Professors at Work

Brigitte Khoury, Associate Professor, explains how she and her colleagues research the impact on the public of stressful times in Lebanon, what every person can do to help themselves, and how AUB responds to the current crises.

Dr. Khoury analyzes how Lebanon’s multiple crises impact individuals, families and institutions, and how individuals and families can help minimize the damage from such mental health stresses. She also explores how she and her AUB colleagues in the psychiatry department determine what research they conduct, and explains how their results help shape interventions among children and adults.

Rima Majed has collected data on 30 years of sectarian protests and street politics in Lebanon and Iraq primarily, and explains her assessments that most mass and even "revolutionary" protests have been unable to remove Arab regimes that remain in power by using sectarianism, clientelism, and coopting and repressing protesters. The lack of organized groups (unions, parties) and unified leaderships that could transform mass street protests into political change are among the reasons, she explains.

How virologist Dr. Nada Melhem, from AUB's Faculty of Health Sciences, has been tackling the challenges of COVID-19 and whether she thinks we’ll have a vaccine soon to begin a return to normal life.

Interview recorded in September 2020 before phase three trails of COVID-19 vaccines were started.

Dr. Karim Makdisi, Associate Professor of International Politics and director of the Graduate Program in Public Policy and International Affairs at AUB, explains how scholars from the Global South increasingly engage their colleagues in the North and West to shape a new field of “Global IR”. He explains why the study of international relations should shed the traditions of western powers who seek their interests abroad, and also explore the views and interests of citizens, states, and non-state armed actors across the South who have long suffered the military interventions of global powers. 

Civil engineer Issam Srour, PhD, interviewed about his research focus on recycling building materials to promote sustainable construction practices in Lebanon.

Dr Hadi Jaafar, Associate Professor of Irrigation Engineering and Water Management at AUB's Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, has developed innovative technologies -- including a free phone app -- that farmers and governments in the Middle East use to manage their water supplies and food production. Within hours of the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, he used satellite imagery to identify the extent and nature of the damage across Beirut and its suburbs, accelerating relief and rescue efforts.  

Lina Abou-Habib, interim director of the Asfari Institute at AUB and a leading feminist activist in the Middle East, analyzes why feminist activism has made gains slowly since the Beijing conference 25 years ago, and how regional and global activists coordinate to reduce the subordination of women.

Dr. Mona Fawaz, Professor in Urban Studies and Planning and Coordinator of AUB's Graduate Programs in Urban Planning and Design, explains how students and faculty with the Beirut Urban Lab took to the streets of Beirut two days after the blast of August 4th, talking with those affected. Their goal was to put people first, protect the heritage, and work toward recovery. Their work connected them with 48 different government agencies and the municipality, assessing the damage and connecting residents with their neighbors. The ongoing effort has brought to light underlying challenges to the health of Beirut's neighborhoods and possibilities not just for recovery, but for a better future.