Day 1 – Wednesday, February 27
3:00 p.m. Registration
4:00 p.m. Opening Addresses
Master of Ceremonies: Mr. Toufic Gebran, Media Personality, Founding Member and Spokesperson, the Lebanese IT Syndicate
- Prof. Elie Assaf, Dean of the USEK Business School
- Prof. Georges Yahchouchi, USEK Provost
- Dr. Tim Mescon, Executive Vice President and Chief Officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for AACSB International
- Rev. Fr. Prof. Georges Hobeika, President of USEK
4:30 p.m. Opening Plenary Session
Keynote speaker: Prof. Dima Jamali, MP, UN Global Compact National Representative
Prof. Dima Jamali is one of the six women elected in May to join the 128-member Lebanese parliament and is yet another example of overachievement in professional life.
Dima Jamali is Professor of Management and Kamal Shair Endowed Chair in Responsible Leadership in the Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut.
5:15 p.m. Coffee Break
5:30 p.m. Panel Discussion on Family Business in the MENA Region
Moderator: Ms. Jessy Trad, Head of the Business News Department at MTV Lebanon
Speakers:
- Mr. André Cointreau, President of Le Cordon Bleu International, France
- Prof. Thami Ghorfi, Dean of the ESCA Business School Morocco and Founding Member of the Family Business Consortium in the MENA Region
- Dr. Fouad Zmokhol, President of the Association of Lebanese Business People in the World (RDCL World) and CEO of Zimco Group (Middle East) | SAPDIB (Africa)
- Mr. Ahmed Nawara, CEO of Al-Manar Group – Egypt
Day 2 – Thursday, February 28 (morning)
8:00 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. Plenary Session I – Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Business Schools
Keynote speaker: Dr. Ossama Hassanein, entrepreneur, mentor, and venture capitalist, Chairman of Rising Tide Fund, USA
Over the last 30 years, Ossama Hassanein has managed over $1 billion of international technology funds in diverse leadership roles.
10:00 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Deans’ Panel Discussion: Impact and Challenges of Leading Innovation in Business Schools
Session chair: Prof. Elie Assaf
- Prof. Steve Harvey, Dean of the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon
- Prof. Georges Aoun, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Management at Saint-Joseph University (USJ), Lebanon
- Dr. Leila Triki, Dean of MSB Mediterranean School of Business, Tunis
- Dr. Gehan Saleh, Economic Advisor to the Council of Ministers in Egypt, Former Dean of the College of International Transport and Logistics at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, Egypt
11:30 a.m. BE MENA Talks on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Moderator: Mr. Elie Akhras, Asher Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACIE), Lebanon
Speakers:
- Mr. Andre Abi Awad, Motivational trainer, Founder of Entreprenergy
- Ms. Priscilla Elora Sharuk, Co-founder and COO at Myki, Lebanon
- Mr. Samer El Gharib, Founder and CEO at Slighter, Lebanon
- Mr. Naim Nasreddine, Founder of Towbe , Lebanon
12:30 p.m. Networking Lunch
Day 2 – Thursday, February 28 (afternoon)
2:00 p.m. Plenary Session II – Impact and Engagement of Business Schools
Keynote speaker: Dr. Tim Mescon, Executive Vice President and Chief Officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for AACSB International
Dr. Timothy S. Mescon has been the First Senior Vice President and Chief Officer for Europe at AACSB International since January 01, 2015 after gaining 25 years of extensive experience as an AACSB peer review team member, chair, and committee member.
2:45 p.m.
Reshaping Business Education: Sharing Best Practices
Session chair: Dr. Chris Wert, Dean for Quality and Accreditation at the Pôle Universitaire Léonard De Vinci, AACSB Mentor to USEK
- Transforming into an Entrepreneurial University in the Middle East: The Case of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Dr. Bettina Bastian, Associate Professor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management at USEK Business School, Asher Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at USEK
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Business Schools-Case of Saint Joseph University, Ms. Ursula El Hage, Quality expert at Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Impactful Engagement Beyond the Classroom: The Case of the American University in Cairo School of Business, Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Meguid, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Administration, American University of Cairo – AUC School of Business, Egypt
- Impact and Engagement at USEK Business School: A Three-Edged Approach, Dr. Charbel M. El Khoury, Associate Dean of USEK Business School and Ms. Ina Issa, Director of the USEK Continuing Learning Center (UCLC) and Head of the Hotel Management Department at USEK Business School (UBS), Lebanon
- Bridging Sports and Business Education, Dr. Lindos Daou, Assistant Professor and Head of Management Department at the USEK Business School (UBS), Lebanon
4:30 p.m. Reception at USEK and Concluding Remarks