American schools in Middle East work together for region’s students
LAU is one of several American schools that focus on the needs of students and societies in the Middle East. Thanks to this status, the university is also intent on telling more people in North
America about the benefits it provides to its students and to the cause of education throughout the world. In order to accomplish this, LAU also collaborates with similarly-minded institutions, like the American Universities of Beirut and Cairo.
As part of this effort, Greg Houle, the advancement communications manager in New York, has worked with his counterparts at these other Middle Eastern universities to discuss how to inform more people about what they do. One of the people he works closely with is Morgan Roth, the director of communications for North America at AUC’s New York office.
Roth and her colleagues are enthusiastic at the prospect of working with other American schools abroad. "Our universities are competitive on one level, but at a higher, philosophical level, we are actually partners in the cultivation of globally-conscious citizens with the academic and cultural skills to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. From a communications standpoint, collaboration extends our reach and amplifies our message among students who can benefit from the unique intercultural education American universities overseas provide."
The efforts of these universities were already apparent through the success of the Four Presidents’ Tour in 2007, when
the presidents of American schools in the Middle East went to Washington, DC. There, the presidents, with the help of their staff members in North America, made their case to American policymakers and showed their commitment to an educational approach that relies on inquiry and critical thinking. The process was repeated again last year when several American university presidents, including the presidents from both LAU and AUC, toured Washington, DC.
And with so many people using social networks to communicate , more colleges and universities are benefiting from sites like Facebook to connect with their current
and prospective students. As the schools expand their presence online, Houle and his colleagues are also sharing their experiences, while working on better ways to address the concerns of the universities’ growing online communities. Both AUC and LAU launched Facebook and Twitter pages last year, and the two universities work closely to share ideas and insight.
In this issue:
- Connectivity:
LAU hosts dinner for Lebanese journalists - Fundraising:
Affinity Card gives consumers convenient way to support LAU - Talent Spotlight:
The Lebanon development team
Join us on Facebook:
News and information
Follow us on Twitter