Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI)

Our Institute, the Department of Political Studies & Public Administration (PSPA) at the American University of Beirut, and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) cordially invite you to a webinar on "Beyond Great Power Rivalry: China-U.S. Competition in the Middle East and Latin America from a Global South Perspective," with AUB's Hilal Khachan, and PUCP's Nifta Lau, moderated by IFI's Regional & International Affairs Cluster Coordinator Yeghia Tashjian.

📅 May 20, 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM (Beirut time)
⏰ 8:00 AM (Lima time)
💻 Online via Zoom

Register here👇🏽
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LakJ-2DnQo6GMFnOy9xclg #/registration

UN Women Regional Office of The Arab States, in partnership with our Institute's Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Regional Hub hosted a two-day regional workshop in Cairo on 12-13 May 2026, bringing together young women peacebuilders from across the Arab States to strengthen leadership and advance inclusive peace efforts.

Read the press release here👇🏽
EN: https://www.aub.edu.lb/ifi/news/Pages/IF-UN-Women-convene-young-women-peacebuilders.aspx
AR: https://www.aub.edu.lb/ifi/news/Pages/IFI-and-UN-Women-convene-young-women-peacebuilders-AR.aspx

Our institute held the second progress meeting of the Stormwater Management Strategy, bringing together partners to review the work completed so far and discuss the next steps toward the development of a comprehensive strategy for more integrated, sustainable, and climate-resilient stormwater management in Lebanon.

Funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lebanon, the project is developed in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Water and in collaboration with the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

The meeting focused on institutional coordination, stakeholder engagement, technical inputs, and the development of practical recommendations adapted to Lebanon’s territorial and urban challenges.

Learn more about our "Agricultural Recovery Post-Conflict: Community-driven recovery in South Lebanon" project, which focuses on the recovery needs of the agricultural sector, especially olive oil production. This community-driven research, supported by the American University of Beirut's Office of Research, involves local communities and stakeholders to identify recovery needs and potential pathways for restoration of livelihoods and protection of Lebanon’s agricultural heritage.

Swipe through to discover key project insights.

➡️Updates from our IFI-PPIA Junior Fellows Program! Last week, IFI-PPIA Junior Fellow Jamal Daou met with his mentor, IFI Associate Fellow Marc Ayoub, and the Program’s Coordinator, Cynthia Sfeir, to discuss the status of his work and upcoming outputs.

In this short video, Jamal shares insights from his ongoing research on how community microgrids can offer decentralized renewable energy solutions for Lebanon.

👉🏽The latest issue of the Arab Think Tank Network newsletter is out, featuring a special section on the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and its implications for regional actors, alliances, and security, with analyses covering the war’s logic, trajectories, and “day after,” alongside commentaries on Gulf defense capabilities, the exhaustion of the regional security order, the evolution of Iran-aligned actors, including the future of the Houthis and Iraq’s positioning within the wider regional confrontation.

Read the latest issue and subscribe here: 🔗https://ttnforthearabregion.substack.com/p/arab-ttn-newsletter-quarter-1-2026

"This blog argues that the current conflict has not only disrupted healthcare delivery in but has accelerated a deeper structural deterioration—transforming a weakened system into one that is increasingly unable to guarantee fair access to basic care."

Read the latest on our Interns' Blog by IFI's Sustainability and Inclusive Development Cluster intern Assadour BASMAJIAN on: "Healthcare on the Edge: How Conflict Is Deepening Lebanon’s Health System Crisis," here: https://www.ifipolicyblog.com/interns-blog/healthcare-on-the-edge-how-conflict-is-deepening-lebanons-health-system-crisis

📰For a roundup of the Institute’s news, publications & events, read the latest issue of our newsletter, covering March & April 2026.

🔗Newsletter:https://www.aub.edu.lb/ifi/Documents/IFI-Newsletter-March-April-2026.pdf

🔗Find all previous issues of our newsletter here: https://www.aub.edu.lb/ifi/Pages/Institute-Newsletter.aspx

"Lebanon’s gold occupies a unique place. It is not merely a balance-sheet item but a symbol of national wealth and sovereignty. This does not mean it must remain permanently untouched. Any legitimate use, however, must meet strict conditions: a clearly defined national purpose with broad-based benefits, integration into a comprehensive reform program, and safeguards that preserve reserve adequacy, institutional credibility, and fairness across society".

Read our latest Research Report by Institute Associate Fellow Saade Chami on "Managing Lebanon’s Gold: Governance, Growth, and Financial Recovery," via the link below:
https://www.aub.edu.lb/ifi/Documents/Managing-Lebanon-Gold.pdf

➡️Updates from our IFI-PPIA Junior Fellows Program! Last week, IFI-PPIA Junior Fellow Chloe Nasr sat down with her mentor, IFI Associate Fellow Camille Ammoun, and the Program’s Coordinator Cynthia Sfeir, to discuss the status of her work and upcoming outputs.

In this short video, Chloe shares insights from her ongoing research on how social and cultural exchanges in the city can inform public policy on urban planning.

Carnegie Corporation of New York