3)

Intrinsic problems of politics

Najla Hamadeh

Has a PhD in philosophy from Georgetown University.   Taught philosophy and Civilization Sequence at AUB for over a decade; and taught philosophy at LAU (part-time), for another decade.  She was the principal of Ahliah School 1999-2005.   She is a member of the Lebanese Association of Women Researchers (LAWR).  Her publications, in Arabic and English, are in the fields of philosophy, philosophical anthropology, family law (with reference to Shari'a), citizenship, and education.  

Politics has to do with the right (good, just, most expedient, “ethical”) choice and its application in physical and psychological reality.  Often the two sides, i.e. the good judgment and the practical application, clash.  This results in various problems, such as:

• Problems caused by division of labour

This lecture will discuss the meaning of “Social Contract”, the types of such contracts, the necessity of the division of labour and the problems that ensue from the discrepancies between tasks as well as responsibilities.

•  Problems caused by the nature of the practical

This lecture is based on Aristotle’s common sense views concerning the incompleteness of practical knowledge and the relativity of the practical good, which varies with time and place and the people involved.

• The Good Rule

This lecture will be based on material in Plato’s Republic. It will discuss the need for contemplative as well as active qualities for achieving good governance.  It will also discuss the moral qualities required of the good ruler.

• Problems in Representation

This lecture will be based on Jean Paul Sartre’s views about variation in individuals’ aims and behavior as they move from one totality to another. It will discuss intrinsic and insurmountable problems with democracy and with freedom verses belonging to a political party.

• Politics and Business

This lecture will tackle the problems and issues of being at once a politician and business man/woman.  It will branch to the discussion of the problematic of remuneration for political tasks.  Machiavelli, George Corm and others will be the sources for this one.

• Problems Caused by the Need for Force for Ruling

This lecture will go back to the concept of the Social Contract and the need for force implicit or explicit in it.  It will move from there to the discussion of who is the best fit to rule: Gender, class, education and temperament of the one best suited to rule.  It is a session in which we will refer to all previous lectures and in which we shall sum up what the six lectures point to.

Number of sessions: six

Dates: Tuesdays, March 19 & 26, April 2, 9, 16 & 23

Time:  3:30 - 5:00 pm

Capacity: 30

4)

Digital Photography: Weekend in Saint Anthony’s monastery on May 11 & 12 (restricted to previous course participants)

Mary Mckone

Mary McKone has been teaching internationally for the past 26 years. She is currently teaching IB Art and Digital Photography at the American Community School at Beirut. Mary introduced digital photography into the arts program at ACS four years ago, and it has become one of the most popular art courses offered at the High School level. Digital photography allows one to access current technologies to promote personal expression and creativity. It is this combination of technical skill, artistic expression and immediacy that Mary feels has made photography such a popular medium today.  Mary was originally trained as a ceramicist but has worked in a variety of artistic media including photography, papermaking and more recently encaustic.

This weekend is designed for participants who have already taken the Beginners Digital Photography Class at UfS. We will be photographing to put to practical use the technical skills and the artistic approaches to taking pictures that have been covered in the previous course. This weekend will offer great opportunities for picture taking of landscape, nature and architecture.

PLEASE NOTE: To confirm your place in this weekend workshop you must have a digital camera that has the following minimum specifications: scene shooting, the ability to control shutter speed and aperture and manual mode. (For questions, please contact ufs@aub.edu.lb). 

Overnight Trip to the beautiful Qadisha Valley and surrounding areas on May 11 & 12, 2013. We will be staying one night at Saint Anthony’s Monastery. The weekend is designed for those interested in photographing landscape, nature and architecture. We will also be stopping along the route to take scenic pictures. Light hiking conditions on established paths will be necessary for some locations. Comfortable walking shoes and clothes are required.

The program is as follows:

• Departure from Beirut (AUB medical gate) at 9:30 am on Saturday May 11
• Stop over for taking pictures, locations to be decided on
• Having lunch on the way (not included in the total cost below)
• Arrival to Saint Anthony’s Monastery at around 4:30 pm, check in
• Photo shooting before and during sunset
• Dinner (before 8:00 pm)
• Breakfast in the morning (Cafeteria opens at 8:00 am)
• Departure back to Beirut at around 11:00 am, possible stop over at Gebran Khalil Gebran Museum (up to the participating seniors)
• Arrival to Beirut at around 3:00 pm (depending on stop over and traffic jam)

Cost: (price may vary depending on the number of participants):

• Double occupancy: 148 000 L.L 
• Single occupancy: 158 000 L.L

The above cost includes: transportation, half board stay at the monastery (i.e. dinner, bed and breakfast).

NB: The trip will be canceled if less than 4 seniors sign up.

5)

Social Media for beginners

Weam Al Awar

Weam Al Awar is the president of AUB’s Online Collaborative. He is a Civil and Environmental Engineering student with a passion for social media and photography.

AUB’s Online Collaborative (AUBOC)

Since September 2010, AUB's Online Collaborative team has been promoting the proper usage of social media among AUB students and helping them use social media professionally. Today the club includes more than 80 members who have organized events such as "Blogging Lebanon" and "Social Media Changing Lives" conferences and several twitter meet-ups, as well as a series of workshops to promote social media literacy.

This study group will offer University for Seniors members an introduction to the new social media.  It will begin with a lecture, followed by five hands-on sessions using computers.  Participants in this study group must have moderate computer skills:  they must have a working knowledge of word processing, using e-mail and surfing the internet. 

The program is as follows:

• March 18: Opening session
• April 8: Facebook
• April 15: Facebook
• April 22: Blogging
• April 29: Twitter
• May 13: Twitter + Facebook

Number of sessions: six

Dates: Mondays, March 18, April 8, 15, 22 & 29 & May 13

Time:  09:00 - 11:00 am

Capacity: 12

6)

Computer literacy

Ayman Jalloul

An architecture student with a fascination with everything related to design, art, social media and technology.  Ayman is also the treasurer of AUB’s Online Collaborative and leads on the Community Services committee of AUBOC.

This study group aims at tackling very basic computer operation. Each session will take the form of a hands-on demo along with direct practice. Participants in this course don’t necessarily need to have any familiarity with using a computer.

 The program is as follows:

• Introduction: What is a computer? Getting familiar with Windows and computer parts
• Word Processing: Creating, editing and saving Microsoft Word documents
• The Internet: Internet Explorer, Websites to visit, safety on the internet
• Email: Set-up an account and how to use e-mails
• Skype Calling: What is Skype and how to use it
• Wrap-up: Review along with Q&A

Number of sessions: six

Date: Thursdays March 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18 & May 2

Time: from 9:00 - 11:00 am

Capacity: 12 people

7)

Technology in Health and Medicine

As technology improves every day, new developments are constantly infiltrating our lives. Whether it's the way you shop, how you communicate with friends, the job you do, or the way you travel, technology is transforming the way we behave.

Technology has highly impacted the medicine and healthcare field. Breakthroughs in information gathering, research, treatments, and communications have given medical providers new tools to work with and fresh ways to practice medicine.

In this course, the hottest trends and advancements in the field of health and medicine will be discussed to keep students up to date on current happenings in this field.

Four topics will be discussed in this study group:

• Overview of Medical Advances in the Last Decade

Topics include the latest advances in medical sciences such as the genome project, using information technology and social media in medicine, new therapies for heart disease, cancer and AIDS, and the use of robotics in medicine.

• Advances in Public Health and Hospital Healthcare

Societal pressure and awareness have led to changes in the way professionals and the community deal with health issues. In this session, we will discuss issues such as: the internet becoming a main source of medical information, better treatment and less suffering in medical procedures, improved patient care and worker efficiency, predicting medical trends, anti-smoking laws and fitness.

• Advances in Nutrition and Food Technology

For the first time in history, the younger generation may have a shorter lifespan than their parents. In this session, we will discuss healthy eating and diets, new types of food, food production techniques and tips to healthy aging.

• Controversies in Medical Advances

As with everything in life, new advances are often controversial from cultural, societal or religious points of view. In this session, we will discuss the pros and cons of debated topics such as stem cell research, cloning, genetically modified crops, human genetic engineering, human-animal hybrid research, animal testing, and moral dilemmas surrounding death.

Number of sessions: four

Dates: Mondays April 8, 22 & 29 and Friday May 10

Time: from 4:00 - 5:30 pm

Capacity: 30

8)

The iPad

Ayman Jalloul

An architecture student with a fascination with everything related to design, art, social media and technology.  Ayman is also the treasurer of AUB’s Online Collaborative and leads on the Community Services committee of AUBOC.

Requirements:

• Participants should bring their own iPads to class each session
• Active Apple ID account with the password
• Skype application installed

The program is as follows:

• Introducing iPad and its interface.  Using Notes. Internet and YouTube
• Mail, Skype and basic settings/ troubleshooting
• To be determined (Depends on the course progress)

Number of sessions: three

Date: Tuesdays, April 30, May 7 & 14

Time: from 9:00 - 11:00 am

9)

Social Media: Q&A sessions (restricted to previous course participants)

Weam Al Awar

Weam Al Awar is the president of AUB’s Online Collaborative. He is a Civil and Environmental Engineering student with a passion for social media and photography.

This study group will offer the seniors who previously took “social media for beginners” a portal to ask any questions they have regarding social media platforms and have them answered within a couple of weeks.

The study group aims at enlarging the knowledge of previous participants of the Social Media for Beginners class. 

Number of sessions: two

Dates: Wednesdays, April 10 & 17

Time:  3:30 - 5:30 pm

Capacity: open only to seniors who participated in previous social media study groups with the online collaborative

10)

Plant identification walk at AUB

Salma Nashabe Talhouk

Professor of Landscape Horticulture from the Ohio State University, USA. She is Chairperson of the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at the American University of Beirut. Her research focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of plant species native to Lebanon and the East Mediterranean. Talhouk is currently leading three main projects: a native tree planting program, the biodiversity village award program, and the extensive urban greening project.

Monika Fabian

Holds a Master of Science in Horticulture from the Corvinus University of Hungary. She is an instructor at the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at the American University of Beirut. Fabian is working with Talhouk to promote the use of native and Mediterranean plant species, through the production of a native and Mediterranean plant database, and through the development of prototypes to promote the use of native species by communities as landscape plants, on green roofs, and on vertical walls.

 George Battikha

Holds a Master of Science in Landscape Horticulture. He was the Director of Beirut Landscaping Projects and later Director of Beirut Public Parks and Gardens. He was involved in execution as a contractor or consultant and in design of many projects in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah, Riad ,Dahran, Jubail), Kuwait, Yemen, Jordan. He is a lecturer at the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at the American University of Beirut. He is a member of International Plant Propagators Society, Tree Friends Society.

The course will introduce participants to landscape plants focusing on AUB trees and shrubs. It will introduce AUB from the point of view of its plants.

• During the first session led by Dr Salma Talhouk, the members will learn about the history of plants at AUB and the changes in landscape character over the 150 years of the campus history.

• In the second session the participants will learn about the native and naturalized plants on the AUB campus. The members will have an easy (1.5 hr) walking tour of the campus where they will be introduced to live specimens. The tour will be given by Ms. Monika Fabian.

• During the last session members will learn about plants used in landscape and about plants with an economical importance. An easy (1-1.5 hr) walking tour will introduce members to the plants in nature. The tour will be given by Mr. George Battikha.

Number of sessions: three

Dates: Tuesdays April 30 & May 7, 14

Time: from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Capacity: 20

11)

Heart Attacks prevention

Vascular Medicine Program

Since 2011, the Vascular Medicine Program (VMP) has been bringing together the efforts of faculty members from various departments at AUB to combat the rise in cardiovascular disease through research, education, training, and public health initiatives. In promoting preventive efforts, the VMP is raising awareness about heart attacks and the need to lower salt intake. Accordingly, the VMP founded the Lebanese Action on Salt and Health as a focused group to plan and achieve salt reduction in the population and a 2-year plan is currently in progress.

Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise and are currently the number one cause of death worldwide. Heart disease prevention is at the core of combating this worldwide increase. It is believed that working with individuals to raise their awareness about modifiable risk factors and improve their adoption of preventive tactics can lead to important drops in sudden death and first myocardial infarction incidences. In particular, strong evidence indicates that excessive salt intake is correlated with increased incidence of hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure and death. In Lebanon, data show that more than 50% of the adult population exceeds the upper limits of salt intake recommended by the World Health Organization. These findings show a need for salt reduction initiatives.

Objectives of the workshop:

• Raise the level of awareness of individuals about methods of preventing heart attacks
• Inform individuals about salt intake hazards and sources
• Introduce to individuals tools specifically designed to reduce salt intake

Number of sessions: one

Date:  Friday May 10

Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (3 hours)

Capacity: 25

13)

Personal budgeting and expenditure

Ziad Yamout

Born in Ras Beirut 1941 and graduated as an Engineer from AUB in 1962. Last employment was Director of Physical Plant at AUB. Presently retired. My work as an engineer involved a lot of work with numbers and tables. A spread-sheet is a tool that combines both, especially when it comes to manipulating and managing them. Along the way, I developed a flexible spreadsheet for my personal home budgeting and accounts that I have been using for more than twenty years. It can be adapted to any other home and I would like to share it with others.

The object of the study group is to help the participant use an Excel file to record his/her forecast of his/her family expense for a whole year. Then, during that year, record the actual expenditure on the same file and compare the actual to the forecast. The study group highlights the philosophy and benefits behind recording and monitoring ones expenses.

Those who wish to participate should be familiar with the basics of Windows and spreadsheet (Excel), mainly:

• How to open and save files.
• Move the cursor around the screen.
• Be familiar with the basic commands of entering, changing and deleting entries.
• Enter values and labels into the cells of a spreadsheet.
• Know how to select a range of cells.
• Know how to apply the commands of copy, cut and paste to a single cell or to a range of cells.
• Enter a formula in a cell that defines its relationship to other cells.

Participants will be required to bring along their laptops with the power adaptor to all the sessions for hands-on tutoring. The laptops should have the Excel software installed.

Sessions will start by a quick review of the basics of Excel and then proceed to apply these basics both to forecast and to start recording the actual expenditure.

The course will start with a blank file and end with a full self made budget on that single file. Therefore, it is essential that a participant attends all sessions, as each session depends on what was learnt from the one that preceded it.

Number of sessions: six

Dates: Tuesdays, March 19 & 26, April 2, 9, 16 & 23

Time:  10:30 am - 12:00 noon

Capacity: 8

"حبر وتبر"   منتدى الرواية العربية

(14

ضياء العزاوي طيارة

• ماجستير علوم سياسية – الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت 1988
• التحقت بـ جامعة الكبار عام  2011 للتدرب على فن كتابة المذكرات
• عضو في نادي الكتاب للسيدات في بيروت منذ عام 2000
• أمينة سر سابقة لجمعية أصدقاء الجامعة العربية في لندن
• تحرير صفحة "الحياة العامة في بريطانيا" في النشرة الشهرية للنادي العربي
• تغطية ندوات فكرية 
• نشر لها العديد من المقالات في صحف عربية صادرة في لندن

تهوى القراءة والبحث عن المعاني

هو منتدى أدبي لقراءة تحليلية لروايات باللغة العربية حققت نجاحاً أدبياً واسعاً، وترجمت إلى لغات أجنبية.  تتم مناقشة كل رواية على حدة في اجتماع محدد لهذا الغرض.

من المستحسن أن يكون كل من الحاضرين قد أعد سؤالاً يطرح للنقاش حول أحد شخصيات الرواية، أو موضوعها الأساسي، وعن الأسئلة التي يسعى المؤلف لطرحها. يمكن كذلك، اختيار مقاطع أو عبارات معينة من النص لقراءتها أمام بقية الحضور كنموذج لأسلوب الكاتب، أو فكره، أو مواقفه سواء كان النص سيرة ذاتية، رواية تاريخية، أو رواية من صميم الخيال.

لقد كانت تجربة "حبر وتبر" في الفصل الفائت ممتعة وإيجابية من الناحيتين الدراسية والاجتماعية.  وقد تميز المشاركون بالحماسة، وبالقدرة على المناقشة النقدية العميقة، والحوار التفاعلي. 

سيكون هناك روايتان، وجلستان للنقاش نهار الخميس 28 آذار و 2 أيّار. الروايتان اللتان تم اختيارهما:

• شريد المنازل للمؤلف جبّور الدويهي (الخميس 28 آذار)

عدد الصفحات: 345

الموضوع: نظرة روائية إلى الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية في سبعينات القرن الماضي من وجهة نظر فتى مسلم كبر وتربى في كنف عائلة مسيحية عطوفة، وقصة حب غير عادية. خطيئة الشاب الوحيدة كانت إيمانه بالحب، ورغبته في أن يصنع رؤيته الشخصية للهوية اللبنانية.

الخبز الحافي للمؤلف محمد شكري (الخميس 9 أيّار)

عدد الصفحات:  228

الموضوع: سيرة ذاتية عن السنين الأولى في حياة الكاتب المغربي، محمد شكري (1935 – 2003).

وهو الكتاب الذي أثار ضجة ولغطاً كبيرين في كل من المغرب ومصر تحديداً بسبب تجاوز المؤلف للممنوعات.  يتحدث شكري في "الخبز الحافي" بصراحة تامة عن طفولة قاسية في ظل أب عنيف، وعن الحياة في أحضان الفقر والمحظورات.  تعلم القراءة والكتابة باللغة العربية الفصحى بعد بلوغه سن العشرين.

ترجمت أعماله إلى أكثر من ثلاثين لغة.

Number of sessions: two

Date:  Thursdays March 28 & May 9

Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Capacity: 25

15)

History & landscape in South Lebanon on April 20 & 21

LIBAN TREK

Liban Trek is a Tour Operator established in Beirut and active since January 1997.

It mainly focuses on: trekking, snow sports, cultural tours in Lebanon and traveling.

Since its creation, Liban Trek has organized over 2000 trips to over 20000 participants.

Liban Trek acts responsibly, keeping in mind the environment and the welfare of rural communities. It has delineated the whole of Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) and the Ehmej Trail.

Itinerary:

Day1: Saturday April 20

Gathering at AUB Medical Gate, as of 8 am. Departure not later than 8:30. Participants may be picked up on the way.

SAIDA: Old souks, St. Nicholas church, Khan al-Franj … narrow and animated streets, old church and icons, caravanserai. Breakfast for those who wish (not included in the cost below). In the meantime, the driver gets permits allowing non-Lebanese to enter the South.

ARNOUN: Beaufort crusader castle. An eagles’ nest dominating the Litani river

KHARDALI: light lunch in a restaurant by the river (Mezze and Machawi)

KFARKILA: the “Blue Line”, border with Israel (just following the road along the border)

WAZZANI: river bordering occupied Golan heights. Coffee break at a resort (not included in the price below)

EBL as-SAQI: dinner and sleep over at Hotel Dana (Good 3* hotel)

Day2: Sunday April 21

EBL as-SAQI: easy walk in a preserved pine forest (mostly mild downhill, duration: around 1 hour)

HASBAYA: the Chehab medieval castle, a fortress-like mansion, part of which is still inhabited by a Chehab emir

KHALWAT al-BIYADA: Druze spiritual reference. The Druze ”Khalwat” is a kind of a monastic institution.

CHEBAA: restored old water mills, a mill museum with possible demonstration

RACHAYA: lunch at an Oriental restaurant. Visit of the historical citadel (prison of Lebanese independence leaders during the French mandate). Visit of the restored old souk (however most shops will be closed on Sundays)

Return to Beirut (we will be back no later then 8pm)

Cost:

• $200 per person (Group of 15-20 persons)
• $185 per person (Group of 21-30 participants)
• $175 per person (Group of 31-45 participants)

The above prices are for double occupancy, $30 are to be added for the Single room.

Included in the above prices:

Comfortable Transportation, professional English-speaking guide, local hiking guide, entrance fees to sites, two restaurant lunches, half-board stay at Hotel Dana (i.e. dinner, bed and breakfast), bottled water all along and soft drinks during meals, miscellaneous expenses (i.e. authorization, tips at hotel and restaurants)

Not included in the prices:

Personal insurance, alcoholic drinks, breakfast in Saida, coffee break at the Wazzani resort and tips to guides and driver.

NB: non Lebanese should apply to get an access permit  ahead of time. This service is provided by Liban Trek once the participants provide a colored scanned copy of their passports. All participants should have their IDs on the trip.

16)

From Antonius to Salibi : the breakdown of Sykes-Picot

Mahmoud Chreih

Born in Beirut on June 16, 1952.

He holds a BA, 1975 in  English and an MA, 1985 in Philosophy from AUB

MPhil, Philosophy – Hull – England – 1999

Publications in Arabic and English include commentaries on Hegel, Kant, Marx, Khalil Hawi, Antoun Saadeh and modern Arabic poetry.

Taught at AUB (1981, 1987, 1999, 2000, 2004 till 2009), Saint Joseph University, Balamand University and LAU.

Lebanese historians George Antonius (1892-1942) and Kamal Salibi (1929-2011) announced in their classics 'the Arab awakening' (1938) and 'the modern history of Lebanon' (1965) the inevitable predicament of the modern Arab world in the aftermath of Al Nakbah of 1948 and the partition of greater Syria by the shocking Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916.

In almost thirty years, which counts for the difference in their ages, geographic Syria has completely disappeared while during the last decade of his life Salibi witnessed the invasion of Iraq and virtual collapse of modern Syria as we know it.

Both sessions on these leading historians will shed light on their lives and their books, which were prophetic in vision and masterly written and documented.

In both sessions the speaker will alternate between both classics while assessing the present events coupled with the view that Sykes-Picot agreement and the establishment of the state of Israel have rendered the modern Middle East a real place for chaos and disorder.

Number of sessions: two

Date:  Thursdays May 2 & 16

Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm

Capacity: Unlimited capacity (Open to members only) 

17)

Five Lectures on Music appreciation

20^th century music

Joelle Khoury

BA in economics and musicology from George Mason University. Masters in Philosophy from USJ, theses titled: Being and Music.  Piano diploma form Lebanese National Conservatory. Composer (contemporary music and jazz)/pianist.

Created the jazz quintet IN-Version, the Joelle Khoury Quintet. 4 CDs . Tumbling Up and Is It So (jazz albums). Music and Poetry (chamber music and voice, based on German romantic poetry- Goethe, Rilke, Heine, Novalis). Dream She Is, monodrama in Arabic, vocalist Fadia Tomb El Hage, conductor Harout Fazlian.

Piano and composition teacher at Lebanese National Conservatory. Music appreciation course at AUB. Monthly music listening sessions at Beirut Public Library Assabil, Monot.

Articles: Time Goes One Way (Al Raida); Of Arab Composers Today (AFAC website).

• Contemporary vocal techniques: How music has to do with sound, shapes and other ideas besides notes, melody and harmony. How new concepts are created by a will to erase older ones, or by being inspired by the old. Composers: John Cage, Berio, Ligeti, Varese, Schoenberg, Messiaen, Xenakis, Stockhausen…etc

• Music as related to the human rights movement, to feminism, to the workers’ unions, the hippies…etc. Music as an expression of beauty but also as a political tool. Listening: Woodstock, Nina Simone, Bilie Holiday, Joan Baez….etc.

Number of sessions: two

Date: Mondays March 18 & May 13

Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm

Capacity: Unlimited capacity (Open to members only) 

Opera Appreciation

Lama Tyan

Lama is an interior designer (graduate of the Académie Charpentier in Paris) who came to opera out of passion. Lama has been a history of opera teacher  at the Italian Cultural Center, Espace SD Art Center, Jamhour Cultural Workshop for Adults, Mouawad Museum and in other private institutions.

Lama travels all year round for “pilgrimage weeks” in the great opera houses: Vienna, New York, Zürich, Paris, London, Berlin… She is a chorister in the National Symphony Orchestra.

She has been offering opera appreciation sessions for the past 10 years, sharing her passion for culture, languages and her love for the human voice.

• Bellini's La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker)

A charming pastoral idyll in the Swiss Alps: Amina is a village girl who is engaged to a rich young landowner, Elvino. Amina sleepwalks through a nobleman’s room where she is discovered by the villagers and her fiancé (who breaks off the engagement)... An extremely enjoyable example of Italian opera where the beauty of the voice and the virtuosity of the singers convey true emotions.

• Puccini's Tosca

The story of the jealous, impassioned opera singer Floria Tosca and her doomed love for the painter Mario Cavaradossi is set in Rome during the Napoleonic era. Love, jealousy, passion, politics, torture and executions are woven together into a superb tapestry, and then colored by a great Italian master of melody.

Number of sessions: two

Date:  Thursday April 4 & Tuesday May 14

Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Capacity: Unlimited capacity (Open to members only) 

محاضرة باللغة العربية

أسمهان (1912-  1944: (عاصفة في الغناء العربي المعاصر

Elias Sahhab

Born in Jaffa, Palestine in 1937 to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother. BA in Oriental studies and Political sciences from USJ in Beirut. Have been working in journalism since 1961 in daily journals and weekly journals in Lebanon, Egypt and Gulf countries. Specialist in music critique, published books about music in 1980, 2003 and 2009.

عرف الربع الثاني من القرن العشرين انطلاق ثلاثة اصوات تأسيسية في تاريخ الغناء العربي المعاصر، هي أصوات محمد عبد الوهاب، وأم كلثوم وأسمهان. لكن اسمهان أدت دورها التاريخي الكبير خلال سبع سنوات فقط من العمل الفني الجاد والمتواصل.

سنستمع الى نماذج من أجمل ما غنت مع عرض وتحليل لها.

Number of sessions: one

Date:  Tuesday May 7

Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm

Capacity: Unlimited capacity (Open to members only) 

18)

Three lectures on Healthy aging

Women’s Health

Mary Bakalian Arevian

A Clinical/Associate Professor in the AUB Hariri School of Nursing.  She teaches Community/Public Health Nursing and introductory courses to nursing students.  Her research interests include women’s and youth health, health promotion and illness prevention.

These two lectures will describe adult women’s health needs and concerns to improve their health and wellbeing. Emphasis will be placed on promoting health, preventing illness and maintaining health. 

The major health issues that will be discussed are: Early detection and early treatment of Breast cancer, cervical cancer, genitourinary disorders and osteoporosis.

Number of sessions: two

Date:  Fridays April 12 & 19

Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 noon

Capacity: Unlimited capacity (Open to members only) 

How to find quality health Information for a healthier life?

Aida Farha

Aida received her BS in pharmacy from AUB, and has over 30 years of experience as the Medical Information Specialist at AUB’s Saab Medical Library. 

She is active in teaching both health care professionals and consumers how to find trustworthy health information on the internet and in print.

The internet has made the old adage “An informed patient is a better patient” easier to achieve than ever. But the Internet contains both reliable and unreliable information, so it is up to us, as consumers, to utilize only quality health information to help us live a healthier life and to guide us in case of disease.   The presentation will provide a list of free quality up-to-date Internet sites that are written in a language that a non-healthcare professional can understand.  In addition, a brief description of Google searching techniques will be demonstrated, followed by guidelines on how to evaluate sites to determine whether they are reliable or not. This lecture is not intended to replace the physician’s advice, but to supplement it. 

Attendees of this lecture will get most out of it if they have a basic familiarity with the internet.  Handouts of the lecture will be distributed.

Number of sessions: one

Date:  Friday April 26

Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 noon

Capacity: Unlimited capacity (Open to members only) 

النفط ثروة من يتقاسمها : حالة لبنان

(19

زاهي جبرائيل

تخرج سنة 1983 من الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت بشهادة في الدراسات البترولية. عمل مراقب  نفط، خبير زيوت بترولية، ممثل في الكويت لشركة عالمية متخصصة في الزيوت البترولية.

شريك ومسؤول في شركة مقاولات ، إضطلع في التحليل والأبحاث والتطوير وإعداد ومتابعة المناقصات لدى مجموعة من شركات الطاقة.

حاضَرَ في ورشة عمل للبرلمان اللبناني حول تقاسم عائدات النفط، كاتب لعدة مقالات حول النفط ، الطاقة والجغرافيا السياسية.

عمل كمتطوع مسؤول في الصليب الأحمر اللبناني ، الهلال الأحمر الكويتي ، نواد رياضية ، مجالس إنماء ، حركة كشفية ولجنة لم شمل الخريجين في الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت.

مهتم في الجغرافيا السياسية  للطاقة وإدارة مصادر الثروات الطبيعية ، كما له إهتمام في الإستراتيجيات الدولية وعلاقات الشعوب.    

مدخل الى الصناعة البترولية  مع التركيز على بوادر الثروة البترولية في لبنان واحتمالات  توزع العائدات وتأثير ذلك على المجتمع اللبناني ؛ الهدف منه رفع مستوى الوعي العام حول عناصر هذه الثروة المنتظرة .

يتكون المقرر من محاضرتين وحوار : المحاضرة الأولى تعطي المشارك المعلومات الأساسية عن تطور عناصر الصناعة البترولية بصورة عامة. اما المحاضرة الثانية فتتركز حول لبنان،  كما سيتم استعراض إحصائيات مهمة في مجال البترول خاصة والطاقة عامة ومصادر الطاقة في السوق اللبنانية وجدوى استعمالها.

الخطوط العريضة: 

• مقدمة ولمحة تاريخية
• الصناعة النفطية: معلومات أساسية
• الجهات الرئيسية المتحكمة بالسوق البترولية
• التشريعات
• التراخيص التقليدية للإستكشاف والإستخراج
• كيفية احتساب الجعالة
• عوامل تسعير النفط والغاز
• مشاركة التدفق النقدي للنفط والغاز
• الجغرافيا السياسية للبترول / مصادر الطاقة
• هل لبنان مستعد لدخول نادي المنتجين للبترول؟
• ملكية الثروة البترولية :تقاسم عائدات النفط والغاز – السياسة المالية
• تقييم الأثر البيئي
• لبنان : مؤشرات هامة / تشارك القطاع العام والقطاع الخاص
• استهلاك الطاقة في لبنان

Number of lectures: two

Dates: Thursday March 21 & Wednesday March 27

Time: from 5:30-7:00 pm

Capacity: Open to the public

20)

Places and Inspirations in Mediterranean Europe

Hassan Ramadan

Born in Beirut, May 1960. French-oriented schooling, AUB pre-medical, medical and residency training degrees and diplomas as a urological surgeon. Further studies and training at The Institute of Cancer Research & The Royal Marsden Hospital in London, then at California's Stanford University Department of Urological Oncology. Professional life started in 1996 in Beirut as a urological surgeon at Trad Hospital & Medical Centre.

When not working, you can catch Hassan on a tennis court (a passion), listening to three different versions of the same opera back to back (a discipline), or preparing his next trip somewhere he can mix and match history, architecture, food and things that make the place different.

Over centuries, certain places have provided a backdrop of beauty and harmony, leading to unparalleled achievements in art, civilization, philosophy and politics. These three lectures will focus on Provence, Tuscany and Andalusia, exploring their physical beauty and uncovering their inspirational and everlasting magic.  The lectures will touch on geography, history, architecture, painting and sculpture and the culinary arts.

Number of lectures: three

Dates: Thursdays, March 28 & April 11, 25

Time: from 5:30-7:00 pm

Capacity: Open to the public

21)

Reading Evenings

Mishka Mojabber Mourani 

Mishka started writing poetry while still a student at AUB.  She is currently the Senior Vice President of the International College. She has published two books of poetry, Lest We Forget: Lebanon 1975-1990 and Alone, Together, with Aida Haddad. She has translated the poetry of Antoine Boulad from French in Maker of Realities. She is also the author of Balconies: A Mediterranean Memoir and of several short stories that appeared in the anthologies Hikayat: Short Stories by Lebanese Women, and Lebanon Through Writers' Eyes.

Number of sessions: two

Dates: Tuesday April 23 & Wednesday May 15

Time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm

Capacity: Open to the public

Session Title

Date

Open Mike

Tuesday April 23

This is an evening for anyone who loves to listen or read out loud their own work or others’ (poetry, fiction, short story…).  We encourage you to read your own work! Members are welcome to read in any language for five minutes. The moderator will keep strict time and those who wish to read may sign up at the door.  

Featured Writer

Wednesday May 15

    Amal Ghandour

This is an evening for anyone who enjoys literature.  Amal Ghandour, a communications strategist, blogger and author of “About This Man Called Ali”, will read from her book. The reading will be followed by a question and answer session and discussion with the author.