On the 24h of September, 2025, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of Balamand (UOB) hosted Dr. Nabil al Khatib, President of the Arab-American Center for Culture and Arts and former Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Lebanese University. Dr. al Khatib delivered a lecture entitled “Hunger and Culture”, as part of the course Arab 201, supervised by Dr. Dorine Nasr, instructor of Arabic at UOB in presence of Brigadier General Adnan Ezzedine, Dr. Maria Nasr Chairperson of the Department of Languages and Translation, students from the Arabic Language and Literature Department, as well as a number of students from Khalil Salem High School.

Dr. Al-Khatib, in his lecture, addressed the deep connection between hunger and culture, explaining that culture is not merely an intellectual luxury, but a fundamental means for human resilience and survival, especially in times of crises and challenges facing societies. He emphasized that hunger is not limited to the need for food, but also includes hunger for dignity, justice, knowledge, and meaning.

He also pointed out that culture helps individuals understand and engage with reality, as it is linked to awareness, identity, and belonging. He paused to reflect on the challenges facing culture today in light of technological developments, the spread of social media, and digitization, noting the positive aspects of these changes in terms of easier access to information, but also warning of their risks if not used properly.

The lecture concluded with an interactive discussion between Dr. Al-Khatib and the audience, in an atmosphere of interest and constructive dialogue, reflecting the importance of the topic and its central role in the context of contemporary culture.















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