The Arab Spring between Dream and Reality At Beirut Arab University

For the fifth year in a row, Beirut Arab University organized the public speaking contest in classical Arabic entitled "The Arab Spring between Dream and Reality". The purpose was to encourage students to raise their performance levels in oral presentation and their abilities to present and debate their ideas eloquently and clearly in front of an audience.

The event that was held on the 27^th of April 2012 at Beirut Premises, was attended by Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi, President of Beirut Arab University, Secretary General, Mr. Issam Houri, Deans of faculties; Mrs. Zina Ariss, Director of Public Relations Administration; BAU directors, and parents of contestants.

This year, contestants were distributed from nine Lebanese Universities -including Beirut Arab University- and were : Holy Spirit (Kaslik), Notre Dame, American University of Beirut, Al Jinan, Saint Joseph, Haigazian, Sagesse, and Lebanese University.

The jury was composed of the media figures, Mr. Bassam Barrak, Mr. Munir Al Hafi, and Mrs. Nidal Ayyoub.

 Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi opened the contest with a speech through which he emphasized that the main goal of the contest was strengthening relations of fraternity and love among the Youth in the Lebanese universities, brought together by the same language under one umbrella that unites all in time and destiny.

After each contestant gave his/her public speech, BAU distributed appreciation certificates to all participants then gave monetary awards to the following winners:

First prize (USD 3000) to Zalfa Hubballah, AUB

Second prize (USD 2000) to Hala Hasaneh, BAU

Third prize (USD 1000) to Basel Al-Bonji, LU, Hadath