Fall 2007 Vol. VI, No. 1

Architecture Matters

Back to the Books

AUB educates more than 7,000 students on campus, but Regional External Programs (REP) is increasingly bringing all kinds of professionals back to the classroom. Whether it is teaching investigative journalism or establishing a school in Dubai, REP takes AUB expertise out to the community.

AUB’s Office of Regional External Programs has been responding to—and anticipating—the needs of the community for more than 30 years. Although it was originally established to preserve AUB’s regional presence during the Lebanese civil war, it sponsors a number of programs that serve the needs of the community in Beirut, Lebanon, and the region.

CEC: Lifelong learning for all
The Continuing Education Center, which was established in 1982, offers courses and workshops primarily in business, information technology, and languages. Although many students take individual courses, they can also choose to enroll in one of CEC’s certificate programs in human resource management, accounting, marketing, information technology, and office management. CEC is offering its first diploma program in human resource management in fall 2007. George Farag, acting director of CEC, explains that students will be required to complete seven courses (instead of the four courses that are required in the certificate program) and an internship to earn a diploma.

The introduction of diploma programs is just one way that REP and CEC are adjusting to meet the academic and professional needs of its growing number of enthusiastic students. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of students enrolled in CEC courses in recent years: from 404 in 2003-04 to 602 in 2006-07. Hassan Diab, vice president for REP, points out proudly that there was a 29 percent increase in the number of CEC students between 2005-06 and 2006-07. Who are these students? Almost 60 percent of them are women; half of them are between the ages of 20 and 30, 85 percent are between the ages of 20 and 40. Although students are primarily from business-related fields such as marketing, accounting, and administration, there are also engineers, pharmacists, lawyers, and teachers enrolled in CEC courses. Sixty percent of CEC students have a university degree; 26 percent have completed high school.

They are people like Mohamad Safa, who took English Level 5 this past summer. Safa, who has a PhD from Toulouse University III-Paul Sabatier, returned to Lebanon in 2005 after a long career in France as a professor of nuclear physics so his children “could learn Arabic and be involved in the culture and appreciate the affection of the family.” He quickly discovered that he needed to improve his English language skills. As he explains, “English is needed for everything.” When he asked friends and colleagues where he should go, everyone recommended CEC. He says that his English language skills have improved after just one course.

Rania Hassan was prompted to take courses at CEC by the desire to “develop her skills as a medical representative” for Sanofi-Aventis, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, where she has been working for four years. As a result of taking marketing courses at CEC, she “now understands how the marketing and sales departments work to serve the business.” Hassan has also acquired skills that have had a more direct bearing on her job: “Our sales manager prepares the forecast for the coming year based on the sales targets from each sales rep. Thanks to the Sales Management Course I took, I learned how to do sales forecasting and in the process realized that I had overestimated my sales target for the next year. Because I understood how forecasting was done, I was able to discuss the budget with the sales manager and make the necessary adjustment.”

Since January 2006, Bader Mouseli has managed the Accounting Department for the Shrimpy chain of restaurants in Lebanon. He initially found the job challenging because