The Leadership Forum on Public Affairs Education is organized in conjunction with the Re-Imagining Citizenship in the Arab Region Conference 2026, co-hosted by the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship as well as the Department of Political Studies and Public Administration and the Global Engagement Initiative at the American University of Beirut (AUB), the School of Public Affairs at American University (AU), the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), and the Public Management Research Association (PMRA). 

The Leadership Forum on Public Affairs Education is a full-day convening for deans, department chairs, and graduate program directors who are shaping the future of MPA and MPP programs in the Middle East. Given the intensifying demands on public service education, leaders must strategically deliver relevant, resilient, and high-performing programs. This forum provides a platform for senior academic leaders to engage in deep, practice-oriented conversations on key areas essential to program success, including recruitment and global marketing; student and career services; adaptive curriculum design; stakeholder and employer engagement; and the effective recruitment, development, and retention of faculty. 

Sessions will blend expert presentations with peer exchange, interactive planning exercises, and collaborative problem-solving. The forum will also explore how public affairs schools can better position themselves as strategic assets within their institutions and as trusted partners to governments, nonprofits, and civic leaders. Participants will leave with new global perspectives, actionable strategies tailored to their institutional contexts, and a professional network committed to innovation and excellence in public affairs education—both inside and beyond the classroom. 

Participation in this forum is by invitation only. Additional information will be directly communicated to deans, department chairs, and graduate program directors in the Middle East.

For any inquiries, please reach out to us at asfariinst@aub.edu.lb.