SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Public Arts Performances at Beirut Arab University

Beirut Arab University

THE Impact Rankings Evidence Report Indicator 11 2 5

Question Does the University as a body contribute to local arts through the number of annual public performances of University choirs theatre groups orchestras or comparable ensembles

Executive Assessment

Beirut Arab University can answer this indicator affirmatively and select Ongoing programme. The decisive evidence is structural rather than anecdotal. BAU operates permanent Drama and Music Clubs under Student Life. Their published recruitment rehearsal and production cycles culminate in annual performances. Both club pages explicitly state that their performances are open to the public and free of charge.

Original evidence BAU Drama Club annual public performance

Original evidence BAU Music Club annual public performance

The evidence also shows implementation. BAU students performed a civil-war themed play in 2021; BAU organized public multicultural dance and music programming in 2023; BAU presented a university theatre production at LAU's 2024 festival; BAU organized a large public tribute concert in 2025; and student and alumni performers appeared in BAU's annual Homecoming programme in 2026. These dated records support continuity while the current club pages establish the recurring programme architecture.

Recommended Classification

Indicator Scope and Evidence Standard

SDG 11 addresses inclusive safe resilient and sustainable communities. Public performing arts contribute to cultural participation social cohesion and the visibility of local creative practice. This indicator is concerned with University contribution to live arts and distinguishes isolated events from continuing programmes.

Original evidence United Nations Goal 11 and target 11 4

What the Evidence Must Demonstrate

• The activity is organized supported or delivered by Beirut Arab University as an institution.

• A choir theatre group music ensemble dance group or comparable live performance is involved.

• The audience can include people beyond the performers and organizing unit.

• The annual count is transparent and does not treat individual songs or acts as separate events.

• The classification is ongoing only when a recurring programme schedule is documented.

Counting Method Used in This Report

The report uses two levels of counting. First it reports the conservative recurring programme minimum: one annual Drama Club performance and one annual Music Club concert or showcase. Second it inventories additional dated performance events. A multi-act evening is counted as one event, not as the number of songs dances or performers. Events whose external public access is not explicit are identified as broader arts output and are not used to inflate the strict public-performance count.

Ongoing University Performance Programme

Drama Club

BAU's current Drama Club page describes a full annual production cycle. Applications and auditions take place near the beginning of the fall semester, followed by specialist workshops and rehearsals, with students preparing for the final performance at the end of the spring semester. The page describes the outcome as an annual performance and states that the Club also participates in cultural festivals hosted by other universities and organizations.

The access statement is decisive for this indicator: BAU states that all Drama Club performances are open to the public and completely free of charge. This confirms both an ongoing programme and public accessibility without relying on inference from photographs or attendance lists.

Original evidence Current Drama Club programme and access statement

Music Club

BAU's current Music Club page documents applications auditions workshops rehearsals and the assignment of students as vocalists and musicians. Students prepare solo and choir pieces during the academic year and the programme culminates in an annual music concert. The page further describes an end-of-spring performance through which singers and musicians present their work.

To avoid double counting ambiguous wording, this report counts the Music Club as one guaranteed annual public performance category rather than claiming two separate concerts. BAU nevertheless expressly confirms that all Music Club performances are open to the public and free of charge.

Original evidence Current Music Club programme and access statement

Conservative Annual Programme Count

Institutional Delivery and Public Reach

Student Life and Artistic Clubs

BAU's current Student Life page identifies the University as a center for arts and culture and describes hundreds of annual activities including musicals dances and plays. The Clubs and Communities page places Drama and Music within BAU's formal Artistic Clubs structure. It states that Drama Club members can participate in local and Arab festivals and that Music Club members perform live for audiences from BAU and outside the University.

Original evidence BAU Student Life arts and culture framework

Original evidence BAU Artistic Clubs and external audience statement

Student Life

Clubs & Communities

Annual Homecoming Performance Channel

BAU's current Homecoming page describes an annual event held across the Beirut Debbieh and Tripoli campuses. The programme introduces clubs and teams, includes live shows by those groups and culminates in a live concert. BAU reports annual participation exceeding 7,000 students. Homecoming therefore demonstrates a recurring institutional performance channel and audience-building mechanism.

Because the Homecoming page primarily defines the audience as BAU students, this report treats the event as supporting evidence of programme continuity rather than adding it to the strict external-public minimum. This distinction makes the annual count defensible.

Original evidence BAU annual Homecoming programme

With the beginning of each academic year, our students look forward to BAU’s Homecoming Event. This amazing event, held in each of our Beirut, Debbieh, and Tripoli campus annually attracts more than 7,000 students.

New and current students alike will be shown a glimpse of campus life and activities. This event, which lasts a whole day, introduces students to clubs, teams, and centers at BAU.

Students are encouraged to enroll in clubs, witness the live shows of our clubs and teams, and be part of the on-campus live concert. The concert, a coronation of the event, is celebrated each year by famous Lebanese and Arab artists.

External Audience Mechanism

BAU's Public Relations and Communications Department is charged with connecting the University to an outside audience and coordinating public-facing institutional activity. Its role complements Student Life by providing communication and audience engagement for performances and cultural events.

Original evidence BAU Public Relations and Communications mandate

Recent Implementation in 2021 and 2023

BAU Student Theatre on Civil War Memory in 2021

On 20 September 2021 the BAU Human Rights Center organized a play performed by students from different faculties. The production addressed the legacy of the Lebanese Civil War and the experiences of families of kidnapped and disappeared persons. It formed part of a project funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and implemented with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

This event confirms that BAU uses live student theatre to interpret issues of national memory human rights and reconciliation. The source confirms institutional delivery and student performance. It does not explicitly state unrestricted public admission, so the event is included as implementation evidence but not used alone to determine the strict public count.

Original evidence BAU Human Rights Center student play record

Organizing a Play as a Part of the Activities Related to the PBF

A play was organized by the center as a part of the activities related to the PBF project Dealing with the Past - Memory for the future, were BAU students participated in acting to highlight and reflect the suffering of the families of people kidnapped and disappeared and how were they affected and what steps they took to seek the truth and achieve justice.

Sky Dream Public Cultural Performance in 2023

On 14 January 2023 BAU organized Sky Dream at its Tripoli Campus with the Elite Center of Culture and Education and the Indian and Japanese Embassies. BAU describes it as an intercultural dancing show combining Indian Japanese and Lebanese cultural expression. The production included twelve dancing and singing shows and was attended by diplomats cultural and municipal representatives students and a large audience of interested people.

For counting purposes the twelve acts form one public performance event. The production demonstrates BAU's capacity to convene artists partners and the local community through a substantial campus-based arts programme.

Original evidence Official BAU report on Sky Dream

India and Japan at Beirut Arab University In cooperation with Elite Center of Culture and Education

Beirut Arab University organized a cultural activity entitled “SKY DREAM” in cooperation with the Elite Center of Culture and Education and in partnership with the Indian and Japanese Embassies in Lebanon. It is an inter-cultural dancing show, that embodies the union of three ancient cultures, which are India, Japan, and Lebanon, to create a new art, expressing the band's firm belief of the power far-off the arts to connect people's souls beyond what confines space and time.

The Ambassador of India Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan and Ambassador of Japan represented by Second Secretary Ms. Minami Kunitomo, a crowd of ambassadors, diplomats, ministers and deputies, as well as presidents’ of Orders, university presidents, hospital directors and representatives of cultural, scientific, religious and municipal bodies as well as a large crowd of students and interested people attended the event, where they were welcomed by Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi, President of the University, Professor Khaled Baghdadi, Vice-President to Tripoli Branch , Dr. Omar Houri, Secretary-General and the deans of the University and its academic and administrative family.

The ceremony started with the speech of Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi, President of the University, who welcomed the audience, emphasizing on the importance of the exposure to cultures that is one of the aspirations of Beirut Arab University to enrich its human culture, and this event forms a unique touch in highlighting the issues of society with such a distinctive creative type. He also drew attention to the fact that such events are an addition to the cultural and artistic scene.

The President of Elite Culture and Education, Dr. Iman Dernaika Kamali, said: "It is a special pride that I am present here and that I had the chance to cooperate with Beirut Arab University, which has embraced and sponsored this event. It emphasizes its cultural role and its firm belief that cultural identity can only be built on the basis of universal cultural interdependence, mutual respect and acceptance of diversity.

She continued: The title of the event, "Sky Dream", was the result of Japan's yearning for a solution when the country was overrun with a cholera wave and one third of Japan's population died in the seventeenth century.

I found the title and the topic appropriate for what we need today in Lebanon, especially as we live through a series of consecutive troubles and crises, which may need a sky dream to turn our darkness into light.

Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, Ambassador of India said: "Lebanon and India have always enjoyed friendly relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in the early 1950s, which have been based on mutual respect and common denominators involving, among other things, multicultural societies and democratic traditions.

The Ambassador, then, honored Dr. Ogarit Younan, a researcher, writer and educational thinker. She received the prize of Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for the Promoting of Gandhian Values Outside India as well as Dr. Iman Dernaika Kamali, who is a friend of the Embassy of India in Lebanon, and has already cooperated with the Embassy in promoting the Indian culture and strengthening friendly bilateral relations between India and Lebanon.

The event was presented by Dreamers Japan in Lebanon, led by its President, Ms. Eiko, Zmilti, Professor of teaching the Japanese Language at the Japanese Cultural Center at St. Joseph's University, with the professional artist and Indian dance professor at the Embassy of India in Lebanon Mr. Deepesh Hoskere who presented with Ms. Seiko Sugita, the social development officer at United Nations agencies and with his students, a wonderful show of the Bharatanatyam Art.

The show consists from 12 dancing and singing shows that reflect a legendary story about Amabiko, a legendary creature in Japan from the seventeenth-century who carried messages from the sky to treat the disease at the time of the cholera pandemic. From here came the idea of a theatrical show after the Covid pandemic to spread hope and positivity to Lebanese and the world through this artistic creativity.

Along the side of the activity, an exhibition comprising a special pavilion for the embassies of India and Japan exhibiting the advantages of the two countries in terms of tourism, economy and art was displayed, as well as a pavilion for the two Lebanese art exhibitors; PhD student at the Faculty of Architecture Boushra Naim who displayed her paintings of different Lebanese touristic villages and the architect, Bassem Zouda, who is passionate about documenting the decoration of Tripoli's ancient heritage buildings through his decorative paintings.

Annual Homecoming Student Singing in 2023

On 5 October 2023 BAU's Student Activities Department held Homecoming at Debbieh Campus. Ten students from different faculties participated in a singing competition before a jury and audience vote, followed by a concert by Ziad Bourji. This dated record verifies student performance and the continuation of Homecoming as an institutional arts channel.

The audience described in the article consists primarily of students and professors. The event is therefore supporting evidence of annual arts programming but is not added to the strict public minimum unless separate evidence of general-public access is supplied.

Original evidence Official BAU report on Homecoming 2023

Star Ziad Bourji celebrates the Homecoming at Beirut Arab University

As the new academic year started, the Student Activities Department at Beirut Arab University celebrated the "Homecoming" in Debbieh campus with wide participation of students and professors in the presence of the President of BAU, Professor Wael Nabil Abdel Salam, and the Secretary General, Dr. Omar Houri. The concert hosted the Star Ziad Bourji, who sang some of his distinctive songs .

During this day the students were introduced to activities at the university and they were encouraged to join artistic, social and sports teams. These activities shall enhance the spirit of competition, develop their skills and volunteering work.

The Homecoming also included a singing competition, where 10 students from various faculties competed by singing before a jury. The audience also voted using their phones and grades were put by the some selected students and the jury. The student Lana Sharab from the Faculty of Human Sciences won the first place.

The Director of Student Activities, Ms. Nadine Abla, praised the students for their constant interaction with these clubs and thanked the university administration and all those who contributed to the success of this activity for their support in stimulating university life and youth spirit and helping students to discover their talents.

Finally, the Students Activities Department presented to the Star Ziad Bourji the shield of honor as a token of loyalty and appreciation.

Public Theatre and Choral Programming in 2024

BAU at the University Theatre Festival

The Lebanese American University programme for the nineteenth University Theatre Festival records a Beirut Arab University performance of the play بقلوايا at Irwin Hall Auditorium on 11 July 2024. The festival ran from 8 to 11 July and presented university productions in indoor and outdoor spaces alongside musical performances and professional workshops.

This independently published programme is direct evidence of BAU students contributing a named theatre production to Lebanon's wider cultural calendar. It also implements the Drama Club's current commitment to participate in festivals beyond BAU. The Drama Club's own access statement confirms that its performances are open to the public and free.

Original evidence LAU official programme naming the BAU theatre performance

The 19th University Theatre Festival

The Communication, Arts and Languages Department is pleased to announce the return of the LAU University Theatre Festival for its 19th edition.

The festival will feature daily plays, performed in both indoor theaters and outdoor spaces, along with a musical performance each evening and specialized workshops led by professionals conducted in the afternoon.

Fayha National Choir at BAU Tripoli

The Fayha National Choir records its participation in the launch ceremony Tripoli History and Renewal on 22 May 2024 at Beirut Arab University Tripoli Campus as part of the Tripoli Arab Capital of Culture programme. This was a hosted external choir rather than a BAU student ensemble.

The event should therefore be reported separately from BAU's student-group annual count. It nevertheless demonstrates that BAU provides institutional space and visibility for a major local choral organization within a national cultural programme.

Original evidence Fayha National Choir record of the BAU Tripoli event

Documented 2024 Minimum

Public Music Programming in 2025

Homecoming Student Singing Competition

On 24 September 2025 BAU's Student Life Department organized Homecoming at Debbieh Campus. Students from the University's ten faculties took part in a celebrity-duets singing competition, accompanied by guest performers. BAU reported an audience exceeding 5,000 students and concluded the programme with a concert by Joseph Attieh.

This is strong evidence of organized student performance and large-scale annual delivery. The official report defines the audience primarily as students, faculty and staff, so it supports continuity but is not treated as a substitute for the Music Club's explicit public-access statement.

Original evidence Official BAU report on Homecoming 2025

Beirut Arab University Celebrates Homecoming with Star Joseph Attieh

Kicking off the new academic year, the Student Life Department at Beirut Arab University celebrated the “Homecoming” Open Day at the university’s Debbieh campus. The event brought together thousands of students along with faculty and administrative staff from all campuses — Beirut, Debbieh, Tripoli, and Bekaa — in a day full of energy, creativity, and art. The celebration was attended by BAU President Professor Wael Abdel Salam and Secretary General Dr. Omar Houri.

The highlight of the evening was the performance by Lebanese star Joseph Attieh, who entertained the audience with a selection of his most popular songs, including “Taab El Shouq”, “El Baghdagha”, “Koun”, “Wala Momken”, and “Oullon Ennak Lebnene”. Students enthusiastically sang along and waved the Lebanese flag, creating an atmosphere of unity and pride.

The event reaffirmed BAU’s commitment to strengthening the spirit of belonging, supporting student talents, encouraging extracurricular engagement, and creating an interactive environment that combines entertainment and learning reflecting the university’s vision of building a holistic campus life.

The day began with an exhibition for the university’s Student Life clubs, where different clubs presented their activities and goals, giving new students the opportunity to explore and integrate into university life. A vibrant food court further enriched the social and festive atmosphere.

Another highlight was the Singing Competition between Faculties – Celebrity Duets Edition, featuring students from BAU’s ten faculties. The event included special guest appearances by Tony Abou Jaoude, Anthony Touma, Yazan Kamel, and George Tawil, who performed duets alongside students. The competition concluded with Mohammad Khattab from the Faculty of Engineering winning first place.

The festivities culminated in an electrifying concert by Joseph Attieh, whose performance drew an audience of over 5,000 students, leaving an unforgettable mark on BAU’s Homecoming celebration.

The Student Life Department reiterated Beirut Arab University’s mission of fostering belonging, empowering youth, and creating dynamic spaces where learning, art, and entertainment converge. As a token of appreciation, BAU presented Joseph Attieh with the university’s honorary shield in recognition of his contribution to the event.

A Tribute to Ziad Public Concert

On 10 October 2025 BAU's Public Relations and Communications Department organized A Tribute to Ziad in memory of Ziad Rahbani. Maestro André El Haj conducted the orchestra and choir in a programme of twenty-five songs. BAU records attendance by cultural and public figures and a large audience of the artist's friends and admirers.

This is a BAU-organized public performance event involving both orchestra and choir. It is additional to the University's student-club minimum and demonstrates BAU's direct contribution to the preservation and public presentation of Lebanon's modern musical heritage.

Original evidence Official BAU report on A Tribute to Ziad

Ziad Rahbani at Beirut Arab University

Ziad Rahbani — son of the legendary Rahbani school and the voice of ordinary people — carried in his works the concerns of the nation, expressing issues of love, politics, and justice through an artistic language that was both satirical and deeply realistic, unlike any other.

In his honor, the Public Relations and Communications Department at Beirut Arab University organized a musical concert conducted by Maestro André El Haj and his orchestra, titled “A Tribute to Ziad”. The event celebrated his memory, reviving his legacy that continues to resonate in the hearts of generations and recalling the genius who turned theater and music into a space for truth and beauty.

The concert was attended by Members of Parliament Ibrahim Mneimneh and Melhem Khalaf, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al Bir Wal Ihsan Foundation and Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees Dr. Ammar Houry, President of the Lebanese Artists Association Dr. Nizar Daher, poet Henry Zoghaib, President of the Businessmens’ Federation for Support and Development -IRADA- Mr. Louay Malas, University Secretary-General Dr. Omar Houri, the university’s deans and directors, along with a large audience of Ziad Rahbani’s friends and admirers.

The evening began with a speech by Mrs. Zina Ariss, Director of Public Relations and Communications at the University, who said:

“Lebanon and the Arab world have lost a towering artist — a voice that never compromised, a mind devoted to humanity and justice. His music blossomed into creativity within our hearts and enriched our minds with culture; his plays made us laugh until we felt the pain.

Ziad Rahbani was not merely a musician or playwright, but a mirror reflecting the people’s struggles and dreams. With his words and melodies, he built a unique artistic school that made him an icon of Arab creativity and a proud extension of the Rahbani legacy.”

The musical celebration then commenced under the direction of Maestro André El Haj and the choir, as the stage came alive with 25 of Ziad’s songs, taking the audience on a nostalgic journey through his remarkable and distinctive world of artistry.

Documented 2025 Minimum

Current Delivery in 2026

Annual Homecoming and Student Alumni Duets

On 8 October 2026 BAU held its annual Homecoming at Debbieh Campus. The Student Life Department organized a singing competition that paired ten current students with ten alumni and former Music Club members. A professional panel evaluated the performances and the programme concluded with a concert by Melhem Zein before a reported audience exceeding 6,500.

The 2026 record demonstrates that BAU continues to generate substantial live-performance opportunities for students and alumni. It also connects the annual Homecoming channel to former Music Club members, showing a pathway from club participation to continuing artistic engagement.

Original evidence Official BAU report on annual Homecoming 2026

Beirut Arab University Celebrates Annual Homecoming Day Featuring Star Melhem Zein

In keeping with its annual tradition, the Student Life Department at Beirut Arab University celebrated the start of the new academic year with its signature "Homecoming" event at the Debbieh campus. The vibrant, art-filled celebration brought together thousands of students, faculty members, and administrative staff from all university campuses across Beirut, Debbieh, Tripoli, and Bekaa. The event was attended by BAU President Professor Wael Nabil Abdel Salam, Secretary-General Dr. Omar Houri, along with university deans and directors. Guest star Melhem Zein headlined the celebration, delivering a memorable performance with a selection of his hit songs, including "Gheibi Ya Chams Gheibi," "Dalli Dhaki," "Enti Mechiti," "Baddi Bek," and Julia Boutros’s classic "W Ghabet Chams El Hak."

This event underscored the university administration's ongoing commitment to fostering institutional pride, supporting student talent, encouraging extracurricular involvement, and creating an interactive environment that blends entertainment with learning to build a well-rounded campus experience. The day opened with an exhibition hosted by the Student Life Department clubs, where various student organizations showcased their activities and goals to help incoming students integrate into university life, alongside a vibrant food court that enriched the social atmosphere.

The musical portion of the program commenced with addresses from the University President and the Director of Student Life, both emphasizing the vital role of active campus participation. A unique singing competition followed, pairing ten current students with ten alumni and former Music Club members in duet performances. The performances were evaluated by a panel of experts comprising voice coach and music professor Tony El Bayeh, actor and singer

Saad Hamdan, journalist and art critic Joseph Tawk, and composer-arranger Ossama El Khatib. The competition concluded in a tie for first place between Celine Fakhreddine (Faculty of Architecture – Design and Built Environment) paired with alumna Joanna Abou Daher, and Tamara Charafeddine (Faculty of Health Sciences) paired with alumnus Rabih Salameh. As a award, alumnus Rabih Salameh will present an original song to each of the two winners.

Melhem Zein concluded the evening with a grand finale, engaging the audience with his popular repertoire in an extraordinary atmosphere shared by a massive crowd of over 6,500 attendees, making this year’s Homecoming an unforgettable milestone in BAU's history. Reaffirming BAU’s core mission of empowering youth potential and bridging education, art, and recreation, Director of Student Life Ms. Nadine Abla presented honorary university shields to Melhem Zein and members of the judging panel as a gesture of appreciation and gratitude.

Current Programme Status

The dated 2026 Homecoming evidence sits alongside current Drama and Music Club pages that publish the annual performance cycle and free public-access commitment. This combination of current programme rules and recent delivery is stronger than relying on one isolated event.

Annual Performance Count and Chronology

Defensible Annual Answer

BAU can report at least two recurring public student-group performance outputs in a normal academic cycle: one Drama Club annual performance and one Music Club annual concert or showcase. This is a conservative figure because it excludes Homecoming shows special concerts festival appearances and hosted external ensembles unless they are individually verified for the relevant year.

The dated evidence below is an implementation inventory rather than a claim that BAU published a complete annual box-office ledger. A blank or qualified entry should not be interpreted as no activity; it means that the reviewed official source did not provide enough information to classify the event as unrestricted public access.

Classification Logic

• Ad hoc should not be selected because BAU publishes recurring annual Drama and Music Club cycles.

• Ongoing programme should be selected because auditions workshops rehearsals performances and festival participation repeat through permanent University structures.

• The recommended numerical statement is at least two recurring public student-group performances annually plus additional verified special events.

Evidence Matrix

Indicator Mapping

Submission Conclusion

Beirut Arab University contributes to local arts through a continuing institutionally administered programme of theatre music choir and related live performance. Its current Drama Club page documents an annual production at the end of the spring performance cycle. Its current Music Club page documents an annual concert and live performance by singers musicians and choir participants. Both pages explicitly state that all performances are open to the public and free of charge.

Using a conservative and reproducible method BAU can report at least two recurring public student-group performance outputs per academic cycle before adding separately verified special events. The broader record shows student theatre in 2021; public multicultural dance and music programming and student singing in 2023; a BAU theatre-festival performance and a hosted national choir ceremony in 2024; a large public orchestra and choir tribute concert in 2025; and student alumni duet performances within the annual Homecoming programme in 2026.

The evidence therefore exceeds an ad hoc pattern. BAU maintains permanent clubs structured auditions specialist workshops rehearsals annual performance points public and free access and participation in external cultural festivals. The correct THE Impact Rankings classification is Ongoing programme.

Original Evidence Register

The following original University partner and United Nations pages are provided for direct reviewer verification. Each link opens the underlying evidence rather than a previous SDG narrative.