Draft:George Labaki

Dr. Georges T. Labaki is a renowned Lebanese academic, public administrator, and consultant. His comprehensive career spans across education and public service, establishing him as a pivotal figure in public administration and law both within Lebanon and internationally.

Birth

Labaki was born in the town of Baabdate known to be home of political, public administrators, poets, and intellectuals, in the Metn District in Mount Lebanon. He attended elementary school at the Soeurs de Besançon school in Baabdate before moving to the Christian Brothers School in Beit-Mery. He completed his school education at the newly founded Mont-La Salle School in Ain Saadeh in 1971.

Education

Labaki has obtained a Ph.D. in Law (Doctorat d’Etat) Sorbonne, Paris, 1984; a Ph.D. In Contemporary French Civilization from the University of Paris XII, Vallée de Marne in 1981; a D.E.A. (Diploma of Thorough Studies), in Public Finance and Taxation from the University of Paris II, Paris, 1979; a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law at the Lebanese University in Beirut in 1978; A BA in French Literature from the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Lebanese University in 1978. Also, he attended an advanced training equivalent to a Master’s Degree in Public Management, the National School of Public Administration, University of Quebec, Montreal, 1997 .

Career

Labaki's teaching career has involved several academic positions across different institutions. He started as an assistant professor at Georgetown University from 1989 to 1991. He also served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, from 1985 to 1988 at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management.

In Lebanon, he was a professor at the Lebanese University's Faculty of Law and Political Science from 1993 to 2000. Alongside this, he served at Notre Dame University (NDU) in Lebanon as the Director of Graduate Studies and International Relations between 1992 and 1994 and has been a faculty member there since 1993. His roles at NDU included teaching subjects ranging from law to economics and politics.

Furthermore, Labaki was a Program Coordinator at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University during 1991-1992, where he managed educational programs that encouraged international academic collaborations.

Labaki has engaged in various international roles, both as an academic and a consultant . He worked as a consultant for UNDP in Algeria, providing workshops on the role of Parliament in international affairs and diplomatic protocols in 2019. Additionally, he has been active in training roles, notably at the Lebanese Parliament Training Institute since 2000, focusing on parliamentary control over legislation, public policies, budgeting, taxation, and management. He also delivered periodic training sessions to Sudanese Parliament members on topics such as the rule of law, public finance control, and public policy evaluation. Dr. Labaki's international lecturing includes presentations in China, the Philippines, and Indonesia on public administration and the rule of law from 2011 to 2019. His consultancy and lecturing have reached over 20 countries including the USA, France, and the UAE, along with contributions at the United Nations in New York. He has facilitated international cooperation, concluding agreements with public administration institutions in Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, and Armenia between 2014 and 2018.

Publications

Labaki's contributions to scholarly literature span multiple subjects, including Lebanese history, public administration, and legal studies. His publications include "The Lebanon Crisis (1975-1985): A Bibliography," published in 1986 by the University of Maryland, College Park, which offers an extensive bibliography of resources related to that turbulent decade in Lebanon. Another significant work, "Housing in Lebanon: Taxation and Financing," was published in 1987 by Librairie Générale de Droit et de Jurisprudence in Paris, and has been reviewed in several academic journals. He edited "Checri Ganem: Complete Works" in 1994, a collection that compiles the works of the noted Lebanese writer. In 2018, he authored "Anthologie de la littérature libanaise d’expression française," published by Université Notre Dame, which explores French-language Lebanese literature. His recent publication, "Liban, contes du pays du jasmin," released in 2019 by Dar al-Ebdah in Beirut, delves into Lebanese tales and cultural narratives. Additionally, his book "Sovereignty Conflicts in Contemporary International Law" was published on Amazon in 2024, discussing modern issues in international law.

Honors and Awards

Labaki has been recognized with numerous honors and distinctions throughout his career for his contributions to academia and public administration. Notably, he was awarded the "Ordre National du Mérite," one of the highest academic distinctions in France, which was presented by the late French President François Mitterrand on the recommendation of Prime Minister Alain Juppé. He has also received the Silver Medal of John Paul II and a Silver Medal on the occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Benedictus XVI . In addition to these, Dr. Labaki has been honored with three trophies from the Lebanese Army, recognizing his service and contributions from 2016 to 2019. Further accolades include awards from the Greek School of Public Administration, the Philippines Society of Public Administration, and the Armenian School of Public Administration, awarded in 2018 and 2019 respectively.