The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Regional Hub at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut, in collaboration with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), hosted a public panel discussion on the sidelines of the third convening of the Women, Peace, and Security Working Group for the Arab States in Doha, Qatar. Titled “Women at the Table: Reclaiming Narratives of Peace and Inclusion in the Middle East,” the event took place on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and focused on amplifying women’s voices and reclaiming narratives of peace and inclusion.​

On February 11, IFI hosted a discussion on Ardi Imseis’s book "The United Nations and the Question of Palestine", in collaboration with the American University of Beirut’s Palestine Land Studies Center (PLSC), the Forced Displacement Program (FDP), and the Department of Political Studies and Public Administration. In the presence of the author, PLSC Director Zeina Jallad acted as discussant, while the session was moderated by IFI Director Joseph Bahout.

On January 13, 2025, our Institute hosted a discussion on "Türkiye’s Renewed Middle Eastern Ambitions: End Goals and Constraints" by Professor Soli Özel, with AUB Political Science Professor Hilal Khashan as a discussant. 

On October 23, 2024, the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut - in collaboration with our Institute, the Asfari Institute for Civil Society & Citizenship and with the support of IDRC and the Ford Foundation - launched the Cli-Health Program (CHP), focusing on addressing the critical intersection of climate change, health, and social justice, with an emphasis on supporting vulnerable communities in the MENA region. Speakers during the e-launch included: Shadi Saleh, GHI Founding Director; Saba Al Mubaslat, Ford Foundation Middle East and North Africa Director; Montasser Kamal, Director of Global Health IDRC Canada; Zainab Awad, Manager of the Cli-Health Program; Nour El Arnaout, GHI Associate Director; Myrna Doumit, Professor at the AUB Hariri School of Nursing and health systems expert; Kenza Khomsi, climate, air quality, and environmental health expert; Lina Abou Habib, Director of the Asfari Institute; and Yara Mourad, IFI Assistant Director.

​In the immediate aftermath of the US elections, IFI held a webinar titled ”An Incoming President: A New US Middle East Policy Amidst Turmoil?” on November 8, 2024. The discussion reviewed the legacy of the Biden administration and what to expect from the upcoming Trump administration and its implications for the region. Speakers included: Randa Slim, Senior Fellow and Director, Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues program, Middle East Institute & Non-resident Fellow, SAIS Foreign Policy Institute; Tarek Masoud, Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Governance, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Steven A. Cook, ENI Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; moderated by IFI Director Joseph Bahout.