Dr. Basma Faour holds a Ph.D. in Primary Education from the University of Leicester, UK. Dr. Faour’s professional experience spans over 22 years in university teaching, research, teacher training, working with children, community outreach, and international consulting.

She served as the Head of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Haigazian University, Lebanon, and worked as an Associate Professor, teaching various courses in Early Childhood Education, guiding undergraduate and graduate students in research projects, and teaching graduate courses on policy formulation, curriculum design, and trends and issues in early and primary education. She also designed a graduate course on education in emergencies.

Dr. Faour worked for three years as an Education Professor and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Dhofar University in Oman. Her research has focused on the status of early childhood in Arab countries. She was the lead author of the regional report by UNESCO-Beirut on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for the Arab region (May – August 2022) titled “Education starts early: progress, challenges and opportunities; regional report for Arab States.” This report was presented in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from November 14-16, 2022, at the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (WCECCE).

Dr. Faour conducted a study on early childhood teacher preparation programs at private universities in Lebanon and prepared a detailed bibliography on early childhood education in the Arab region. She worked with the Arab Thought Foundation and UNESCO Regional Bureau in Beirut to establish the “Education 21” Community of Practice website. She contributed to the preparation and writing of a guide on standards for nursery workers’ practices and licensing conditions.