CONTENTS July 2005 - Issue N° 34 NDU Spirit A periodical about campus life at Notre Dame University - Louaïze. 2 A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC AFFAIRS 3 French Delegation at NDU 3 Lebanese Emigrants’ Delegation at NDU 4 NDU Activists and Congressman STUDENT AND ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES 5 Admissions in Action! Report by Dr. Elham Hasham WEERC 27 ETE Seminars 10 WEERC Workshop for Chekka area 28 NDU Winner at ESU Competition LERC Conferences 29 NDU Founders’ Day 11 Children of Lebanese in Australia 31 Job Fair 2005 – Dr. Rosemary Suliman 32 NDU Students in Turkey – Nathalie Kobrossi 13 Forum: Residents and Emigrants 33 NDU Student Soars High – Dr. Naji Oueijan 4th Millennial Lecture Series 35 Deputy Pierre Jmeil and Dr. Wadih al-Hajj 15 Universal Reason: Religion and Civil Society – Lebanon of Tomorrow – Dr. William Grassie 35 Dr. Eddy Abillamaa – The Future of the Forces 19 What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem 36 Candidates Farid el-Khazen, I. Kanaan, – Dr. Joseph Bechara G. Abi Zaid and A. Aoun 20 Cross Cultural Symposium with American 36 A Call for Democracy – Deputy Mosbah Ahdab University, Washington 36 Gibran Tueni talks North Campus News 37 Sports Office News 23 Workshop: Lebanese Architecture 37 NDU students united for Independence 24 Workshop on Drug Abuse 25 Shouf Campus Shorts — Events OPINION AND CULTURE 38 Experience never stops – Elias Karout 65 Mechanical Engineering at NDU – Dr. Walid C. Assaf 39 Social - Correction 66 Heating System with Storage – Dr. Walid C. Assaf 40 Why NDU? – Serge Dagher 67 American Society of Mechanical Engineers – Charbel Wehbe 41 Government in Media Developments 68 Solid Mechanics and its Applications – Dr. Ghazi Asmar – Dr. Mahmoud Hammoud 70 Renewable Energy – Wissam Daou 42 Activities at the School of Humanities– Kamal Darouni 73 Turbo Accessories – Wissam Rashed 43 America’s Image in the Arab World 74 Engineering Code of Ethics – Dr. George Hassoun – Dr. Najah Abdallah 77 Civil Engineering: Challenges of the Century 44 Personal and Institutional Communication Skills – Dr. Jacques Harb – Dr. Naji Oueijan 79 Performance of Landfill Covers in Lebanon 46 Reading – K.J. Mortimer – Sophia Ghanimeh 49 From Law Studies to Art – Samer Charabati From the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design 52 Need for Speed – Nathalie Kobrossi 84 FAAD, Meeting the Challenge – Dr. Assaad Eid, Dean From the Faculty of Engineering 86 London Visit – Dr. Assaad Eid 53 F.E. at a Glance – Dr. Shahwan Khoury, Dean 87 Visit to Qatar – Dr. Assaad Eid 54 IEEE Lebanon Section Elections – The Department 88 Santorini Workshop – Mr. Robert Haddad et alii 54 IEEE Activities for 2004-2005 – Ralph Ayoub 90 Design for Martyrs’ Square – Jean-Pierre Asmar et alii 55 Conference at NLC 94 Chadirji Award, ARCHITEC-TAOIC – Elie Hawi – Dr. Ali Harmush, Jaffan, Ayoub 95 The Global Message, Landmark for Achievements – Rony Imad 56 Cellular Phones and Human Health 97 Professional Design Practice – Dr. Elias Nassar 99 Ethno-Musicological Expedition – Ahmed Kaarkanawi 58 AC versus DC Power Systems – Dr. Rabih A. Jabr 100 Architectural Heritage and its Preservation – Habib Melki 59 National Grant for the ECCE Dept. – The Department 113 Something for your grey matter 60 Mobile Phone Location – Jinane Mounsef 63 Regional ACM Competition – Charles Aad Tel: (09) 218950 - Ext.: 2477 Fax: (09) 224803 Email: [email protected] Editor-iin-CChief Website: www.ndu.edu.lb/newsandevents/nduspirit Georges Mghames Reporting English Editor Ghada Mouawad He signed the last of his articles then slept on a bed of words. When he Kenneth Mortimer woke up to the rays of the sun to meet the city, he was overwhelmed with Arabic Typing the dreams of its tomorrow. But the highwaymen of freedom blew up his Translation Lydia Zgheïb feet. They forgot, however, that the courage of pens will always embrace Valérie Aoun Photographers the wreaths of martyrdom! Abdo Bejjani We owe it to the youth to dedicate this issue to the soul of that who spoke Rodney Eid in the name of their generation, to the martyr Dr. Samir Kasseer, the political scholar, the democratic activist, the Renaissance man and the great master of free press. He is another symbol on the Golgotha towards Layout executed by Print the resurrection of Lebanon…and the Arabs! Technopub Meouchy and Zakaria The Editor A Word from the President Reverend Boutros Tarabay And when the days of Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming; and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues, as if it were of fire; and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (The Acts, ch. 2) It is considered that it was at this moment the Church came into existence, the Mystical Body of Christ, by membership in which we share the divine life, the eternal vision that God has of Himself. We say this in order to recall that being a Christian is not a matter of belonging to a sect, a clan, or a community with common political and economic interests. Being a Christian means living the life of the Spirit, as taught in the Gospel, the Acts and the Epistles. In fact it entails being able to go outside our family or our village or our country to share in the suffering of those outside. I have said before that Catholic means Universal, so as a Catholic University we must consider ourselves as having a mission that embraces our whole country, our whole region and all mankind beyond. For six years I have had the honour of presiding over the destinies of Notre Dame University. I have been helped in this by colleagues whose diversified religious background represent well this catholicity; but all are drawn together, all are working towards one God-given goal, and all, we are sure, are directing the students’ footsteps towards the same unselfish objectives. I once explained that our University must be distinguished by Science, Scholarship and Spirituality, three elements that must stand or fall together. If during my six-year mandate they have moulded those who have gone forth from our University Campus, armed with the riches of the East and of the West, I thank the Holy Spirit for guidance, Our Lady Our Patron for her intercession, and all my collaborators for their support, their prayer and their labours. French Embassy Delegation at NDU May 11, 2005 The cultural attaché at the French the issues of environment, Embassy, Mr. Frederic Clavier, energy and water. visited NDU with a delegation of > Establishing an academic officials from the embassy. cooperation that will allow the French language and literature at exchange of instructors and the university. The aim of the visit was to promote students with French universities, interaction for the purpose of making use of an exchange of All those present agreed that this building cultural and academic complementary expertise and cooperation contributes to guiding bridges between the Francophone encouraging students to sit for MA theses towards the practical and Anglophone cultures, in their MA’s and PhD’s in issues of scientific principles and particular through academic European universities. commended the successful cooperation between French > Cooperating on promoting the example of cooperation between institutions and NDU. study of the French language the Faculty of Business among students, opening Administration and Economics at The visit was devoted to three main French-speaking courses, and NDU and the School of Business at objectives: paving the way towards offering Bordeaux University in France, a major in French literature. which is based on a dual degree > Establishing a network of The President of NDU, Father program delivering NDU’s MBA cooperation to develop and Boutros Tarabay, indicated the Degree, and the French National promote research centers at possibility of establishing a special “Grandes Ecoles” Master’s in NDU, especially those related to department for the teaching of International Business. Lebanese Emigrants’ Delegation Visits NDU May 10, 2005 A delegation of Lebanese emigrants visited NDU, Discussions centered on academic affairs with the aim headed by the President of the Lebanese-American of establishing a mechanism to promote cooperation Council for Democracy, Mr. Tony Haddad, the between the Lebanese emigrants in the countries of President of the Lebanese-American Council in Detroit, emigration and the different Lebanese universities in Mr. Gaby Issa, and the President of the Gathering for general, and NDU in particular as a university Lebanon in France, Mr. Simon Abi Ramia. The adopting the American system of education. delegation was welcomed by the President of NDU, Father Boutros Tarabay, and the Vice-President for After the meeting, the delegation was invited to a Sponsored Research and Development, Dr. Ameen lunch that was organized in their honor and attended Albert Rihani. by political, media and social figures. 2 3 NDU Activists and Congressman 1. From left to right: Mr. George Hajjar, Dr. Akl Kairouz, Congressman Darrell Issa, Dr. Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous and Dr. Dima Dabbous-Sensenig. (Photo by courtesy of the American Embassy) 1 On Easter Monday, 28th March, Republican Representative Issa met 2005, US Congressman Darrell with the Acting Chair of the Issa laid a wreath of flowers to Republicans Abroad in Lebanon honour the Americans and Dr. Akl Kairouz, Chair of the Lebanese who died as a result of Democrats Abroad in Lebanon explosions directed against Dr. Eugene Sensenig-DDabbous and Americans here in the 1980s and Vice Chair of the DA Lebanon 1990s. The Congressman said that Mr. George Hajjar. All three are he wished that violence would professors at NDU. Dr. Sensenig- cease and that Lebanon would Both Dr.