S.E. M. Abbas Selim El Halabi (FDSP, 1972)

President of the Federation of USJ Alumni Associations

Former Minister of Education and Higher Education.
Former judge and legal advisor. Abbas El Halabi co-founded and currently chairs the Arab Group for Muslim-Christian Dialogue and is a member of the National Committee of Muslim-Christian Dialogue.
He served as President of the Culture Commission at the General Conference of UNESCO during its 40th session and holds several key roles at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut, including Vice-President of the Board of Trustees and President of the USJ Faculty of Law and Political Science Alumni Association.
He is also the founding member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Druze Community Health Establishment – Ain W Zein Medical Village.
Over the years, he has played pivotal roles in Lebanon’s political and religious landscape, serving as a counselor during the Taif Conference and representing the Druze community at the Vatican’s Synod for Lebanon.

El Halabi has published numerous articles and studies for local and regional newspapers and periodicals on public, political, intellectual, economic, financial, legal and banking affairs.
His works include About Dialogue, Reconciliation and Civil Peace (2001) and Le Dialogue interreligieux : le Contexte Arabe et l’Exemple Libanais (2007), published by the USJ Institute of Muslim-Christian Studies (IEIC) at the Faculty of Religious Studies (FSR).
He also wrote three works published by Dar An-Nahar: Les Druzes: Vivre avec l’avenir (2005), The Druze: Culture, History and Mission (in Arabic, 2008) and الدولة وبناء الأديان حوار (2009). In 2015, his book The Druze, a New Cultural and Historical Appreciation was released in London by Garnet–Ithaca, and in 2017, الرسالة من أجل لبنان was published by Dar Nelson.
His life and work were also the subject of a biography, مغامرة الحوار: سيرة القاضي عباس الحلبي الحوارية, written by Dr. Antoine Ephrem Salamé, with a preface by Fr. Salim Daccache, SJ, Rector of USJ. The book was published by USJ Institute of Muslim-Christian Studies (IEIC) at the Faculty of Religious Studies (FSR).