Hala Dimechkie: A window on MENA – Lebanon’s challenges and opportunities
Mobility is a key feature of higher education in Lebanon. Its universities have traditionally been extremely popular among international students from all over the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and Asia, whilst every year Lebanese youths flock to Europe and North America to participate in exchange programmes or pursue full degrees. Lebanon also caters to many students who belong to the large community of refugees currently hosted in the country. However, Lebanon has recently faced a series of challenges that not only complicate daily life but also present real difficulties in the execution of internationalisation activities.
In this episode of the EAIE podcast, Hala Dimechkie, Director of the Office of International Programs at The American University of Beirut (AUB), helps us better understand the unique set of issues currently facing Lebanon. Hala offers a number of insights into how her own university and other Lebanese higher education institutions are continuing to serve their local and international students and staff, administer key programmes, and plan for the future, despite the uncertainties and challenges of the moment.
About Hala Dimechkie
Hala Dimechkie has been the director of the Office of International Programs (OIP) at The American University of Beirut (AUB) since 2014. She represents and promotes AUB internationally, and supports and disseminates international education within AUB. She is responsible for managing AUB’s international office, including international student services and study abroad programmes, as well as for developing and maintaining international partnership agreements that relate to student, faculty and staff mobility.
Hala is fluent in three languages, and she holds a BA in Arab studies from the University of Exeter (UK) and an MA in history from AUB. Prior to joining OIP, Hala spent eight years at the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB directing its communications unit.
Further reading
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ Office of International Programs (American University of Beirut)
→ 'Never waste a good crisis' in 2021 Spring Forum: Europe and the Global South (Hala Dimechkie)
→ Bolder, braver internationalisation in the Southern Mediterranean (EAIE blog)
Stay tuned
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