For some students, the work had only just begun, as they had qualified for a nationwide capacity-building workshop, held under the patronage of the Minister of Industry George Boujikian in late April. The workshop culminated in a pitching session where projects by three LAU student teams stood out. As a result, they joined nine student teams from other universities in Lebanon for an acceleration phase that spanned the summer months.

This fall, two of the LAU student teams made the shortlist of six projects that were awarded €10,000 worth of grants each, courtesy of the EU through the Industrial Research Achievements in Lebanon (IRALEB), along with incubation support within the context of Lebanon Innovate, a 42-month program funded by the EU to bolster the Lebanese production and its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

On November 26, the School of Engineering (SOE) Dean Michel Khoury joined the students and their faculty mentors, at a grant-signing ceremony at the Ministry of Industry.

The first team, comprising mechatronics engineering students Lea Youssef Baby, Angelo Yaghi and Fadi Kaafarani, were supervised by Assistant Professor Noel Maalouf. Addressing the critical need for affordable prosthetics, their project incorporates 3D printing, low-cost actuators and optimal control strategies to develop a low-cost bionic ankle. The project promises a cost reduction of about 80 percent compared to existing bionic prosthetics, which could make advanced prosthetics more accessible to financially disadvantaged patients.

Under the guidance of Associate Professor Roland Bejjani, mechanical engineering students Cynthia Al Labaki, Hassan Fakih and Christophe Abboud developed an intelligent texture tool that combines advanced texturing, image processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The tool would be able to analyze surfaces at a micro scale as well as extract and classify the features, making it very useful for industries that utilize sensors and semiconductors.

Congratulating the students, Dr. Maalouf, and Dr. Bejjani on these well-earned grants, Dr. Khoury underscored the importance of “exposing students early on to the gaps and challenges within the industry, and to offer them the tools and knowledge to address those needs with creativity and innovation.”

Minister Boujikian and Dean Khoury at the grant-signing ceremony with Dr. Bejjani (second row, second from L) and Dr. Maalouf (second row, third from L).

Mechatronics engineering students Lea Youssef Baby (C), Angelo Yaghi and Fadi Kaafarani had won first prize for their project at the LAU School of Engineering Capstone Awards Ceremony last spring.

“The virtual realm proved to be a vital tool during the war and mass displacement,” said Dr. Ramadan. “Classes were interactive, just like in physical classrooms, and students were able to communicate and work in groups with the advantage of working privately while minimizing interference.” 

Being able to connect again beyond geographical barriers and safety hazards, he added, “sends a clear message that even under the bombs, we will continue to be innovative and hopeful.” The metaverse classroom held, according to Dr. Ramadan, is among the first of its kind in the Middle East. 

Metaverse classrooms combine the advantages of both online and offline learning environments and the technology is more interactive and efficient than traditional online classes, he went on to say. By integrating the metaverse and AI technology in education, students become familiar with advanced tools to find solutions and face challenges productively when they graduate.

First-year MBA student Nour Sabaa Ayoun found that the metaverse classes offered a unique experience that brought her closer to her friends during difficult times and motivated her to attend class and study.

“It became somewhat of a haven for us. We were able to choose and customize our avatars; the theater-like podium included a whiteboard and screens to show slides and discuss case studies and classwork,” she said. “It gave us comfort because it resembled a normal educational space and took our minds off the hardship we were facing.” 

For Kiana Medlej, also a first-year MBA student, the experience was a lot like being in a real classroom in terms of delivering knowledge and communicating ideas with classmates. She viewed the technology as “beneficial not only during hazardous situations but also for exchange student programs and vulnerable groups, such as individuals with disabilities, those living abroad, or those who live far from campus like me. It makes education more accessible for all social groups,” she said.

According to Dr. Ramadan, this technology is pragmatic, not only in marketing classes, because when replicated in medical schools, laboratories and chemistry classes, the experience advances to include tools where 3D models can be seen and studied.

“Though it will not supersede in-person learning and interaction, it would still be an added value to the educational sector, especially if used properly as an additional experiential tool to study and explore science," he maintained.

Dr. Ramadan asserted that the primary goal of using this technology is to thoroughly prepare students with exceptional knowledge to confront future career obstacles with competence and expertise. 

“This goal not only coincides with our mission and values but also conveys a message of hope during this pivotal time for Lebanon to succeed across several domains, similar to the accomplishments of many of our graduates worldwide,” he said.  

Dr. Ramadan and his students in the metaverse classroom.

Dr. Ramadan’s metaverse class redefines education by merging reality with the infinite possibilities of the digital realm.

To that end, a panel by the Center for Policy Analysis (CePA) at LAU explored the importance of preventative measures and structured public policies to avoid the mishandling of aid. Titled Hezbollah-Israel War The Day After: Public Policy Frameworks to Safeguard Foreign Aid in Reconstruction, the online discussion, held on November 21, featured key stakeholders, namely Lebanese Member of Parliament and longtime friend and supporter of the university Fouad Makhzoumi, World Bank Country Director for Mashreq Jean-Christophe Carret and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza.

The session was moderated by the President of the Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan Lamia Moubayed, who is also the vice chair of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration Introduction.

LAU Assistant to the President for Public Policy and CePA Director Leila Dagher welcomed the large number of attendees, underlining the timeliness of the topic and affirming the center’s commitment to tackle nationwide issues.

In his introductory remarks, LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah stressed the important role of the university in addressing Lebanon’s challenges toward building a culture of accountability, transparency and integrity, while educating and shaping a new generation of Lebanese community leaders. “By discussing the day after,” he said, “there is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure that they do not happen again with future aid contributions.”

Dr. Abdallah also spoke about working collectively to advance a fair, transparent and sustainable public-policy framework, noting that reconstruction is not only about the physical infrastructure but also the build-up of human capital and civic processes that will require significant local willpower and international support. “Building a transparent public policy framework not only establishes trust with international partners and guarantees aid, but also safeguards the public good,” he added.

Striking a balance between offering humanitarian aid on the one hand and fortifying public administrations on the other amid multifaceted crises was a key argument brought forth by Riza. He drew from lessons learned in the aftermath of past events such as the August 4 port explosion and the July 2006 war, warning against the establishment of parallel humanitarian organizations, and recommending accountability and transparency.

Coordination mechanisms are readily available, confirmed Riza, such as funding pools and their respective advisory bodies. He added that the UN is working to streamline cooperation between donors, civil society organizations and government agencies. “To build public trust, we must follow transparent aid tracking systems and comprehensive governance,” he advised.

Despite financing gaps, Riza reiterated the UN’s commitment to providing immediate humanitarian relief along with addressing long-term development priorities to support Lebanon’s vulnerable communities. “Lebanon’s rich history, its human capital, and its diaspora must be invested in rebuilding strong institutions,” he said, hoping that current assistance “paves the way for sustainable recovery in the near future.”

Carret underscored that the World Bank will continue working toward addressing Lebanon’s conflict-related needs, as it balances its dual role as a development agency and a supporter of Lebanon, especially so as not to incur further delays in helping the country tackle pressing development priorities.

In a recent report, said Carret, the World Bank estimated the war-related losses at $8.5 billion. The bank has reallocated $50 million under its existing portfolio to finance urgent needs in healthcare, social security and food security, he added.

Carret further advocated for utilizing the country's existing systems to empower its government to deliver services and maintain the role of its institutions, thereby strengthening its role and helping to attract necessary funds for reconstruction and recovery.

For MP Makhzoumi, corruption runs deep in “mafia-run” state institutions, which results in a lack of trust in the government’s authority. “The need to renew and reform administrative systems is of utmost importance,” he argued, pointing out that “those who caused Lebanon’s destruction and crises are the same people who are supposedly working on rebuilding it—a completely illogical and unacceptable proposition.”

“Our country has an excess of talent and potential that can help it rebuild,” Makhzoumi continued, “we just need to reform, allowing it to regain the trust of its diaspora and investors.”

(From top L) Dr. Dagher, Ms. Moubayed, Dr. Abdallah, Mr. Carret, Mr. Riza and Mr. Makhzoumi.

The webinar, led by Dr. Wael Salame (BS ’08; MD ’13), a clinical assistant professor at the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, tackled timely topics, such as collective desensitization and the importance of processing traumatic events and recognizing common signs of heightened anxiety. The interactive session was attended by LAU alumni residing in Lebanon and abroad.

“The topics of the webinars, which are part of the Alumni Office’s Stay Aware Lecture Series, are carefully chosen to show a deep understanding of our alumni’s needs, demonstrating the extended role of the Alumni Office beyond traditional networking, especially during challenging times,” said Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations Abdallah El Khal.

Having Dr. Salame, an alumnus himself, present the webinar strengthens the community bond, he added. “We want to ensure our alumni feel connected, cared for and not struggling alone.”

An attendee living outside of Lebanon asked how she could support her family and friends experiencing the conflict firsthand. Dr. Salame advised her to “be a social listener” and “acknowledge their vulnerability” when they choose to share it, rather than constantly asking if they need help.

“People are reluctant to ask for help because they are conditioned to protect their egos,” he explained. “Therefore, we need to reassure them in a way that shows we’re giving them attention, without drawing attention to their need for it.”

When asked about the series of traumatic events people in Lebanon have endured, which have led many to normalize the negativity and become emotionally numb, Dr. Salame emphasized the importance of processing the experiences. He acknowledged that working through these accumulated challenges would be a long journey, but assured that it is possible, as history has shown.

“The antidote to normalization is acknowledging that we are not okay and accepting that things have changed,” he said.

The second webinar, titled Coping with Loss and Grief During Prolonged Crises by Dr. Salame took place on November 20, and you can watch it here. 

To watch the live recording of the first session, click here. 

Amid the despair caused by the conflict, as a volunteer at the Hasbaya 701 Lebanese Red Cross Center, he worked for weeks at the Emergency Medical Services Center and the Disaster Management helping the displaced settle into government shelters, supplying mattresses, food, hygiene kits, and daily bread. “I am committed to my duties as a frontline medical personnel member,” he said, “it is my obligation to assist the injured and those in need.” 

Al Halabi is one of several AKSOB students who, individually or collaboratively, sought to provide essential resources to struggling families to spread goodwill and build a strong support system in the face of these challenges. Motivated by more than a sense of civic responsibility, they acted out of compassion for their people, wanting to ensure their wellbeing and give them hope.

The students’ experiences are extensive and diverse, from offering medical assistance and rescue to arranging donations and working with local companies and communities to provide much-needed supplies to displaced and impoverished families.

Yasmin El Souki, also a senior business studies student, found purpose and strength by volunteering to help those in need. El Souki took part in cooking and preparing hundreds of meals for the displaced people seeking shelter at various schools in Saida. 

“It was fulfilling to work over 12 hours a day to provide nutritious meals to the elderly, children and families who suffered the consequences of this war,” she said. “It is only right that we should stand by our people.”

These efforts not only meet the immediate needs of the displaced Lebanese families, she added, but also foster a sense of community and togetherness, reassuring them that they are not alone in their hardship.

In his capacity as a civil defense worker, Omar Dwayre, a first-year student in business studies, said that his commitment to supporting his community was behind his everyday activities as a member of the Lebanese Civil Defense. 

“I am trained to safeguard the wellbeing of others at all costs,” he said, “as frontliners during this war, we rescued individuals trapped in collapsed buildings, provided medical aid and protection for those in need and will continue to do so because we are part of this community and must be there for one another to manage this crisis and protect our fellow citizens.” 

Drawing on their skills and experience, the students strongly believed that any act of support, no matter how big or small, would contribute to the relief of those in need and build a stronger and brighter future for the country and its people, even if it entailed putting their own life at risk.   

Yazan Al Halabi and an LRC member responding to emergencies. (Photo courtesy of Yazan Al Halabi)

Omar Dwayre with members of the Civil Defense in a group photo. (Photo courtesy of Omar Dwayre)

Yasmin El Souki (R) and friends supervising the distribution of meals. (Photo courtesy of Yasmin El Souki)

LebRad will be headed by the school’s Clinical Assistant Professor in the Dermatology Department Jinane El Khoury Okais. The project is an inter-university collaboration supported by the Lebanese Dermatology Society involving several Lebanese institutions with dermatology programs.

As GADA seeks to establish and maintain an atlas of data on atopic dermatitis from all countries, especially those lacking such information, LebRAD will collect and link patients’ data in Lebanon for insight into the disease burden and epidemiology in the country. The GADA atlas will ultimately serve as a central repository for a consolidated database of atopic dermatitis to enhance an understanding of its global and local burden as well as its variations around the world. Such data will ideally be collected and analyzed using similar methods across countries.

Through LebRAD, Lebanon and LAU will pioneer the piloting of the standardized data entry platform that GADA built, and refined for LebRAD, with the technical software support of Swiss4ward. The plan is for LebRAD to contribute to the global evidence ecosystem from a country lacking epidemiological data on atopic dermatitis, and for GADA to make the platform available to others who want to create a registry for patients with atopic dermatitis.

The partnership with GADA was established after the school’s alumna, Dr. Rita Iskandar (MD ’20), was awarded the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Daniel Turnberg Travel Fellowship which fosters research ties between the Middle East and the UK. During her fellowship, Dr. Iskandar facilitated collaboration between LAU, supervised by Dr. El Khoury Okais, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, supervised by Professor Sinéad Langan, who connected the LebRAD team with the GADA team.

“This milestone aligns with LAU’s commitment to fostering impactful collaborations and advancing dermatology care for the Lebanese population,” said Dr. El Khoury Okais. “As an institution that is both home to skilled researchers and a nurturing ground for future leaders in medicine, LAU proudly contributes to this global effort.”

Dr. El Khoury Okais (L) with postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Marwa Hallal (R) who collaborated on the study, and a patient.

In Lebanon, where drugs are mostly imported and compounded crises have further strained patients’ access to their medication, new hope came with the recent launch of the LAU Pharmaceutical and Medical Research Center (PMRC).

A pioneering undertaking by the university in collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and pharmaceutical and medical institutions, the center will contribute to the development of generic drugs by conducting tests that prove they share the same active ingredients as their brand-name counterparts—a process known scientifically as bioequivalence (BE) evaluation.

Wide-scale understanding of BE remains limited in Lebanon, however. To spread awareness on the topic, the School of Pharmacy held a professional development session titled Bioequivalence and Generic Drug Products: Scientific and Regulatory Considerations, presented by Dr. Sam Haidar, executive director of the PMRC. The session is one of a series of interactive events regularly hosted by the school’s Professional Development Committee and was open to healthcare experts, researchers and practitioners.

The presentation and following discussions furthered attendees’ knowledge of BE, drug absorption and bioavailability, components and the uses of BE studies, while offering a comprehensive overview of testing BE, and listing instances where in-vivo BE studies can be waived.

Dr. Haidar drew examples from his previous role as senior science advisor at the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Study Integrity and Surveillance.

He asserted that generic drugs are not inferior to their brand-name counterparts because “they are subject to the same quality requirements, except that animal studies, clinical studies and bioavailability are all substituted by the bioequivalence study.” The latter, he explained, acts as a bridge to the data usually provided by these tests, which can be costly.

One of the topics presented during the session addressed commonly and persistently held misconceptions by the public as well as healthcare professionals about generic drugs and products.

“People think that generics are inferior just because they cost less, but it is safe to say that this is not true,” affirmed Dr. Haidar, explaining that generic drugs are subject to the same manufacturing and quality testing standards as the brand name drugs, but only cost less because they are not required to undergo repeated pre-clinical and clinical testing to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the active ingredient.

Another common misconception claims that a generic drug’s active ingredient can differ in a margin of up to 20 percent from the brand name product. In fact, clarified Dr. Haidar, “it is almost impossible for a drug to differ by that extent and still pass BE testing.”

Backing this up with data, Dr. Haidar shared the results of two studies that demonstrated that generic products, approved over a nine-year period, differed by a negligible margin of less than four percent in the extent of absorption when compared to their brand-name counterparts, while also showing near-identical bioavailability in the test results. “This proves the high quality and therapeutic equivalence of generic drug products,” he said.

The session also featured case studies covering the methods and approaches used for different drug categories, as well as an overview of some examples of misconduct detected by the FDA.

The studies and data opened the door for more questions and insightful exchanges among attendees. The information presented and the discussions that followed helped demystify frequently misconceived facets of BE and generic drug products, contributing to a buildup of data-driven and publicly available content on the topic.

The full presentation is available here.

Up until then, Naja’s work experience had consisted of reporting on Tele Liban’s newly launched English bulletin with classmate Lina Matta. He had been approached by the network during his senior year and stayed on for another year after his graduation in communication arts until politically charged threats related to his work drove him to leave the country for a short respite.

Leaving Beirut and an Unplanned Master’s

As luck would have it, Naja bumped into a former classmate and friend Patrick Pule on the tube from the airport to central London who invited him to stay the night. Pule later took him to see former Chair of the Communication Arts Department Mona Knio, who had taught them both at BUC and had relocated to London.

Knio would not take no for an answer to her suggestion that he stay in England to pursue a master’s. Dismissing his insistence that he had a job and a life waiting for him in Lebanon, she pushed him to apply to the University of Hull and even helped him secure a full scholarship. Naja notified his family in Lebanon, got a student visa and headed off to East Yorkshire.

“Hull was very well known for its excellence in drama and television,” said Naja, recalling a moment that had stuck with him. “So, when the dean expressed his admiration for the high standards I’d been taught in Lebanon after my performance in a major play, it was a huge deal for me because I had used what I had learned at BUC.”

“That’s significant,” he added, “especially since we had studied during the war. I will always be grateful to BUC.”

The Pivot from Drama to Copywriting

After graduating from Hull with a master’s in drama, Naja took up a job at a media consultancy as a resident researcher, tackling topics related to cable and satellite television in the UK, when he was approached by PubliGraphics— a Middle Eastern agency based in London—that was looking for a bilingual Arabic and English copywriter.

“Can you start tomorrow?” asked their creative director, the late Leslie Oakes. And so began Naja’s transition into advertising, where he wrote content for radio, TV, print and outdoor media. “This was in the late 80s, when the industry was marked by extravagance and excess, so I was fascinated by it and all the money it involved, very much like in [the TV series] Mad Men,” he recalled.

Four years later, as it expanded into the Arab World, the agency decided to shut down the London office and offered Naja a post in Saudi Arabia. Preferring to stay in England, he declined but kept in touch with previous colleagues and went freelance.

It was during that time, in the mid-90s, that he met Roy Haddad, who was heading an advertising agency in London called Tihama Al Mona International (TMI). Their meeting concluded with a formal job offer and the familiar question: “Can you start tomorrow?”

Naja was assigned to the team working on the Ford Motor Company Middle East portfolio. “The automotive industry is a school by itself. If you can advertise cars successfully, you can pretty much advertise anything,” he said.

At the turn of the century, American advertising giant J. Walter Thompson (JWT) acquired a majority stake in TMI Group, which by then had offices in Lebanon, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan and the UK. The company’s operations became closely connected to the global company and Naja fielded creative briefs from several offices.

The Return to Beirut and Cut-Throat Competition

Then came the day when Haddad decided to go back to Beirut, offering Naja the opportunity to help him set up the office in Lebanon.

“It was a very rainy summer in London that year, which must have influenced my decision,” recalled Naja jokingly. While his move back home took several trips, setting up the “Levant Creative Hub” for TMI–JWT was swift.

“I think we did some of the best advertising in Lebanon without a shadow of a doubt,” said Naja. In the early 2000s, the competition was fierce and international awards were becoming popular in the region. Around then, he attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as a creative director, and remembered thinking “Why is no work from the Arab World being rewarded?”

“We Can Cannes” and the Rise to the Top

Naja returned to the office in Beirut determined to galvanize his team. “I printed the winning work in the outdoor advertising and print categories at Cannes, taped it all over the walls of the agency and announced: ‘We can Cannes!’”

But when he and a senior member of his creative team, Chafic Haddad, entered their first regional awards ceremony in Amman, they left empty-handed. “It was embarrassing,” said Naja. “As we were leaving, I made Chafic turn toward the ballroom, “Never again,’ I said, ‘next time we walk out as heroes,’” he added.

The following year, Naja “happened to be the only one present from the Beirut office, and I collected so many trophies that I had to ask waiters for large trash bags,” he recounted. “My flight from Amman to Beirut was the next day, but I could neither wait nor fit the trophies in my luggage, so I canceled my flight, got on a taxi overnight to Beirut and headed straight to the office where I laid all the trophies on a table at the entrance and went home.”

The event was a watershed in Naja’s career because it pushed his team to up their game. “This was the kind of thinking that ultimately led us—and by default, our competitors—to produce better work from the region.”

By 2004, he was chief creative officer for MENA, and in 2012, CCO of JWT–Middle East and Africa. The network made its debut at the Dubai Lynx, D&AD, One Show, IPG, London International Awards, New York Festival and finally in Cannes in 2015, where the Cairo Office won its first Titanium Lion. In 2016, JWT MENA was declared Network of the Year at the Dubai Lynx, having seized five Grand Prix.

Speaking fondly of the 13 creative people working under him in the Beirut office, who all went on to assume creative director roles, Naja said, “Our desire for improvement was massive; this is how we hit all those milestones that earned us the reputation of a fun agency.”

Gaining Perspective and Current Ventures

After collecting all those awards, Naja felt like the company’s hunger for them had become insatiable. “Global management would put so much pressure on us to deliver on wins,” he said, explaining how this led to clashes in strategic thinking. Eventually, he chose to leave the company and resume his first passion: content creation.

He worked with MBC and other television companies on script writing until one day a former colleague from JWT, Hubert Boulos, reached out to him for help on a client pitch. That brought him back to advertising at the height of the pandemic, and he ended up joining Boulos as a regional executive creative director at DDB Middle East, based in Dubai.

Following a change in management at DDB, both Boulos and Naja decided to strike out on their own and set up Das Kapital—a kind of a “cloud agency” that mobilizes a global network of best-in-class collaborators on demand, as opposed to the heavy and slow-moving traditional agency networks.

Looking Back at BUC Days and Advice to Current Students

When Naja joined BUC in the early 80s, he initially enrolled in the business studies program but quickly gravitated toward the “center of campus” as he refers to the Safadi Fine Arts Building, where the “fun crowd” hung out. Despite his parent’s disapproval, he transferred to communication arts because he felt that theater was his true calling. “This was one of my best decisions,” he said.

Naja’s time at BUC was marked with valuable lessons. He remembered how committed and dedicated they were as a cohort. “Rehearsal schedules were so intense, and we took them so seriously, showing up ahead of time and leaving campus very late at night, despite gas shortages and militiamen’s makeshift checkpoints,” he said.

Naja recalls faculty members’ wisdom with the gratitude of a passionate student. English Literature faculty member Joe Pirri, TV and film professor Janet Hyde Clark, Cultural Studies professor Jean Makdisi, Drama Coordinator Nada Koleilat and Theater Technician Youssef El Rassi—famously known as Mo’allem Youssef—were some of those whose words and lessons stayed with Naja throughout his career.

“BUC was our refuge,” he said, adding: “We were building sets and creating lighting plans for dance shows, right in the middle of the war; it was our escape.”

Comparing those days to Lebanon’s current challenges, Naja reflected on how this “unmatched commitment to creating drowned everything else,” and in a way, that seemed to be a common thread in his career.

“The university never trained me for work in advertising, but it opened my eyes and my mind, regardless of the subject we were studying,” he said, illustrating with an example of how an elective microbiology class was one of the most fascinating experiences in his academic life.

Naja’s message to current students and fresh graduates culminated in three key points: “Go to university with joy. Open your mind. Become better.” He shared how a fellow student once told him that the best morning prayer is when one prays to be a better person by the end of day. “I hope that what I learned at BUC has helped me become one,” he added.

With former classmate and LAU Senior Theater Manager Hala Masri.

Naja in the Gulbenkian Theater during a visit to campus in May 2024.

The panel, attended by students from all professional years and faculty, and moderated by Dr. Lamis Karaoui, explored the essential role of pharmacists in public health, emphasizing their contributions to crisis management and offering guidelines to address emerging community service challenges. Featured speakers included Dr. Nour Shamas (PharmD ’11), an antimicrobial stewardship consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean; Dr. Nisrine El Hadi (PharmD ’16), Academy Division Manager at the AUB Global Health Institute; and Dr. Luna El Bizri, an executive committee member of the Health and Medicine Information section at the International Pharmaceutical Federation.

According to Dr. Shamas, pharmacists, including student pharmacists, are instrumental in mitigating the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on public health in humanitarian emergencies. “By volunteering in affected areas,” she said, “pharmacists can engage directly with communities in need, providing in-kind donations of medicines and supplies, counseling on the proper use of medications, and educating the public about communicable diseases and overall health practices.”

She also noted that community service creates new opportunities for pharmacists and helps train them to become better professionals. “Through service, students gain a deeper understanding of their community’s needs, and develop essential skills such as effective communication, empathy and teamwork,” she said, adding that these experiences “cultivate a heightened sense of emergency preparedness and advocacy, equipping future pharmacists to respond to health crises with a well-rounded skill set.”

When asked about ways to safeguard the pharmacist's mental health during crises, Dr. El Bizri warned that the workload can quickly become overwhelming, especially as they have to manage patients who are frustrated about the lack or shortage of medications. “Patients in distress need us to not only listen to their concerns,” she noted, “but also to proactively seek solutions, whether by arranging for them to better access their medication or by referring them to mental health support services.”

Dr. El Bizri advised the students to balance the dual demands of personal safety and patient care and pointed out that pharmacies could support their teams by reorganizing tasks, adjusting shifts and considering financial incentives to reduce the impact of mental health distress on staff.

“Pharmacists can act as crucial first responders in conflict-affected communities,” stressed Dr. El Hadi. She explained how this can be achieved by pharmacists through sharing information on topics such as mental health, hygiene and immunization, and through providing essential patient-care services including first aid, medication management and mental health support. Pharmacists, she added, can also engage communities through needs assessments and awareness-building sessions, collaborating with NGOs to address urgent health concerns and supporting health systems by assisting with research in disease surveillance, outbreak response and needs assessments.

In response to how pharmacists can proactively prepare for such challenges, Dr. El Hadi emphasized the importance of understanding the socio-political factors driving health crises in the region and studying the work of organizations such as the WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières. “A clear grasp of the context enables pharmacists to work more effectively in humanitarian efforts,” she explained.

Furthermore, she recommended training pharmacists in first aid, trauma care and communication, as well as keeping them informed through professional networks, social media, and courses on epidemic preparedness.

In response to this growing issue—made more acute by recent events—the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine’s Office for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and the School of Arts and Sciences (SoAS) hosted the fifth installment of their joint psychotherapy webinar series, titled Restless Minds: Unpacking Sleep Disorders in a Stressed-Out World, on November 6.

“There is a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health,” explained Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Jocelyne Azar. Stress can trigger sleep disturbances such as insomnia, hypersomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and parasomnias. In turn, these disturbances can amplify stress. Dr. Azar noted that sleep disorders often warrant a closer look, as they may signal underlying stress-induced psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder.

Additionally, she cautioned about the physical, psychological and social consequences of untreated sleep disturbances, both in the short and long term, which include an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, immune dysfunction, cognitive impairment, memory loss, strained relationships and reduced productivity.

To help create better sleep hygiene, Assistant Professor of Psychology at SoAS Marie Anne El-Khoury outlined various factors that typically impact sleep quality and duration, including environmental elements like temperature, lighting, bedding and noise. Also affected are behavioral habits such as phone use, eating, or exercising close to bedtime; physiological influences like hormonal levels and respiration; and cognitive factors, such as stress, alertness and anxiety.

Reducing sleep-related rumination was one of the 12 sleep hygiene tips Dr. El Khoury shared with attendees. “Journaling helps process the events of the day, significantly easing nighttime rumination that can keep us awake,” she said. Other tips included establishing a bedtime routine and reducing mental stimulation before sleep.

"Don’t overwhelm yourselves by trying to follow all sleep hygiene practices at once," she advised. "Try different approaches, see what works best for you, and go with that."

Among the questions addressed to the speakers was one on the efficacy and safety of melatonin use in managing sleep disorders, to which Dr. Azar responded that “while melatonin is a popular supplement, it primarily helps regulate the circadian rhythm rather than inducing sleep like traditional sleeping pills.” She emphasized that while it can be effective for adjusting sleep after jet lag or for people with delayed sleep issues, it’s only recommended for short-term use—about one to two months—"since prolonged treatment may inhibit the body’s ability to self-regulate sleep.”

Similarly, in response to a question about using magnesium to relieve anxiety, Dr. Azar noted that it can be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of mild anxiety. However, when insomnia occurs alongside depression and heightened anxiety, magnesium serves only as a supplement to psychological or psychiatric therapy.

To wrap up, Dr. El Khoury shared video links to mindful practices that can be incorporated before bedtime. She acknowledged that these psychotherapy webinars are not solutions to the multiple crises facing the country but are intended to “help reduce their impact on our health and improve sleep quality amidst these challenges—more a matter of damage control than complete solutions.”

To view the recording of this session, please click here.