logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2025
28m 23s

Public Education Amidst Crisis and War i...

The Lebanese Center For Policy Studies
About this episode

Bassel Akar discusses with LCPS Researcher Christelle Barakat Lebanon's public education system in times of war and crisis, focusing on the need for reforms and ways of increasing inclusion and sustainability in the schools. 

Bassel Akar is a Research Associate at the Center for African Studies, University of Porto, Portugal. From 2014 to 2021, he served as the Director of the Center for Applied Research in Education at NDU. Over the past 16 years, his research and development work in education has focused on lower middle-income conflict-affected countries, namely Lebanon and those in the wider Arab region. Currently, he leads a number of research studies on education in crises-affected areas for international agencies and governments.

Up next
Aug 2025
Between Conflict and Coexistence: Refugee-Host Dynamics in Ghobeiry
In this podcast, Carlos Naffah speaks with LCPS researcher Rasha Akel about the dynamics between Syrian refugees and Lebanese returnees in Ghobeiry, a municipality in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Naffah discusses a study he conducted after the 2023 conflict which explores how these ... Show More
12m 31s
Jul 2025
Unpacking Inequality: Poverty, Policy, and Lebanon’s Economic Crisis
Walid Marrouch discusses with LCPS Senior Economic Researcher Lina Maddah the pressing issues of poverty and income inequality in Lebanon. Drawing from recent research and data, the conversation explores the impact of Lebanon's ongoing economic crisis, the role of governance and ... Show More
15m 12s
Jul 2025
War, Crisis, and Emigration in Lebanon
Jasmin Lilian Diab speaks with LCPS researcher Christelle Barakat about the intersecting impacts of conflict, economic collapse, and political paralysis on emigration from Lebanon. The conversation examines the structural and immediate drivers of departure, the growth of irregula ... Show More
17m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Analyzing crisis impact and response in Lebanon
Dr. Hiba Khodr, AssociateProfessor of Public Policy and Public Management, and a visiting scholar this year at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, is systematically analyzing how the four simultaneous crises in Lebanon have impacted society and how civil society has responde ... Show More
22m 7s
Mar 2021
Mental health in unhealthy times
Brigitte Khoury, Associate Professor, explains how she and her colleagues research the impact on the public of stressful times in Lebanon, what every person can do to help themselves, and how AUB responds to the current crises.Dr. Khoury analyzes how Lebanon’s multiple crises imp ... Show More
19m 35s
Sep 2021
The endless agony of Arab states and their political constructs
Joe Bahout, director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) and associate professor of Political Studies and Public Administration, analyzes the stresses and weaknesses of today’s Arab states that largely ignored or marginalized their socie ... Show More
26m 27s
Oct 2023
International Development’s Role in Education with Dr. Wafa Kotob
Dr. Wafa Kotob's episode explores the dynamic relationship between international development and education, offering a glimpse into the complexities of implementing educational initiatives on a global scale. Through a compelling case study from Lebanon, listeners will discover th ... Show More
43m 8s
Jun 2019
Episode 48 - Higher education
The discussion of higher education begins at 15:14. Ben and Nizar take a look at the Lebanese University, in light of a six week strike from professors over budget cuts bringing the only public higher education institution in the country to a stand-still, before analyzing the con ... Show More
42m 43s
Sep 2019
Lebanon's Foreign Minister - Gebran Bassil
Why is Lebanon dogged by chaos? HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to the country’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. Lebanese politics is a world of complex alliances, delicate inter-communal arrangements, and almost permanent instability. Lebanon currently has a functioning governm ... Show More
24m 28s
Oct 2019
Mass protests in Lebanon
This week millions of people were out on the streets of Lebanon demanding change. A lack of jobs, crumbling public services, rising living costs and rampant inequality had brought out people from all sections of the society. The proposed budget with more taxes, including one on W ... Show More
49m 38s
Feb 2022
How can I teach effectively in challenging contexts?
For decades, the educational dial in northern Nigeria, had barely moved. Low levels of literacy and numeracy prevailed across the state of Kano. Since 2019, the British Council have worked with governmental and non-governmental partners to implement its Kano Literacy and Maths Ac ... Show More
25m 59s
Apr 2020
The Lebanese Protests: Part 2
This episode introduces you to the initial phases of the recent popular uprisings in Lebanon. Stay tuned for our update of the current situation in Lebanon. For transcripts and translation, or to sign up for Arabic classes, go to our website: https://realarabic.weebly.com 
11m 11s