As the leading liberal arts university in the Middle East that boasts so many prominent women among its faculty and alumnae, the American University of Beirut is uniquely well placed to be the home of the Altaf S. Al Sabah Visiting Chair in Women and Societal Development Studies honoring the late Sheikha Lulwa Nasser M. Al Sabah and Sheikha Shaikha Ali S. Al Sabah whose vision for education and the advancement of knowledge has contributed to the realization of this endowment at AUB.
This Chair will guide the University's commitment to:
- Promote collaborative research and exchance programs that support initiatives in women studies with the aim of empowering and enabling women in the region.
- Promote excellence in the fields of education, science, and societal development.
- Build and support a network of scholars, policy-makers, governmental actors, and community partners to promote women studies research towards empowering women across the region.
One of the primary responsibilities of the Altaf S. Al Sabah Visiting Chair in Women and Societal Development Studies would be to spearhead efforts to design and develop interdisciplinary research and related scientific activities that would strengthen AUB's capacity in the area of women studies and lead to the development of a major in Women Studies.