(Within the Context of Monetary Policy of the Central Bank of Lebanon)

Dr. Haroutioun Samuelian is currently Deputy Governor of Banque du Liban (the Central Bank of Lebanon).  He had previously occupied this same position between 1993 and 2003 and has had a flourishing career in the banking sector since 1963.

Dr. Samuelian, who is a visiting lecturer at several universities in Lebanon and a proposed lecturer at the University of Grenoble for 2009, visited NDU-SC on Friday, December 4, 2009 invited by Mr. Hrair Hovivian, Coordinator of the Business Division at the Shouf Campus, to share with the eager Business Administration, Banking and Finance and Economics students his insights on the importance of the stability of the Lebanese Currency and to answer their lingering questions about the international financial crisis and its effects on Lebanon’s economy.

He organized his presentation into different sections to set the background and help the audience understand “How the Stability of the Lebanese Currency is Sustained”.

He first explained the Monetary Policy followed by the Central Bank, its objectives and its instruments.  Then he explained some special characteristics of the Lebanese Banking Sector and the major roles that the Central Bank of Lebanon plays in monitoring and controlling bank investments and “behavior that may lead to bankruptcy”. Finally, he touched on the reasons behind the Central Bank’s commitment to the stability of the Lebanese exchange rate, the positive effects of this stability on the Banking Sector and the economy, and the reasons why devaluing the Lebanese currency would not be a good choice for the Lebanese people and the economy at large.

The lecture was followed by 15 minutes of Q&A that both instructors and students took part in. Dr. Samuelian was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from NDU-SC Administration. He expressed his willingness to revisit the Shouf Campus to discuss other urgent financial and monetary issues with the fervent audience.