Bulletin - American University of Beirut

AUB museum society marks 30 years of
promoting archaeology
Leading companies interview students at 15th
AUB Job Fair
Hard work of Executive Committee members recognized.
The friends of the AUB Museum marked 30 years of uninterrupted
archaeological and cultural activities during a ceremony
held on May 18, 2010 coinciding with International
Museum Day.
“We are proud to be pioneers in Lebanon and the
Middle East in many fields; we have organized archaeological
activities throughout the years of war,” said Nabil Nahas,
president of the Society of the Friends of the AUB Museum
to a large audience, including AUB President Peter Dorman,
a historian and archaeologist himself.
The society was founded in 1980 by archeologist Leila
Badre, the AUB Museum director and curator since 1975.
Founded in 1868, the AUB Museum is the third oldest museum
in the region.
The six former presidents of the society, namely, Huda
Khoury, Josette Kettaneh, Rima Shehadeh, May Richani, Samir
Thabet and Nora Jumblat, were honored at the ceremony.
Badre was also honored, with Nahas calling her “the
pillar of the museum.”
“Thanks to [Badre’s] discoveries in downtown Beirut,
Beirut is now a recognized Phoenician city, adding new
pages to the history of Beirut,” noted Nahas.
The hard work of Executive Committee members of
the Society was also recognized with medals as a token of
appreciation.
Nahas highlighted a number of “firsts” achieved by the
society over the past three decades: The society was the
first in Lebanon to present
archaeological exhibitions
on different themes. It was
the first to introduce a
comprehensive children’s
archaeological program,
and the first to launch
guided tours for children
with special needs.
These, together with
archaeological trips all over
the globe, have opened up
the world of archeology to
the Lebanese community.
Arda Ekmekji, Executive
Committee member of the
Society and dean of the
School of Arts and Sciences
at Haigazian University, recalled
the early days of the
museum, highlighting landmark eras.
The main achievements of the society in the last 30
years starting with the Founding Era (1980-82), included
an exhibition on Islamic Coins in 1982, and visits to China,
Jordan, and Palmyra. The Children’s Program organized a trip
to Byblos—an ideal study site for archeologists.
The Survival Era (1982-92) was “the worst era in the
history of modern AUB.” The museum was a “war victim”
between 1989 and 1991, and the College Hall explosion in
1991 left the AUB community shattered. That did not deter
the society from organizing events, noted Ekmekji.
During the Development Era (1992-98), the society prepared
for the renovation of the museum. The Expansion Era
(1998-2000) and the Consolidation Era (2000-03) both saw
increased fundraising activities. Trips to countries as diverse
as Vietnam and Ethiopia were organized. “The uniqueness
of the museum trips is that members could hear accounts
from the masters’ mouths,” said Ekmekji.
During the Golden Renovation Age (2006-09) the
new museum was inaugurated in June 2006 and President
Dorman spoke on the She-King Hatshepsut, as part of the
museum lecture series.
Nahas, who introduced the audio-guide into the museum,
has modernized the way museum tours are conducted,
merging the “Paleolithic with Rocket Science; while epic
narration [has been replaced] by ipods and ear phones,”
said Ekmekji.
Local, regional, and multinational
companies set up their stands
at the American University of
Beirut on May 13, 2010, with the
intention of recruiting this year’s
wave of graduates at the 15 th
annual Job Fair.
Cutting the tape to commence
the ceremony at noon
on the steps of West Hall was
organizer Maryam Ghandour
from the Career and Placement
Services in Student Affairs,
Maroun Kisirwani, Dean of
Student Affairs, and Provost
Ahmad Dallal, who thanked
companies for participating and
motivated students to take full
advantage of the fair.
He added: “The Job Fair generates not only employment
opportunities, but a surprising amount of revenues. . .
the largest portion [of which] goes to scholarships for needy
students.”
Dallal also thanked faculty members for preparing
students for this stage in their lives. “The presence of 146
recruiters demonstrates the high level of confidence in AUB
and in the quality and promise of its graduates,” he said.
“Every year success is on the rise with more companies
joining and more students attending,” said Kisirwani. The
latest economic crisis means some companies have stayed
away, but, many new ones have joined, Ghandour added.
Among the 146 companies (65 multinational, 49 regional
and 27 local) were household names such as Procter and
Gamble, L’Oreal, Nestle, HSBC, and many more.
The participating companies offer internships, graduate
programs, part-time placements and full-time jobs. During
the fair, 30 interviews will take place and 31 presentations
by firms will be given.
“If this year will be the same as last year, more than
200 students will pass through the fair, but by the end of
the year more than 500 students will have benefited [from
recruitment drives on campus] ,” said Ghandour.
The fair itself also offers career development opportunities
for the students involved in its organization, said
Ghandour. “Soft skills, leadership, communications, team
work, listening, organizational,” are the list of qualities the
students must have in order to work on the event, she
added.
Dallal cuts ribbon with Ghandour (left) and Kisirwani (right).
Clearly, students have a lot to gain from the fair, but
why do the companies come to AUB Hilary Jeens from
Standard Chartered Bank had a clear answer: “We know AUB
graduates are high performers. We go to the top universities
in the region and AUB is at the top of that list.”
A similar response from the Ernst & Young representative,
Nouhad Tahan: “[AUB students] work on extra-curricular
activities; presentation, communication. . . They are properly
polished.”
Many household names among 146 companies
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