Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/57469
Growsin Beirut I A B-School by Carla Sayegh n August 2006, the Olayan School of Business at the Ameri- can University of Beirut had just finished its accreditation plan. The next step was to send the plan by Aramex, the region's version of FedEx, from Lebanon to an AACSB pre- accreditation committee in Tampa, Florida. The problem? The region was in the midst of the Summer War between Lebanon and Israel, just 13 days before the United Nations ceasefire would go into effect. For our plan to arrive on time, we had to get it through Syria by land while the air and naval block- ade on Lebanon was still in force. Fortunately, the CEO of Aramex, an AUB alumnus and board member, jumped to our rescue. He personally tracked our package and made sure that it arrived in Tampa on schedule. Few business schools have to add regional wars or cultural To manage its programs in the volatile Middle Eastern environment, the American University of Beirut's Olayan School stresses careful planning, unorthodox approaches, and, above all, the ability to be comfortable with uncertainty. conflicts to the challenges facing them during the accreditation process. At the Olayan School, however, we are ever-conscious that our cultural atmosphere and regional circumstances direct- ly affect us in many critical areas, including strategic planning, change management, and faculty recruitment and retention. To carry out its mission amid the volatility of the Middle East- ern region, the Olayan School often has to turn to special strate- gies and the support of a wide network of friends and alumni— 46 BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008