Rafik Hariri University (RHU) hosted a high-level strategic meeting that brought together academic leadership, international organizations, development agencies, and private-sector partners to advance the Tulip Diplomacy/Soft Power Initiative, an innovative platform linking inclusion, sustainability, and economic development.

The meeting was chaired by Dr. Said Ladki, President of Rafik Hariri University, who welcomed Mr. Frank Mollen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Lebanon, alongside distinguished national and international partners.

President Ladki emphasized RHU’s commitment to partnering with Mr. Michael Haddad, Lebanon’s national hero and global advocate for inclusion, to champion the implementation of the Soft Power Initiative in Lebanon. He highlighted the initiative’s vision of empowering women and persons with disabilities through sustainable, inclusive, and economically viable models.

President Ladki outlined RHU’s role in:

• Developing a sustainable business model for the initiative
• Identifying environmental and financial sustainability factors
• Defining break-even and growth pathways
• Engaging RHU’s Faculties of Business and Engineering in applied research and implementation

Mr. Michael Haddad thanked the Ambassador and participants, framing the discussion around the guiding question: “How can Tulip Diplomacy be used as a tool to empower persons with disabilities and women while promoting dignity, opportunity, and soft power?”

Key Participants and Institutional Representation

The meeting brought together senior representatives from leading academic, diplomatic, development, and private-sector institutions, including:

• Said Ladki – President, Rafik Hariri University
• Michael Haddad – Founder of the Tulip Diplomacy / Soft Power Initiative & the Michael Haddad Foundation
• Frank Mollen – Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Lebanon

International & Development Organizations

• Thaer Shreidy – Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP
• Hassan Shalhab – Regional Director (Jordan, Syria, Palestine), ICARDA
• Nahed Al-Khlouf – Country Director, Humanity & Inclusion

Private Sector, Media, and Civil Society

• Santiago Martinez – Director, Inter-Culture, Finland
• Tony Mekhael – Managing Director, MYSAT
• Hanna El Kazzi – CEO, El Kazzi Group
• James Wadham – Director, Fenix Africa & Middle East and Stichting Ave Fenix Europa
• Fouad Samra – Principal, Fouad Samra Architects
• Carla Abi Nader – Architect & Social Entrepreneur

Participants emphasized inclusive agriculture, accessible design, ethical business models, dignified livelihoods, and climate-sensitive development as core pillars of the initiative.

In his closing remarks, Ambassador Frank Mollen praised the initiative’s alignment with Dutch foreign policy priorities, disability inclusion, women’s empowerment, and environmental sustainability, and encouraged realistic planning, expert engagement, and long-term collaboration. While noting that financial support cannot be guaranteed, he reaffirmed the Netherlands’ strong moral support and readiness to facilitate connections with Dutch expertise, including in floriculture.

The meeting concluded with agreement on next steps, including identifying pilot greenhouse and plantation sites at RHU and preparing for the formal launch of the Tulip Diplomacy / Soft Power Initiative.