The International Center for Human Sciences, Byblos, represented by its Director Dr. Darina Saliba Abi Chedid, and the Lebanese American University (LAU) represented by its President Dr. Joseph Jabbra, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Academic, scientific and cultural cooperation, to promote joint cultural and educational collaboration.

On Monday June 10, with the purpose of encouraging youth to write and publish, the CISH hosted a group of students specializing in international studies coming from the College of Humanities and Sciences in Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA who started a research work around global citizenship, humanism, tolerance and ethical response to catastrophism. Their work will be published in the CISH publications.

On Wednesday May 22, we were glad to host students from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the USA coming from different educational backgrounds. The delegation was composed of nine students and their professor Dr. Mayda Topoishian and Ms. Micheline Saade from the Lebanese American University (LAU). They were guests in our historic building during the month of June and they worked on research projects for two days to study and contribute to the mission and vision of CISH.

The International Center for Human Sciences was delighted to receive today a group of French citizens from the parish community of Saint Catherine of Hombourg (Hombourg-Haut France) in religious tourism in the city of Byblos, accompanied by Reverend Father Samih Raad. Combining religious tourism with archaeological tourism, Dr. Darina Saliba ABI Chedid showed the Center and told them about its history and role, and the significance of its location in one of the oldest cities in the world.

On March 7, 2019, UNESCO and the International Council for Philosophy & Human Sciences (CIPSH) organized in Maçäo, Portugal, a restricted one-day meeting of selected guests during which a brainstorming open debate took place, building from the outcome document of the World Humanities Conference taking place in Liège, Belgium in 2017. Among the 20 participants from around the world, CISH Byblos represented by its Director, Dr. Darina Saliba Abi Chedid, participated as the only Center from the Middle East and the Arab region. At the end of the meeting, all participants drafted a Declaration.

The UNESCO Beirut regional office visited CISH on 22 February 2019. During their visit, they met with CISH Director Dr Darina Saliba Abi Chedid. Several points were discussed between Dr Abi Chedid and Hamed Alhammami, Director of the UNESCO regional bureau for education in the Arab States, and the UNESCO representative to Lebanon and Syria and Dr Seiko Sugita, Program specialist of Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO Beirut office. Plans and ideas for the near future of the centre were shared as well as a tour to the renovations taking place at CISH was also on the schedule.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation visited CISH on the 19th of February 2019

Mr. Kristof W. Duwaerts, Resident representative at Hanns Seidel Foundation in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Pakistan, Mrs. Ulla Al-Shreideh, Project officer in Jordan at Hanns Seidel Foundation and Mr. Antoine Ghorayeb, Project officer in Lebanon at Hanns Seidel Foundation joined Dr Darina Saliba Abi Chedid director of CISH for a meeting and a tour within the center.

Plans for future projects and collaboration were discussed and agreed upon!

On the occasion of the announcement of Dr Darina Saliba Abi Shedid as the new Director of the International Center for Human Sciences, a festive luncheon was held and hosted by Dr Nizar Younes. The ceremony was attended by a number of public figures such as: former minister Edmond Rizk, Archbishop of the Maronites Archbishop Boulos Matar, former minister Karim Baqradouni, New TV “Al Jadid” chairman Tahsin Khayat and the editor-in-chief of “Al-Liwaa” General Salah Salam and Amir Hares Shehab, as well as many journalists and intellectuals.