On May 18 and 19 AUB's Center for Behavioral Research and the Chiha Foundation in Beirut sponsored a conference entitled "The Lebanese System: A Critical Reassessment." Among the speakers were a number of distinguished Lebanese and foreign intellectuals.

The event focused on the writings of Michel Chiha, a well known intellectual who died in 1954. A member of the 13-man commission that drew up the constitution, Chiha's ideal Lebanon was characterized by a strong free market economy and a weak state.

The so-called "golden age" before Lebanon's war, when this philosophy seemed to be working, was criticized by a number of the scholars but defended by others, thus creating a heated discussion. Some speakers offered more novel explanations for the path Lebanon's political development has taken.

The opening remarks at the conference were given by Professor Samir Khalaf and President John Waterbury. After an address by Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh there followed seven provocative sessions, ending with a roundtable discussion chaired by Ghassan Tueni.

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