VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 LAU Gives Young Leaders a GOLDen Experience in New York City AU’s New York Headquarters podium, President Jabbra reminded “We are proud of LAU, of Lebanon’s and Academic Center was abuzz delegates and students of Lebanon’s youth and its presence at the United Lwith young aspiring diplomats in legacy at the world body. Nations,” said Ambassador Salam. late July as 60 students representing 11 different nationalities filled the hallways “In 1948, the UN adopted the Universal “Ownership of the Global Classrooms and classrooms for the Global Outreach Declaration of Human Rights. The brand is a recognition from UNA-USA and Leadership Development Conference rapporteur who worked closely with that we have had the most successful (GOLD). Eleanor Roosevelt, Chairperson of MUN program in the world for the last the Human Rights Commission, was ten years” said Assistant Vice President The second annual GOLD conference, a young, charismatic philosopher for Outreach and Civic Engagement Elie this year’s event was unique in that LAU and diplomat, Charles Malik, then Samia. was recently handed the responsibility Ambassador of Lebanon to the UN,” of running two flagship Model UN Jabbra said. “Now Lebanon, through Building on that reputation, the July conferences. The Global Classrooms LAU, is coming back to the halls of the GOLD conference drew guest lecturers International High School Model UN United Nations to continue its mission from a variety of organizations, Conference and the Global Classrooms of teaching the youth of the world about including the Office of the Secretary International Middle School Model UN the importance of leadership, civic General’s Youth Envoy, the Friendship Conference, run by UNA-USA since their engagement, diplomacy, and peace.” Ambassador’s Foundation, The New inception in 2005, are now under LAU’s School, Syracuse University, New York purview. The ceremony was attended by University, Foundations for Leadership, Lebanon’s Ambassador and Permanent and Arab Advocacy and Defense of Civil The transition was formalized at a Representative to the United Nations Rights. ceremony on May 16 in the UN General Dr. Nawaf Salam and by LBC TV Host Assembly Hall. Speaking from the GA Marcel Ghanem. Continued on page 7 The North American Newsletter of Lebanese American University Strangers in academic center the West trangers in the West LAU Students is the never before Get Inside Stold story of the Arab immigrants who settled in New York City, beginning in Look at NY’s 1880. They came primarily Marketing from what was then known as “Greater Syria,” and settled in Giants tenements on the lower west side of Manhattan, founding an Arabic-speaking enclave just south of the future site of the his spring, 16 LAU students came Beydoun and Hisham Hashash, senior how the city used marketing to bounce World Trade Center. Arriving founded it, including peddlers and merchants, midwives and to New York for a weeklong academic assistant at LAU’s Adnan back from a tourism decline after the in the New World with little more than their resourcefulness doctors, priests and journalists, performers and impresarios. course titled “Special Topics in Kassar School of Business. It kicked September 11, 2001 terror attacks. and business acumen, these immigrants quickly built a thriving LAU NY, in collaboration with CUNY, will host the inaugural T Marketing.” Led by marketing professor off with the WindowsWear Fashion “colony” that was the cultural and economic center of the Syrian book launch of Strangers in the West, on October 20 at the Dr. Nadia Shuayto, the course paired the walking tour, where students learned But the tour and lecture at J. Walter diaspora in America. CUNY Graduate Center. theory of marketing with practice, and about marketing in the fashion industry, Thomson, one of the world’s leading combined classroom discussions with the importance of window dressing, and international advertising agencies, was Author and scholar Dr. Linda K. Jacobs paints a vivid portrait See “Academic Calendar” on page 5 for more information or tailored field visits to select companies in how to catch the eye of some nine million the favorite of most students. There, of life in this early immigrant community, and the people who visit our ‘events’ page: http://nyac.lau.edu.lb/events/ Manhattan and Brooklyn. New Yorkers, not to mention millions they learned about standardization and more tourists. A visit to Macy’s flagship customization strategies of marketing. Ibrahim Bayloun, an incoming senior department store offered an inside look at JWT Global President of Retail Claire and marketing major, marveled at the merchandising industry secrets in one of Capeci explained how Macy’s success ON OUR WEBSITES complexity of working in a media market the world’s most storied retail giants. over its 150-year history was largely LAU Matters is published quarterly by the New York Headquarters and as massive as New York City. due to an innovative, multi-platform Visit the LAU Matters website for additional Academic Center of Lebanese American University and distributed free of information on events, alumni news and updates: charge to alumni, friends and supporters of the university in The program also featured a tour of marketing and advertising scheme. www.laumatters.org North America. “Because of the huge scale of the city, Raaka Chocolate factory in the trendy Check out the website for Fulfilling the Promise: Editorial and Design the strategies you use to get in people’s Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, “Students were surprised to gain access Paige Kollock and Maryam Zoma LAU Campaign for Academic Excellence: minds are more complicated,” he said. where students learned about green to such high level executives,” added campaign.lau.edu.lb Marla Rice-Evans, Vice President for University Advancement marketing — including ethical sourcing Shuayto, “but they asked very relevant If you would like to make a donation to Robert Hollback, Assistant Vice President for Development Paige Kollock, Director of Communications and Media As documented in the TV hit series “Mad and packaging — and sampled bars of questions and I was really proud of Fulfilling the Promise please visit: Edward Shiner, Director of Alumni and Special Projects Men,” New York was — and is still — sea salt, rooibos, and maple chocolate. them. I think the companies were very campaign.lau.edu.lb/donate LAU Matters the center of the advertising industry, pleasantly surprised as well.” The Fulfilling the Promise website includes: LAU New York Headquarters and Academic Center th holding 20 percent of U.S. employment “Marketing isn’t just for tangible • Updated information about the campaign 211 East 46 Street • Its goals and progress New York, NY 10017-2935 and 14 percent of American revenue in products and services, I wanted them to In fact, the CEO of WindowsWear, Jon (212) 203-4333 • Additional information, profiles and articles not the field. learn that even cities have a marketing Harari, was so impressed with the group included in the newsletter Please send all comments to: [email protected] department,” said Shuayto. To that end, that he visited LAU NY later that week to Be sure to visit often for the latest news and updates. www.laumatters.org The course was prepared by Professor she organized a trip to NYC & Company, give a guest lecture. Shuayto, with the help of LAU NY the city’s official marketing and tourism Cover Photo: GOLD conference participants, faculty and staff pose for Academic Executive Director Lina agency, where students learned about a picture outside the United Nations Headquarters. 2 | Welcome LAU New York Academic Center | 3 astrophysicists and fashion designers, although space tourism still carries a hefty price tag of between $100,000-$250,000 per person. While the old superpowers used space programs to compete during the Cold War, Lebanon has its own, little-known claim to space travel fame. In the 1960s, a group from Hagazian University was among the first to venture into space amid the race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Professor Manoug Manougian and his students privately funded, designed, built and launched multi-stage rockets that reached more than 63 miles above sea-level — a distance conventionally used as the start of outer space — and the same altitude that major space travel companies Virgin Galactic and XCOR set for their commercial flights today. When it comes to vying for space in space, the market is just Homecoming 2015 Private Space Travel: taking off. Companies like Space Adventures, Ltd. will train civilians to become private astronauts. Then there’s the business Houston LAU alumni from North America attended the homecoming gathering The Next Frontier of Spaceports, which will market facilities for commercial on the Beirut campus on July 24. The alumni came from Boston, passenger launches. And with a growing industry reliant on Washington, D.C., Carbondale, Pennsylvania, Toronto and Montreal. wealthy individuals, a luxury market is sure to flourish. One (From left to right): Abdallah Al Khal, Executive Director of Alumni ifty years ago, astronaut Edward White became the Relations, Lina Mouaikel, Farid Raidan, Hisham Abi Younes, Dalal first American to walk in space. Space travel was in its company is even working on a space beer. Abi Younes, Robert Shafie, Ed Shiner, Director of Alumni and Special infancy and the world was captivated by it. Today, the Projects, Mohamad Moussa, Doha Halawi, President of the Alumni F “You don’t have to be in the military or work for the government Association, Maher Salloum and Jervase Uludo. space landscape looks quite different, as private space travel companies are making the once otherworldly accessible to to be able to go to space,” says Faddoul. “And you don’t have anyone who can afford it.