BOOK SMART
TBY talks to HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, on the ministry's initiatives to improve the education system, ensuring access to education for Syrian refugee children, and reversing the brain drain in the country.
BIOGRAPHY
HE Elias Bou Saab was named Minister of Education and Higher Education in 2014, charged with overseeing the Lebanese education system. He co-founded the American University in Dubai, the first US accredited university in the Gulf, and serves as its Executive Vice President. He is also the co-founder of the Emirati-Lebanese Friendship Association and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Young Arab Leaders. He holds a bachelor's of business administration in marketing (magna cum laude) from the American College in London and a masters of arts in international relations from Boston University.What is the current state of the education system in Lebanon and what are the ministry's ongoing plans to improve it?
We have identified a couple of key objectives that we plan to develop in the following years. First, we will embark on the upgrading of the ministry's curriculum and on improving the facilities of public schools across the country. Most importantly, the ministry needs to work on a law that governs the relationship between the private schools and the ministry in order to set standards that support the evaluation of these schools. The education system includes many schools that are doing great, both in the private and public sectors; however, their success depends mainly on their administration, facilities, and the availability of funds, and here is where we find sharp variations between them. Our education system has many strengths, such as the trilingual education our students receive that helps them gain proficiency in Arabic, French, and English. But we also have many deficiencies, such as not catering more to students with disabilities. This is why the current curriculum needs to be updated, new technologies need to be included and made more interactive, and more extra curricular activities that engage our students in different skill-developing tasks need to be developed.
What have been the main actions of the ministry with regards to the need to school thousands of Syrian refugee children and how can other key players get involved?
The ministry has taken all the necessary measures on this matter and the program has been running for more than two years now. We started the Reaching All Children with Education (RACE) program, and now it has been upgraded to RACE II, which is a plan to accommodate every child in the territory and give them access to education. Unfortunately, this plan depends on the funding from donors and, so far, we have not been able to raise the necessary funds in any given year to increase the enrolment rates. We have now reached over 200,000 Syrian children in the schooling system in Lebanon, but there are still 250,000 children out of school. By the end of this year, if there is commitment and funding by donors and the international community, we will be able to allocate 100,000 more. We need to call on the international community not to abandon these children. The London conference of international donors has been idle in delivering the promised assistance, and this has caused a shortage in the availability of funds. We are exerting every effort to change this situation and to accommodate every child we can into the schooling system, but we need more contributions to achieve our targets.
How are the ministry's policies contributing to fostering entrepreneurial mindsets among Lebanese students?
So far, the ministry is not concentrating on such programs, which is one of its weaknesses. Hopefully, part of the plan for RACE II is to upgrade the curriculum and include such activities to embrace entrepreneurialism as an inherent part of the national educational system. Consequently, policies need to be put in place that will contribute to these activities, and we must start looking for students that are talented. We need to develop those talents with entrepreneurial youths that think outside of the box via teaching-oriented methods, but we need a radical transformation in our curricula before we can excel in this.
What instruments is the ministry using to reverse the brain drain Lebanon faces and turn it into brain gain?
This requires a different movement not under the ministry alone, since we need to ensure the creation of more and better jobs. Also, the political situation in Lebanon needs to improve to encourage scholars to come back and improve higher education, thus contributing to academia. More job opportunities will attract all the brains into Lebanon but this is precisely where the country has been systematically lacking, and this is not a task for the ministry to undertake by itself.
BOOK SMART
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Lebanese-French Relations
Let’s be Franc
Lebanon shares a close relationship with its former colonizer, both in terms of economic relations and cultural identity among Lebanese. In spite of hardships like the presidential power vacuum and Syrian war next door, the bond is only getting stronger.
read articleFocus: Tripoli Economic Free Zone
The Tripoli Transformation
The Tripoli Special Economic Zone (TSEZ) is one of most ambitious projects in Lebanon at the moment. With an initial cost of USD27 million, it is meant to provide an alternative to the heavily centralized economic activity in Beirut, a new gateway for investments and trade to settle in northern Lebanon, and will transform the image of a long-neglected region.
read articleInterview
Dr. Freddie Baz, Vice Chairman & Group Strategy Director, Bank Audi
TBY talks to Dr. Freddie Baz, Vice Chairman & Group Strategy Director of Bank Audi, on the bank's increase in profits, dealing with currency devaluation, and working to turn the economy into an export-driven one.
read articleReview: Insurance
Life is a Rollercoaster
Unlike many emerging markets, Lebanon enjoys a relatively high insurance penetration rate and strong life segment, buoyed by compulsory lines and bancassurance. Competition remains fierce, however, and reform aimed at encouraging consolidation looks far off.
read articleInterview
Max R. Zaccar, Chairman of Commercial Insurance & President of the Association, Insurance Companies
TBY talks to Max R. Zaccar, Chairman of Commercial Insurance & President of the Association of Insurance Companies, on the resilience of the sector, increasing the already-high penetration rates in the country, and remaining one of the strongest insurance companies in the region.
read articleInterview
HE Arthur Nazarian, Minister, Energy and Water Resources
TBY talks to HE Arthur Nazarian, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, on the potential offshoots from oil and gas explorations, the country's National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, and attempts to increase renewable energy consumption.
read articleInterview
Wissam Zahabi, Chairman, Board of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA),
TBY talks to Wissam Zahabi, Chairman of the Board of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA), on making the investment climate attractive for foreign companies and becoming self-sufficient in energy.
read articleFocus: Sovereign Wealth Funds
Gas Pipe Dreams
Despite excitement over exploration of Lebanon's hydrocarbons, the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, which was included in legislation, has yet to take place. The country faces several obstacles in its path to creating and properly managing a fund.
read articleInterview
Pierre El Khoury, General Director, Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC)
TBY talks to Pierre El Khoury, General Director of the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), on the development of energy efficiency in Lebanon, awareness of energy conservation, and the country's 2020 renewable energy goals.
read articleInterview
Dr. Fady Gemayel, President, Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI)
TBY talks to Dr. Fady Gemayel, President of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), on the group's work to promote industrialists, new developments in terms of industrial cities, and the future of industry in the country.
read articleFocus: Industrial Cities
Industrial Solution
Domestic and regional events have stifled Lebanon in building a strong national industry to protect and sustain its economy. Four proposed industrial zones throughout the country may provide it with the economic backbone it so desperately needs.
read articleInterview
Marianne Hoayek, Director of the Executive Office, Banque du Liban
TBY talks to Marianne Hoayek, Director of the Executive Office of Banque du Liban, on the roots of the Circular 331 concept, bridging funding gaps throughout the startup lifecycle, and the country's growing knowledge economy.
read articleRoundtable
Thinking It Through
On June 12, TBY and the American-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) organized a roundtable titled “Startup ecosystem sustainability: fostering cooperation to drive entrepreneurship." The participants discussed the impact of Circular 331, an initiative by Bank du Liban, the Lebanese central bank, to inject a potential of USD400 million into the local enterprise market and guarantee 75% of banks' investments in startups and startup support.
read articleFocus: Infrastructure for the startup ecosystem
The New Star
Startups are ubiquitous in Lebanon despite the difficulty of starting a business and the lack of services available to new businesses. However, a number of actors, both public and private, are innovating the environment and allowing startups to fulfill a greater role in the country's economy.
read articleFocus: Maritime Exports Bridge
Bridging The Gap
The conflict in Syria has wrought serious damage on the Lebanese economy, effectively closing off the country's trade routes through Syria. However, a new program geared at balancing the price disparities between land and sea transit is poised to help Lebanese industries.
read articleFocus: Real Estate
A Stimulus For The Rest Of Us
The real estate market in Lebanon is nothing like it used to be. The sector has slowed considerably, and demand has shifted from the traditional center, Beirut. However, stimulus packages from the central bank over the years have proven beneficial for all parties involved.
read articleInterview
Armand Pahrés, President, Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association (LPIA)
TBY talks to Armand Pahrés, President of the Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association (LPIA), on the development of legislation in the sector, boosting further innovation, and opportunities for Lebanon to become more self-sufficient in pharmaceuticals.
read articleFocus: Incentives for pharmaceuticals in Lebanon
Pharma Land
Lebanon has always been the region's leader in all things health related. Its pharmaceutical industry is no exception, and the country's incentives for international pharma companies to operate, manufacture, and distribute in Lebanon are only getting stronger.
read articleInterview
HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister, Education and Higher Education
TBY talks to HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, on the ministry's initiatives to improve the education system, ensuring access to education for Syrian refugee children, and reversing the brain drain in the country.
read articleInterview
Mohamed Harajli, Provost, American University of Beirut (AUB)
TBY talks to Mohamed Harajli, Provost of the American University of Beirut (AUB), on his upcoming plans for the university, the key role played by the AUB alumni, and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among students.
read articleFocus: Programs to school Syrian refugee children
High Marks
Proportional to its population, Lebanon has taken in significantly more Syrian refugees than any other country. With the country now facing the problem of placing the tens of thousands of Syrian children in school, international donors and local and foreign organizations are making educational support a priority.
read articleInterview
Joseph G. Jabbra, President, Lebanese American University (LAU)
TBY talks to Joseph G. Jabbra, President of the Lebanese American University (LAU), on embracing technology at the university, the challenges of Lebanon's brain drain, and the importance of having international links with other institutions.
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