Ambassador of Lebanon to Ghana, H.E. Maher Kheir, has called on Lebanese in Ghana to consider building a cultural centre to help deepen the cultural ties between citizens of the two countries.

In his view, Lebanese have been in Ghana for over a century, but there is still a lot more to be done for them to properly integrate into Ghanaian society.

He believes this cultural centre will act as a bridge to strengthen the human bonds and unite Lebanese and Ghanaians in the country.

He made the remarks at a seminar organized for post-graduate students at the University of Media, Arts and Communications Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ) for beneficiaries of the Lebanese Scholarship Program.

The seminar was held in the presence of the Lebanese Ambassador, H.E. Maher Kheir, the Dean at the School of Graduate Studies and Research (SoGSAR), Dr. George Asamoah, senior staff members of the University, members of the Lebanese Community, and post-graduate students.

It forms part of the incentives given to recipients of the Lebanese Community Scholarship Program to develop their professional skills for the marketplace.

Rashida Uzstarz and Richard Hakim were among the beneficiaries who delivered academic presentations on their research theses that touched on topics focusing on both Lebanon and Ghana.

Research topics discussed included a comparative analysis of community journalism and corporate social responsibility between Lebanon and Ghana, among others.

The 2024 edition is the third in the series and aims at deepening students’ interest in the area of research as well as promoting educational cooperation between Lebanon and Ghana.

Ambassador of Lebanon in Ghana, H.E. Maher Kheir, commended the students but challenged them to explore new knowledge to widen their worldview as communication practitioners.

He noted that despite the huge work being done in education, much more needs to be done in the cultural sector to deepen the human bonds between the two peoples.

“Concerning initiatives, I think we are already doing something in education through the scholarship program. But maybe, they can do more in the cultural sector,” he stated.

He added, “I’d like to add my voice to yours to call on the Lebanese to build a cultural centre to serve as a garden of interaction between them and the Ghanaian people.”

This cultural cooperation, he says, is also a crucial factor in the professional development of the students and urged them to explore other cultures.

Ambassador Kheir hinted that they are also putting structures in place to make the Lebanese Scholarship Alumni Network (LESAN) start operating soon.

To further develop the professional skills of beneficiaries, he also stated that the Embassy is open to receive them for internships.

On his part, Dr. George Asamoah thanked the Lebanese Community for their consistent support for students at UniMAC over the past decade.

He celebrated the rich partnership between the two and noted that the seminar gives students the opportunity to present their research findings to the academic community and the Lebanese people.

Also, he stressed that the seminar strengthens the fraternal bonds that Ghanaians and Lebanese share as it also gives positive prospects to the future of the scholarship.

Representatives of the Lebanese Community, Mr. Naaman Ashkar and Mr. Hishan, who lauded the students for their insightful research, noted that the work offers a scholarly body of knowledge for Lebanese businesses in particular to draw valuable lessons from.

The results of the seminar, they said, prove that the investments being made are worth it.

The seminar, an initiative of the Lebanese Ambassador, H.E. Maher Kheir, is another window to deepen the educational and cultural cooperation between Lebanon and Ghana.

This year, the Lebanese Scholarship Programme marked its 10th Anniversary and officially launched the “Lebanese Scholarship Alumni Network (LESAN),” a social impact organization which will undertake humanitarian projects to develop society.

The programme has awarded scholarships to about five hundred (500) students across several schools and disciplines over the past ten years.

These include law, journalism, media, language, performing arts, and quite recently, public relations and film and television production.