. Yusef passed married She 2011. 1, (A.A.’42) March on Yahya Najjar Suad Elie Ibrahim (B.S.’10) isworkinginQatar. Nancy Hamzah(B.S.’10) recently toLea. gavebirth senior communication executive. a as Burnett Leo joined recently (B.S.’09)has Lababidi Houssam company, husbands Leb AdAgency. her Samir at working is married May. She last M.A.’09)Khaddaj (B.S.’03, Hariz Zeina the NewYork FilmAcademy inManhattan. at making film in arts fine of master’s a pursing is Kuwait.She and Dubai in published magazine fashion and style life a Eve, & Adam at photographer and writer Farah(B.A.’09)a Hashim as working is at AUB. com/). He is pursuing an M.S. in Financial Economics be (http://www.unitechmatters. can website their on and found employees company by interviewed company,years.three past Recently,the over was he a as senior data analyst working at Unitech, been a has construction (B.S.’09)material Ghandour Ziad analyst for GEMCO, company inQatar. aswimmingpool (B.S.’09)Al-Sheikh Haysam Suad NajjarYahya (A.A.’42) Remembered withLove faculty member at the School ofPharmacy.faculty attheSchool member time part a as LAU joined Lebanese recently University. She at Research Medical studying is currently Pharm.D.’10) (Pharm.B.’09, Loubnan Vilma development, estate investment andmanagementcompany. real family-owned Kalach a at Group, manager and Sales/Marketing Beirut a in as working living is (B.S.’10) Kalash Maher withUnitedParcelSupervisor Services. in Engineering working Industrial Country the is as Arabia (B.S.’09)Saudi Ragheb Kamal Rabea 2011. June, in married get to planning is couple the and AUL. She is engaged to Hassan Fayoumi, and LIU the both at teaching and office (M.B.A.’08)recruitment Firikh Sarah is working as a project and marketing and project a as working is

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& alumni bulletin VOLUME 13 | issue nº 2 | Summer 2011 Why I Give Back Hilda Zarifeh Maalouf ’58

WHY I GIVE BACK

Hilda Zarifeh Maalouf ’58

When did you graduate and what was your degree? I received my associate’s in business administration in 1958. LAU was then known as Beirut College for Women.

What have you been up to since your college years? After graduating from BCW I married Wadih Maalouf, and together we established the Ras Beirut School (then on Bliss Street), in 1960. We worked as a couple in the field of education. He was Administrative Director and I was Academic Director. Many years later, the old Ras Beirut building was torn down and relocated to Airport Avenue, and its name became Ras Beirut International School. I owe gratitude to my four children Jessie, Diana, Hani and Danny for helping me after the death of my husband to continue the school’s mission of providing high quality education. In spite of the hardships Lebanon has experienced, we have been blessed, and Ras Beirut International School is still catering to the Lebanese community.

Why do you give back to LAU? I believe that continuity is the most essential thing for any society to sustain. In my opinion, LAU has preserved the sense of belonging I have always felt, and I’m proud to put this belief into action by contributing to the university. A number of students at LAU need assistance in paying tuition fees. For me, the purpose of giving back is to provide that extra push to help the next generations move forward.

How is LAU different today from when you were a student? LAU has evolved into a university that offers degrees in all specializations and fields of study. Had it not been for the old days, LAU would not have survived long enough to become an educational entity by itself.

What message would you like to convey to your fellow alumni and current LAU students? One should always show gratitude to whoever has laid a stepping- stone in the journey of his life. LAU has been the basis for the subsequent achievements of many outstanding people all over the world, and this is evident in the roles and responsibilities its graduates assume. When we recognize the value of what LAU has offered, we put into action our commitment to the university.

Hilda Maalouf surrounded by her four children left to right Jessie, Danny, Hani and Diana Maalouf

page 60 As a former Trustee of LAU, an established friend and supporter of the university, and a respected physician in the United States, Dr. Amal Kurban has long understood the importance of supporting quality higher education.

Dr. Amal Kurban  is the Legacy and the PRomise.

For more information, please contact: Beirut Development Office New York Development Office Tel. (961) 1 786456 Ext: 1323 Tel. (212) 870 2592 Fax (961) 1 803658 Fax (212) 870 2762 P.O. Box 13-5053 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1846 Chouran Beirut 1102 2801, Lebanon New York, NY 10115-0065, USA Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Beirut Campus P.O. Box 13-5053 Chouran Beirut, 1102 2801 Lebanon Tel. +961 1 786456 / 64 Fax +961 1 867098

Byblos Campus P.O. Box 36, Byblos, Lebanon Tel. +961 9 547254 / 63 Fax +961 9 944851

New York Office 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1846 New York, NY 10115 0065 USA Tel. +1 212 870 2592 Fax +1 212 870 2762 www.lau.edu.lb