| |
Shadi Hamadeh studied at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and at the New Mexico State University, USA. He is professor of animal sciences at AUB since 1988. His research interests have ranged from animal and environment interactions to the future of pastoralism. He is co-founder of several conservation groups in Lebanon and the region and is currently leading the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at AUB focusing on rural sustainable livelihoods in dry lands of the Middle East and North Africa. One of his major challenges is to reconcile the chaos theory with the bitter realities of development research in the Arab World.
Rami Zurayk studied at AUB and at Oxford University. He is currently professor of soils and environmental sciences at AUB. He specialises in ecosystem management. After having held the post of country representative of the International Cooperation for Development in Yemen in the early 1990’s, he returned to AUB where he contributed to the initiation of ESDU. He has since been in charge of the implementation of a number of medium to large scale rural development projects, and has served as an international consultant in natural resources management. He firmly believes that development work should become self-funded and liberate itself from the agendas of donors. He has recently submitted a grant proposal to that effect.
Mona Haidar studied at AUB, the University of London and is currently putting the finishing touches to her doctoral thesis in rural development at the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon. She specialises in livelihood analysis and rural development. Mona is currently a research associate affiliated to ESDU and has served as a regional and international consultant involved in the design, monitoring and evaluation of interventions aimed at the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the rural areas of the Middle East and North Africa region.
|
