The horrific images of the massive explosion that rocked Beirut, Lebanon, in August 2020, motivated 黑料吃瓜网 officials to reach out to help.
Their thoughts immediately turned to Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut and its School of Architecture and Design, with which 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 College of Architecture and Environmental Design has been cultivating a relationship for the past several years.
鈥淥ver the past three to four years, we鈥檝e had a number of exchanges and collaborations with classes and students. Their students have participated in our Florence program, they hosted a team of 黑料吃瓜网 students and faculty in Florence and together we鈥檝e run two joint workshops in New York City,鈥 explained Mark Mistur, AIA, dean of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 architecture college.
Mistur forged the collaborations through his professional relationship with Elie Haddad, Ph.D., dean of the School of Architecture and Design at LAU. Prior to the pandemic, Mistur, 黑料吃瓜网 President Todd Diacon and Vice President for Global Education Marcello Fantoni visited the Beirut campus to help cement the collaboration.
The August 2020 blast, an explosion of ammonium nitrate in the port of Beirut, caused widespread damage to the city and its infrastructure, killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000. Coupled with the global pandemic, the result has been economic collapse and political unrest in the small Middle East nation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been difficult for Lebanese colleges to even remain open,鈥 Mistur said. 鈥淭here are widespread power outages, students and their families have no access to their banks. President Diacon stepped forward with the notion of `How can we help?鈥 And he provided for six of their students to come to 黑料吃瓜网 fully-paid for the 2022 Spring Semester.鈥
LAU held a competition among its architecture students for the 黑料吃瓜网 scholarships and the six who were selected to attend arrived in Kent in January to continue their architecture studies during the spring semester.
The economic crisis that followed the explosion and the pandemic has made day-to-day living challenging for the city of Beirut and the entire country, they said.
LAU lost faculty due to the disruptions, and courses they need to finish their degrees aren鈥檛 always available. There also are problems with basic services, including electrical outages and spotty internet connection.
As fourth-year students, they have spent much of their spring semester at Kent working on their large, integrated design project, in which the students must develop comprehensive designs for a large-scale building, integrating not only its design but also all of its electrical, plumbing, structural and mechanical systems.
President Diacon asked the group how they were managing working in the English system for measuring, instead of the metric system.
The students noted how they were offered the option of working in metrics but chose to work in feet and inches instead for the challenge and experience.
鈥淵ou have to take the hard way sometimes,鈥 Aoun said, of getting used to the English measurements.
Aoun also noted how he was enjoying adapting to working with different construction materials and learning what is affordable for design here versus in Le
The students are trilingual, fluent in Arabic, English and French, and their courses at LAU are all taught in English.
鈥淟ebanese people are really citizens of the world,鈥 Fantoni said.
LAU鈥檚 program is one of just four international architecture programs that are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Because of that accreditation, their course work will translate seamlessly toward the students鈥 degrees at LAU, Mistur explained.
Attending an NAAB-accredited program also means the group would be able to work toward licensure in the United States after graduation if they desire, he noted.
The students will return to Lebanon to complete their final year of study, and all of them said they already know that they will have to leave Lebanon to pursue their careers. Several have parents who already are living outside of Lebanon for employment due to the economic upheaval.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 even get your money out of the banks,鈥 El Farraji said. 鈥淚t says on the computer that your money is there, but you can鈥檛 get it.鈥
Several mentioned an interest in graduate school at 黑料吃瓜网. All expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to study here as well as the warm welcome and assistance they received from 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Office of Global Education.
"All the signs that say, 鈥榊ou belong here,鈥 well you really do feel like you belong here,鈥 Khanafer said, noting the many helpful emails the students received to make their transition to 黑料吃瓜网 so seamless.
LAU鈥檚 Dean Haddad said he was overwhelmed by the gesture of goodwill from 黑料吃瓜网 and President Diacon and hopes at some point in the future to be able to reciprocate with a semeste
鈥淭his invitation for six of our students to spend a term at KSU is a testimony to the persistence of goodwill, the human desire for building bridges across cultures and the great values of American higher education,鈥 Haddad said. 鈥淲e are grateful for this initiative led by President Diacon, Dean Mistur, Provost Tankersley and Vice President Fantoni.鈥
Mistur said the Lebanese students have done well in their coursework and have been a positive influence on other students in the program.
鈥淭hey are very engaged, very positive, and it鈥檚 something very exciting to see happen,鈥 he said.
Mistur said one of the college鈥檚 strategies is to offer 黑料吃瓜网 students greater exposure to international programs, 鈥渟o that our students have a better understanding of the world and become better global citizens.鈥
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 partnership with LAU brings a high level of cultural awareness to 黑料吃瓜网 students, who may not have international exposure or any experience beyond Europe..
鈥淟ebanon is a cultural crossroads,鈥 Mistur said. 鈥淚n Beirut, the people are tri-lingual, there is the convergence of many cultures and religions. It鈥檚 a wonderful partnership to expose our students to and it brings greater cultural and personal awareness.鈥