AUB Hosts Schools for the Future Conference

The American University of Beirut (AUB) hosted the “Schools for the Future: Across Lebanon & Beyond” conference, part of Jana, an initiative by Lebanon & Beyond, dedicated to shaping the future of education in Lebanon.

Held at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at AUB, the event brought together a diverse group of educators, policymakers, and civil society leaders from Lebanon and the diaspora to reimagine K–12 schooling for the 21st century. The conference was led by the three keynote speakers: Dr. Fouad Abdel-Khalick, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Dr. Moise Khayrallah, founder of Lebanon & Beyond; and Dr. Saouma Boujaoude, the Mamdouha El-Sayed Bobst Professor in the Department of Education at AUB and senior advisor to the university president.

Guest speakers included Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president; Dr. Kamal Shehadi, minister of state for technology and artificial intelligence; Dr. Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University; Dr. Rima Karami, minister of education and higher education.

“I want to thank Lebanon & Beyond for leading this initiative and for inviting
AUB to be a partner in imagining what the future of schooling in Lebanon can and should be. This is a critical effort, and I am grateful that we are a part of it,” said Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president, in his recorded welcoming address.

He added, “This conference has a distinct purpose: it is an invitation to think together and to imagine what schools could become if they are approached as living ecosystems rather than buildings or structures. We will spend the next two days exploring how schools can build bridges, respond to crises with care, draw on global knowledge without losing local identity, and connect with Lebanon’s talent at home and across the globe.”

“What do tech and AI have to do with education?” said Dr. Kamal Shehadi, minister of state for technology and artificial intelligence. “Every single aspect of human activity is being transformed. And education is one of the most affected. What we’re doing at the ministry is to develop the right policies, rules, and regulations to get Lebanon ready for this AI challenge, for the age of digital technology.”

Dr. Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University, said that the first reaction of higher education “was to try to block AI as a technology and that’s a mistake.” He added, “What became prominent is the idea that if you use AI you are going to cheat. But instead of assuming that students are going to cheat, let us try to rethink the way we assess the students. It changes the equation. We are dealing with the first AI generation, and we have to adapt and change the way of assessing people.” He continued, “AI has to be integrated early on in the curriculum, not as a separate entity but integrated with the study of chemistry, history, etc.”

“Our community does not end on Lebanon’s borders,” said Dr. Rima Karami, minister of education and higher education. “The diaspora is not an external resource, I consider it as a part of our national ecosystem. Diaspora for Lebanese is not the exception, it’s the norm, an extension of our homeland.”

She added, “We have one Lebanon living in many homes around the world. This vision is our bridge between memory and action, between diaspora and homeland. Our calling is to make that bridge strong enough for our children to cross into a future worthy of them.”

Participants tackled a central question: “How can we, as experienced and visionary educators, collectively shape the future of schooling in Lebanon, ensuring that every student, regardless of background or geography, thrives in an era defined by rapid digital transformation, including artificial intelligence?”

A panel session featured the conference co-chairs Dr. Fouad Abdel-Khalick, Dr. Moise Khayrallah, and Dr. Saouma Boujaoude.

“Education has always been Lebanon’s bridge across divides,” said Dr. Moise Khayrallah, founder of Lebanon & Beyond. “With Jana, we aim to nurture the seeds of transformation—empowering schools, teachers, and students to shape a brighter, more equitable future.”

He added, “Our ambition for the future of education in Lebanon is immense. We are not naive about the challenges facing Lebanon and its educational sector. Nor are we delusional about our ability to fix what is wrong and bring about meaningful change. But we believe deeply in the power of ideas and imagination. We firmly believe that everything important is created twice: first in the mind, then in the real world.” He concluded, “Together, we can imagine and then create the schools of the future for Lebanon and beyond.”

Dr. Fouad Abdel-Khalick, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, noted that “the Schools for the Future: Across Lebanon & Beyond conference comes at a critical time and promises to facilitate crucial conversations among a wide range of stakeholders about ways in which pre-college education can shape a prosperous future for all Lebanese, at home and across the globe.”

He continued, “I look forward to engaging with the conversations and work, which represent a first step toward a long-term vision and plan for a transformational and empowering education for all Lebanese.”

“I believe that Jana will result in significant change in Lebanon,” said Dr. Saouma Boujaoude, the Mamdouha El-Sayed Bobst Professor in the Department of Education at AUB. “Our goal was to design a discussion and learning conference that encourages the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and experiences with a strong emphasis on collaborative learning. We hope this conference will mark the beginning of a process that will continue beyond this event.”

Over two days of keynote sessions and collaborative think-tank workshops, participants co-created a shared vision for Lebanon’s schools of the future, proposed pilot projects, and established frameworks for ongoing collaboration beyond the conference.