Suma Rifai is a woman with lots of responsibility. She has raised two children on her own, and now helps care her aging parents and her dogs. But she has always wanted to learn. Now, at age 55, she's a student at the University for Seniors (UfS) in Beirut, Lebanon.
"We have a very high emigration rate in Lebanon: Lebanese youth leaving the country and older Lebanese adults returning to their home country to retire in Lebanon," said Maya Abi Chahine, UfS's program manager. "Seniors find themselves kind of alone. The UfS is for students aged 50 and up and, although it doesn't offer degrees, the program offers a variety of lectures and courses, covering various topics to help older people get the most out of their later years."
Usually, UfS classes were held in person at the American University of Beirut campus, where students rubbed shoulders with college age classmates. However, since the start of COVID-19, learning has moved online.
Online learning has also opened the door for many new students to attend the program for the first time. 77-year-old Jaques Ekmekji was never able to join UfS when it was in person. "I was almost always stuck at home because of operation on my back," Ekmekji said. "When everything moved online, that was a great opportunity for me."
Since joining UfS, Ekmekji says the program has given him the chance to explore new curiosities. "It gives me a real space for growth in certain areas that I never thought of."
Suma Rifai can't wait to talk in person back on the American University campus. "I believe it's a must for the new generation to see us on campus. For them, they have to see that the hope is there." The hope, says Rifai, is that no matter how old you are, you can always be a student.
