BEIRUT — On March 17, 2016, the Education Department at Haigazian University organized a seminar on the occasion of the launching of the Special Issue of the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education on “Rethinking Education for Citizenship” by guest co-editors Hagop A. Yacoubian and Jesse Bazzul. The seminar was followed next day by a workshop entitled “The Importance of Socioscientific Issues for Citizenship Education.”
The auspicious opening, which was under the patronage and presence of the Director General of the Ministry of Education, Fadi Yarak, was attended by the Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, Alan Holst, the Chair of the Lebanese Evangelical Schools Association, Dr. Nabil Costa, the President of the Consortium for Global Education, USA, Dr. Carolyn Bishop, University President Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, representatives of the ministries of Environment and Justice in Lebanon, as well as representatives of universities and schools, educational foundations and institutions, and a large number of academicians and students.
The seminar opened with the introductory words of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Arda Ekmekji, who underlined the need to “revisit the existing educational methods in order to prepare the future generation of good citizens with a high level of civic consciousness.”
In his word of greeting, Yarak considered that education for citizenship builds “self-generating, flourishing economies achieving a quality of life that accompanies respect for diversity, critical thinking, creativity, and exercising one’s duties and rights as an active citizen.” Yarak reiterated the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s support and value for citizenship education which promotes social integration.
The seminar was moderated by faculty member Shaghig Hudaverdian and convened three presenters. The panelists were Prof. Saouma BouJaoude from the Department of Education at the American University of Beirut, who presented the special issue, sharing the learning outcomes and his recommendations; Dr. Jesse Bazzul, from the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina, Canada and co-editor of the special issue, who presented the implications of the special issue for curriculum and pedagogy; and Dr. Hagop Yacoubian, the Chair of the Department of Education at Haigazian University and co-editor of the special issue, who focused on the implications that the special issue has for educational policy-making.
The seminar concluded with a reception in the Mugar Hall.
