LEADING ROLE
TBY talks to Adnan S. Hussein, President of Lebanese University, on the university's distinguished history, the challenges it faces, and its international links.
BIOGRAPHY
Adnan S. Hussein was appointed President of Lebanese University in 2011. He holds a PhD in political science from the Lebanese University, where he has taught since 1990. He also taught at the command college of the Lebanese Armed Forces and later served as Minister of Social Affairs from 2009 to 2011 during President Michel Suleiman’s term.What have been the major contributions of the university to the country?
The Lebanese University is the only public university in Lebanon, the largest in terms of student population, and has graduated the highest number of professionals in the country. We have more than 230,000 graduates who have built the foundations of this country and include those who innovate and create in Lebanon: the leaders of this nation. We also have fundamental specialization recognized by the law and by the Ministry of Higher Education; most of our specializations are also taken to other universities in order to grant them with official acknowledgment of their programs. Our degrees and certificates set the tone for local education and we take great pride in that. The university is the clearest reflection of Lebanese society, with students coming from all and every socioeconomic background, religion, town and community across the country. We are an Arabic- and French-speaking university, which adds up to wider diversification, since our students are exposed to two different visions of the world. However, in the past 20 years, the university has become increasingly oriented toward English-taught courses to expose our students to the global business language and contribute to their professional development. All these variables combine to make the university a leading educational center in a multifaceted country.
Being the only public higher education institution in Lebanon, how do you maintain a leading position among universities?
The strength is in the numbers. Currently, we have more than 72,000 students, who constitute 40% of the overall higher education student population in the country. We count 5,000 instructors and teachers and 49 branches throughout Lebanon. We also have mechanisms that guarantee a brain gain for Lebanese University, such as contracts with students who were granted scholarships that stipulate them to return and contribute their knowledge to the development of the university and the country. We also partner with Lebanese embassies across the world to reconnect the diaspora alumni with their alma mater.
What challenges do you face in maintaining your leadership?
The main challenge comes from our budget capacities. Being a public institution, we are subjected to budget allocations from the state and this limits our investment capacities. We have several projects in the faculties of medicine and engineering that need loose funding, which we cannot always guarantee; therefore, our students offer their know-how in a social service scheme to the private sector. We also encourage research and need funding for that, so we try to fill those gaps by getting funds from private institutions. We have 600 leading researchers, most of them funded by the Lebanese University, but they also require additional funding from third-party guarantors.
Which countries do you have relationships with and what do these international links represent?
Our main partnerships are with France, although we also have agreements with Russia, China, Iran, and North and South America. We are constantly expanding our partner relations from East to West to offer our students more options to study abroad. We have signed a fair amount of MoUs with different universities across the globe to send Lebanese University students there and to house foreign students in our university. Last year, we sent 120 top students to different universities in order to pursue their PhDs in different specializations.
The Lebanese University celebrated its 65th anniversary this year. What did this event represent?
We celebrated it on April 17, and it implied the diffusion of what the future will look like for Lebanese University from now on. We reinforced our commitment to protecting Lebanese society by constituting a security net on the pedagogical teaching sector, whereby we will continue to provide the country with leading lecturers, teachers, and instructors. Our diplomas have a high value in the Middle East, and many of our teachers go to other countries to teach and do residencies there. We have embraced the responsibility to teach for all of Lebanon and we will continue in that direction.
LEADING ROLE
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.
read article
