The Second Regional Conference of the UNAM-TEMPUS Project at Beirut Arab University
14 March 2013Beirut Arab University hosted the Second Regional Conference of the UNAM-TEMPUS Project, under the title of “ Promoting the Modernization and Strengthening of Institutional and Financial Autonomy in Southern Neighboring Area Higher Education Institutions”.
The conference which took place on the 14th -15th of March 2013- Beirut Site- with the participation of Beirut Arab University, was marked by the participation of a number of Arab universities from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Syria, in addition to a number of European universities from Spain, Italy, Austria and Germany.
The conference was attended by Prof. Dr. Amr Galal El Adawi, President of BAU, Prof. Dr. Hanafy Holail, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Raslan, Dean of Scientific Research and International Relations, the head of the organizing committee of the conference and Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Sobhi Abou Chahine, and the General Director of Higher Education, Dr. Ahmad El Jammal, in addition to a number of officials in various Lebanese higher education institutions, the deans, staff-members, BAU directors and students.
The project is considered the first of its kind in terms of its concern with the financial and administrative issues and autonomy of Arab universities. Throughout two days, the conference discussed issues relevant to governance, as well as the financial and administrative autonomy of Arab higher education institutions. The conference also explored the possibilities available to benefit from the European experience in this context, in addition to issues of university funding, financial affairs departments, their structures, and educational quality control.
The project aims to establish a union among participating Arab and European universities to activate networking issues. Participants reiterated the necessity to adopt and generalize all findings resulting from this project at their universities, and promote the culture of quality assurance in financial and administrative matters at other Arab universities.
The conference concluded with the following recommendations:
- Introducing independent centers to secure additional financial revenues to fund higher education institutions and communication with alumni societies, the civil society and state bodies.
- Involving institutions concerned with governance in higher education institutions.
- Promoting relationships and the exchange of expertise and experiences among Arab and European higher education institutions.
- Improving governance systems through the institutional accreditation of universities by specialized international bodies.
- Introducing a network of the administrative staff of Euro-Mediterranean universities to secure the sustainability of effective communication among them and the exchange of successful experiences in the fields of financial administration and governance.