Check Archive

September 2008

• The Middle East Online of September 1 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, the Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, observing that the Middle East along with the rest of the world is heading towards a food crisis. He stressed the important role Arab governments need to play in order to counter the negative consequences the crisis is likely to have on an already crisis ridden region.
• Arabian Business and Calibre Macro World of September 1 reported on a conference that was held at the American University of Beirut entitled, â??Power, Governmentality, Resistance and State of Exception in the Arab World.â? The conference was aimed at analyzing the different systems of government in the Arab world.
• Al-Raya (Qatar) of September 1 published an interview with the general coordinator of the founding board of the Council of Qatari-Lebanese Engineers, Issam Aboul-Hussn. The paper said that Aboul-Hussn is member of the Worldwide Alumni Association of AUB.
• Ad-Dustur (Jordan) of September 2 published a profile of Jordanian politician, thinker, and writer Abdul Munim Al-Rifai who graduated from AUB in 1937 with a degree in political studies.
• Arabian Business of September 2 reported on a $40,000 grant by PepsiCo International to the American University of Beirut. The grant will be employed in student financial aid funds. The check was presented by PepsiCo Vice President Talal El-Khalil to AUB Vice President for Development and External Relations, Mr. Stephen Jeffrey in the presence of Assistant Vice President for Development, Dr. Imad Baalbaki, Associate Director of Development Operations, Mrs Soha Hmaidan and Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Ibrahim Khoury.
• Al-Qabas (Kuwait) of September 2 published an article surveying the best business administration programs in the Middle East including the Executive Master's in Business Administration program at AUB.
• AME Info of September 4 reported on the findings of a research team of 12 students from the American University of Beirut about littering at Beirutâ??s Corniche sea front. The team, led by Dr. Jad Chaaban, an assistant professor in economics at AUB, presented its findings at a workshop held at AUB entitled, â??Who Are the Stakeholders in Ras Beirut's Seafront Pollution Management?â? It was attended by representatives from the Municipality of Beirut and the Ministry of Environment. The team found that Corniche visitors blame youth, families, and coffee shops in the nearby areas of contributing to the litter along the promenade and sea front.
• Ad-Dustur (Jordan) of September 4 published an article about Jordanian politician, businessman, and thinker Aouni Fuad Masri who graduated from AUB with a degree in engineering in 1959.
• Al-Mashriq Al-I'lami (Jordan) of September 4 reported on the workshop organized by AUB's Journalism Training Program entitled "Citizen / Online Journalism" from July 21 to 25. Papers said that the training was held in cooperation with the German "Heinrich Boll Foundation."
• Al-Watan (Qatar) and Asharq Al-Awsat (KSA) of September 4 reported that Syrian poet and thinker Adonis concluded a two day international conference at AUB entitled "Power, Governmentality, Resistance and State of Exception in the Arab World," organized by the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
• Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (KSA) of September 5 reported on the fundraising dinner hosted by the general coordinator of the Council of Lebanese/Qatari engineers and member of the Worldwide Alumni Association of AUB Issam Abul-Hussn at the Pine Land Hotel, Ras al Metn.

• Saudi-US Relations of September 5 published an interview it conducted with Khaled Musaed Al Seif, a leading Saudi businessman and Chairman of the Committee for International Trade (CIT) within the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The interview focused on the opportunities for American businesses in the Kingdom. Seif has been President and CEO of El Seif Group of Companies in Saudi Arabia since 1975. He also holds several positions in Saudi Arabia, including being a member of the Board of US-Saudi Arabian Business Council since 2006. He has a BS in civil engineering from the American University in Beirut.

• Middle East Times of September 5 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, about the recent agreement between Libya and Italy in which the latter pledged to compensate the Arab state for its misdeeds when it colonized it. Khouri praised Italy for such a bold step saying that it is a sign of Italyâ??s acknowledgement that its colonization of Libya contributed to the poor state of affairs it, Libya, is currently in.

• AME Info of September 8 reported on the appointment of Patrick Merville as the new CEO of Man Investments Middle East. He holds a BA in economics from the American University of Beirut and an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School. Prior to joining Man Investments, Merville was a director at Merrill Lynch in London.

• The Middle East Online of September 8 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, on the four-way summit that was recently held in Damascus between Syria, Turkey, Qatar and France. Khouri observed that the summit may pave the way towards in change in Syriaâ??s regional ties in exchange for securing its interests. He said, â??The possibilities of peace with Israel, security for [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assadâ??s regime, and development aid make for a good deal for the Syrians. A successful Damascus deal could entice Iran next.â?

• The Middle East Online of September 10 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, the Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, about how terrorism levels in the world have not decreased as the American administration had aimed for following the attacks of September 11, 2001. He pointed out that despite all the events in the Middle East that have taken place over the past seven years, American policies have not altered any realities in the region due to their reliance on military force to achieve change. The most noticeable change is the increase in terrorism and extremism, the very opposition of what the United States was aspiring for at the start of its â??war on terror.â?

• Al-Qabas of September 10 reported that Patrick Merville was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Man Investment in the Middle East. The paper said that Merville has a BA in economics from AUB.

• Al-Rai (Jordan) and Ad-Dustur (Jordan) of September 10 reported that the Abul Hamid Chouman Cultural Forum received AUB physician Nabil Habib who lectured on the latest developments in the treatment of Cancer.

• Al-Iqtisadiyya of September 10 reported on the inauguration of the Fahd bin Sultan University in Tabuk, KSA after the Muslim Fitr holiday. The paper quoted the prince of Tabuk as saying that the university has received technical assistance and support from a number of prestigious universities including AUB.

• Al-Rai (Jordan) of September 10 published an article on the support of sports and athletes by the Jordanian government. The paper said that the government helped build the Stadium of the Islamic Scientific Faculty which received visiting sports groups from AUB.

• AME Info of September 11 and Macro World Investor of September 10 reported on the inauguration of seven new inpatient rooms at the Childrenâ??s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) thanks to an $85,000 donation by the Rotary Club of Koura. Dr. Miguel Abboud, Medical Director of CCCL said at the inauguration ceremony, â??We are so grateful for the generosity of the Rotary Club-Koura. The rooms are furnished with the latest equipment which makes them very relaxing for patients and their families. This helps us provide them with the best care possible.â?

• Gulf News of September 11 reported on Sima Barazi Haroun, a fashion accessories boutique owner and Emirates Woman of the Year nominee. Born in Syria, she earned her education at the American University of Beirut where she graduated with a bachelors in middle east history. After a stint in the United States, she moved to Dubai where she soon established her fashion accessories boutique, Boom and Mellow.

• The National Newspaper of September 11 published a book of Wild Mulberries, a novel by Lebanese author Iman Younes. A graduate of anthropology from the American University of Beirut, Younes focuses on the coming of age of a woman in Lebanonâ??s Druze community. The novel tackles issues of love, marriage, and trust over the backdrop of the silk industry in Lebanon.  

• Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (KSA) of September 11 published a review of Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk's latest novel entitled For Lovers Only. The paper said that Pamuk received an honorary doctorate from AUB in June 2008.

• Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (KSA) of September 12 announced that the AUB Alumni Association, United Kingdom branch is holding an iftar on September 17 at the Sheraton Park Tower Hotel, London.

• Climate Change Corp.com of September 12 reported on the impact a rise in sea levels as a result of climate change will have on the nations of the Middle East and North Africa. On eimpact would be extreme weather conditions. Dr. Nadim Farajalla, assistant professor of hydrology and water resources at the American University of Beirut, recalled tropical cyclone Gonu last year, the worst storm to hit Oman in 60 years. With a force of 100mph, the storm left thousands homeless. â??You can imagine how much this would have been magnified if the sea were just a foot higher,â? he said. â??The damage would have spread inland and it would have been enormous,â? he added.

• PBS of September 13 published an article by Jessica Dheere, a freelance journalist who teaches workshops at the Journalism Training Program at the American University of Beirut, about the recently held First Arab Bloggers Meeting. Held in Beirut, the meeting brought together bloggers from all over the Arab world in order to examine their role in political activism in an Arab world that is notorious for curbing freedom of expression.

• Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat of September 14 published an article featuring an American scientist of Lebanese origin named Jamal Azar. The paper said that Azar, who is a specialist in petroleum sciences, was approached by AUB to conduct research on the topic from a local perspective.

• MENAFN of September 15 and Oxford Business Group of September 12 reported that the Lebanese industry sector has improved following an improvement in the political situation in the country. It noted that the improvement was made even though there has been an increase in costs of manufacturing materials. Despite this, Louis Hobeika, a professor of economics at the American University of Beirut said, â??Lebanonâ??s government needs to focus more on the industrial sector in order to broaden the base of the economy.â?

• Gulf News of September 15 published an interview it conducted with former American University of Beirut provost and newly appointed chancellor of the University of Sharjah in the UAE, Peter Heath. He revealed that his initial interest in the region was sparked after he took an Arabic course while he was still a university student. He said, â??I always thought the Arab world carried a vibrant culture as well as wonderful human relations."

• The Saudi Gazette of September 15 reported on the revealed recipients of the 2008 Kingdom International Prize for Environmental Management. The two Saudi professors, Dr. Sabah Bint Ahmad from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman and Dr. Mai Afeef Masâ??oud from the American University in Beirut were both given the awards for their developments in helping protect the environment. Dr. Masâ??oud was awarded for her research on factors influencing the strategies of river management in developing countries.

• Middle East Times of September 16 and The Middle East Online of September 15 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, the Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, in which he presents a book entitled, â??The Arab Center: The promise of moderation.â? Written by former Jordanian Foreign Minister and Ambassador Marwan Muasher, the book examines the reasons the Arab world has failed in achieving peace in the region and succumbed to foreign meddling. The Jordanian official said that the Arabsâ?? two main failures are their failure to achieve social, political and economic reform, and engage the United States and Israel in peace making.

• Menassat News of September 17 reported on the first publication in the Arab world to tackle the issue of lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer women in the Arab world. â??Bekhsoosâ?, is aimed at demonstrating to the public that these women are the same as any other in society in an attempt to eliminate prejudice against the group. One writer, a student from the American University of Beirut who chose to be left anonymous, wrote about her experience at the university. She said that she had hoped that the people would have been more accepting of her sexual orientation, but she was met with prejudice. However as the academic year went on, she managed to bridge understanding with her peers.

• Nobles News Online (Syria) of September 17 and Akhbar Al-Kuwait (Kuwait) of September 18 published a review of a book entitled Asrar al-Sandouq al-Aswad (Secrets of the Black Box) in which the author Ghassan Charbel publishes interviews and biographies of four political and militant rebels including George Habash and Wadih Haddad who first met when they were students at AUB.

• Al-Ahram (Egypt) of September 18 published an article discussing the recent attempts for dialogue in Lebanon. The paper quoted AUB professor of political studies Kareem Makdisi as saying that "Walid Jumblat is now extending his arm to the opposition after realizing that latter was victorious in the May 2008 confrontation."

• Middle East Times of September 18 and the Middle East Online of September 17 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, the Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, about the persistence of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization despite various attempts at combating it, such as the United States-led war on Afghanistan. He noted that the conditions that led to the groupâ??s formation are still present in the world, such as â??socio-economic disparity and abuse of power, Israeli occupations, Anglo-American wars, and Western Islamophobia.â? In order to combat the group, and other emergent Islamic groups, there is a need to address the reasons that formed al-Qaeda in the first place, added Khouri.

• Gulf News of September 18 reported on the speculation between Lebanon and Syria over the identity of the Israeli-occupied Shabaa Farms. Syria and Lebanon both say that the Farms are Lebanese, while the United Nations says they are Syrian. There have been several documents over the past century that sometimes list the lands as Syrian and at other times as Lebanese. Dr. Judith Harik, a professor at the American University of Beirut said, â??Shabaa farms constitute a major reservoir for the water of Mount Hermon. Whether it is Syrian or Lebanese, I do not think that Israel will give it up that easily.â?

• Al Ahram Weekly of September 18 reported on the resumption of national dialogue in Lebanon and reconciliation efforts that were launched between rival Lebanese parties over the past few weeks. One of the most notable reconciliation meetings was that of the militant group Hizbullah and the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) headed by MP Walid Jumblat. â??Jumblat is reaching out to the opposition because he understood after the May incidents that Hizbullah won,â? said Karim Makdissi, professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. â??He is making peace with this,â? he added.

• Al Jazeera English of September18 published an article by Paul du Quenoy, a professor in the Department of History and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut, about the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia. He observed that the war may be the beginning of a cold war between Russia and the United States and their respective allies.

• Arabian Business of September 19 reported on the passing away of Randa Khoury, the beloved preschool director at the International College since 1990 and wife of the Director of the Office of Information and Public Relations at AUB, Mr. Ibrahim Khoury. Born in Palestine in 1944, Mrs. Khoury received a B.A. in child development from the Beirut University College (now Lebanese American University) in 1966 and an M.A. in elementary education from AUB in 1968. She was a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Mrs. Khoury also worked as an education consultant with the United Nations and co-authored a three-volume book on the Arabic alphabet. She passed away on September 18 after nearly a year long battle with lung cancer.

• Middle East Times (Egypt) of September 20 published an article by Rami Khuri, director of AUB's Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, entitled "Why has Al-Qaeda Lasted for 20 Years?"

• AME Info of September 22 and Trade Arabia of September 21 reported on the appointment of Hussein Fakih to the post of Chief Executive Officer of Mina Al Fajer Real Estate LLC. He started his career in 1993. He held positions at General Motors and Audi AG as its Regional Manager in the Middle East. Fakih holds a degree in Mechanical Engineer from the American University of Beirut. He is a Stratford University graduate with an MBA in Management.

• The Middle East Online of September 22 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, the Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, about the 30 ^th and 15 ^th anniversary of the signing of the Camp David and Oslo Accords respectively. The two agreements aimed at achieving peace in between the Israelis and Palestinians but they have so far failed. Khouri stressed that lessons should be derived from these two agreements and implemented for future peace deals. Among these lessons he said is accepting coexistence between the two sides and leading fair negotiations.

• Al-Ghad (Jordan) of September 23 reported on the Civil Engineering Night with the title "Engineering Ja'afar Touqan: Civil Engineering Experience" held by the Scientific Council of the Civil Department at the Order of Engineers in Jordan. The paper said that engineer Touqan was born and grew up in Palestine and received a BE in civil engineering from AUB in 1960.

• Saudi-US Relations of September 23 published the excerpt of a book, Col. Bill Eddy USMC and the Rise of American Power in the Middle East, by Thomas Lippman. The book is a biography of a Bill Eddy, a diplomat who helped pave the way towards increasing the United Statesâ?? influence in Saudi Arabia in the first half of the 20 ^th century. Born to the parents who were among the missionaries who helped establish the American University of Beirut, Eddy played a major role in establishing the United Statesâ?? power in the Middle East.

• The Middle East Online of September 24 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, about the recent election of Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as the head of the ruling Kadima party. Khouri said that she will be faced with the choice of either making peace with the Palestinians or maintaining the same line of action as her predecessors and continue oppressing the Palestinians.

• Menassat News of September 24 reported on a recently held conference dealing with censorship in Lebanon. Organized by a civil society initiative called the Youth Advocacy Process (YAP), the conference dealt with youth issues, such as lowering the voting age in Lebanon, as well as coming up with mechanisms to prevent the government from legalizing forms of censorship. â??We need to reexamine the laws concerning censorship with the collaboration of lawyers and legislatures,â? said Sarah Murad, a political science graduate from the American University of Beirut and a member of the NGO Towards Citizenship.

• Ath-Thawra (Syria) of September 26 and Nobles News Online (Syria) of September 27 published an editorial which argues that the Zionists constantly seek myths in order to claim the right to Palestinian land. The paper quoted historian Walid Khalidi during one of his lectures at AUB in 2004 claiming that the Zionist army by far outnumbered the Arab army during World War Two.

• Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (KSA) of September 26 published a biography of Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces party. The paper said that Geagea joined AUB in 1971 to study medicine but dropped out in 1975 to take part in the civil war.

• AME Info of September 27 reported that the American University of Beirutâ??s launching of a leadership scholarship program for Arab students. Eleanor Johnson, consultant for Special Projects at the Office of the Provost, said, â??What's important about this program is that it offers an academic curriculum that focuses on developing civic and social leadership skills in participating students.â? A total of 18 students from various Arab states will be selected to take part in the program that last four years under the studentsâ?? degree of choice.

• Emirates News Agency of September 28 reported on the UAE Ministry of Health signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the American University of Beirut. The MOU will include training for employees working at various departments affiliated with the UAE Ministry of Health.

• The Middle East Online of September 29 published an article by Rami G. Khouri, the Director of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, in which he observed that the Middle East Quartet has failed in its mission to mediate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. He noted that the Quartet, comprised on the United Nations, European Union, the United States and Russia, has failed because it merely issued criticism of Israeli and Palestinian conduct while failing to do anything to alter the reality on the ground.