Dr. George K. Najjar
Vice President for University Advancement
Dr. George Khalil Najjar was appointed Vice President for University Advancement in September 2018.
In this role, Dr. Najjar oversees LAU’s Strategic Communications Department, Alumni Relations Office, Advancement Services and the Development Office. He supervises university strategic communication with the LAU community and the media, ensures regular interactions with alumni and alumni chapters, and maintains strong relations with LAU’s friends and donors. He will also be instrumental to the process of LAU’s strategic positioning locally, regionally and globally.
Dr. Najjar served as LAU’s Provost from October 2012 until 2018, during which time he worked with the Council of Deans to strengthen the academic division of the university, implemented LAU’s Strategic Plan II (SPII), and, with the help of the Steering Committee, initiated SPIII.
In addition, during Dr. Najjar’s term as provost, the university doubled the number of graduate programs, increased the number of graduate students by 50 percent, almost quadrupled the research output of the university, and instituted interschool graduate degrees.
He also takes pride in having created with the President’s Cabinet and his colleagues “a culture where we are very mindful of the importance of strategic positioning, competitive profiling, and the fact that LAU is not only about a proud past but is also about a challenging future that we must be prepared to deal with.”
Dr. Najjar brings to his most recent role an enterprising outlook forged over decades of academic and administrative experience as a faculty member, vice president and dean at the American University of Beirut (AUB).
During his 12-year tenure as Founding Dean and Professor of the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (2000-2012), Dr. Najjar led the school to accreditation and regional preeminence.
From 1997 to 2006, he doubled as Vice President for Regional External Programs at AUB. Prior to that, he headed the teams that developed feasibility studies for several educational institutions, among them the University of Sharjah and the University of Bahrain. At the latter, he went on to serve as Founding Dean of its School of Business (1987-1997) and Vice President for Planning (1991-1995).
Dr. Najjar is widely published in peer-reviewed management journals as well as edited academic volumes. He has excelled at designing and delivering executive education programs at universities and other venues in the Middle East, taught a number of business courses, and served as a consultant to many businesses.
Throughout his rich career, he has distinguished himself for his strategic vision covering areas such as research management, fundraising, institution-building, institutional and professional accreditation, and international networking.
He was awarded the prestigious Academy of Strategic and Entrepreneurial Leadership’s John J. Fernandes Strategic Leadership Award in 2012, and the Achievement Award of the Academy of International Business (AIB) in 2017.
Dr. Najjar received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from AUB in 1969 and 1971, respectively, and his Ph.D. in General Management from the University of Southern California in 1975.
Contact
Dr. George K. Najjar
Vice President for University Advancement
Lebanese American University
Tel: +961-1-786456, Ext. 1110
Fax: +961-1-867098/+961-9-944851