05.02.1977: born in Byblos Lebanon

1996: graduation at Amchit High School, Byblos district, Lebanon

1999 – 2006: ESL Teacher at “Jbeil First Elementary School”. Byblos, Lebanon

2002: BA - Licentiate in English language and literature (Licence D’enseignement/Teaching Diploma), Lebanese University

2005: professional MA in Journalism - Le Centre de Formation et de Perfectionnement des Journalistes (C.F.P.J.), Institut Français de Presse (I.F.P.) and la Faculté d’Information ET de Documentation de l’Université Libanaise, DES (Diplôme d’Études Supérieures De Journalisme)

2006 – 2010: Instructor and Coordinator of Intensive English at the Lebanese International University (LIU). Mosaytbeh, Beirut-Lebanon

2009 – 2024: Research Associate and Lecturer at Notre Dame University (NDU) –Faculty of Law and Political Science and the Humanities Faculty. Zouk Mosbeh- Lebanon

2021 – Present: Gender Consultant with ARIJ – Amman

March 2021 – December 2023: Independent Consultant and National Facilitator, NIRAS Consultancy, Stockholm 

March 2022 - August 2023: Visiting scholar and Lecturer for media and political communication at the LCC International University Klaipėda Lithuania.

2022: Co-founder of the “Gender, Communications, and Global Mobility” (GCGM S.A.R.L) studies unit, Limited Liability Company (LLC)

2023 – Present: General Secretary and board member of the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH), Beirut

2024 – Present: Gender Diversity Expert and Independent Consultant with Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Amsterdam

2024 – Present: Research Fellow and Project Coordinator at Future of Human Rights and Governance (FORGE), at the center for Human Rights and Global Justice (HRGJ) at New York University 

2024: academic MA in Information and Communication Science from the Lebanese University in Beirut, thesis title is “Gender Mainstreaming Refugees – GMR, Intertextual Gendered Portrayals of Refugees in Digital Media - Case Studies: Armenians, Palestinians and Syrians”

2026 (expected defense): PhD candidate at the University of Erfurt – Germany, in the Communication Studies program at the Faculty of Philosophy under the supervision of Professor Doctor Kai Hafez since September 2018. The dissertation title is “Arab-on-Arab Stereotyping: Analyzing the impact of the 'Arab Other' in digital media portrayals – A case study Lebanon and Syria”

as of WiSe 2026/27: Lehrauftrag Online Campus des Christlichen Ostens an der Theologischen Fakultät der KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

- Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Reporting: Basics of Understanding Trauma‑Informed Journalism for the MENA Region (2026). Free Press Unlimited. {Link}  

- Human Rights Advocacy Handbook: A Guide for Identification, Documenting and Reporting Human Rights in Lebanon (2024-2025). Arabic Version {Link}

- Rouba El Helou, Sensenig, E (2024). Human Rights of Human Resources: Justice in the Workplace in the Arab World. Open Global Rights, at CHRGJ - NYU Law

- Malek, Rima, Eugene Sensenig and Rouba El-Helou (2023), Completing the Circle: Returning to Blended Learning in a Culture of Impunity, in: Olivier, Jako and Fawzi Baroud, ‘Open educational resources and open pedagogy in Lebanon and South Africa’, Axiom Academic Publishers: Potchefstroom, South Africa.

- A Voice of Our Own: Retelling the Stories of Gender Based Violence in the Lebanese Media, book chapter in Gender, Shame and Violence: Terrors of Injustice, the Lexington Series “Feminist Strategies: Flexible Theories and Resilient Practices”. Publisher: Lexington Books 2021.

• Gender and Diversity in Education and the Workplace
• Trauma-Informed Journalism and Communication
• Intragroup Othering and In-Group Stereotyping in the Arab World
• Digital Rights and Quality Assurance in the Arab World 

SELECTED ARTICLES, ONLINE COURSE PRODUCTION, PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS

• Rouba El Helou, Aya Mhanna, and Khaled Nasser (February, 2026). Trauma-Sensitive Reporting: The Basics of Understanding Trauma-Informed Journalism. Free Press Unlimited (FPU). {Link}
• Human Rights Advocacy Handbook: A Guide for Identification, Documenting and Reporting Human Rights in Lebanon (2024-2025). Arabic Version {Link}
• Sensenig, Eugene & El Helou, Rouba (October, 2024). The Human Rights of Human Resources: Workplace Justice in Lebanon. Open Global Rights. The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and the Future of Rights at New York University School of Law. {Link}
• Thawabteh, Nibal, El Helou, Rouba & Ammar, Sofien (December 2023). Public Spaces, Democracy and Trust: Self-Regulation in Tunisia, Palestine, Lebanon and Morocco. Niras AB Sweden.
• Malek, Rima, Eugene Sensenig and Rouba El-Helou (2023), Completing the Circle: Returning to Blended Learning in a Culture of Impunity, in: Olivier, Jako and Fawzi Baroud, ‘Open educational resources and open pedagogy in Lebanon and South Africa’, Axiom Academic Publishers: Potchefstroom, South Africa. {Link}
• Sensenig, Eugene Richard & Rouba El Helou (2022). Political Economy of Sectarianism and Coexistence in Lebanon [Fact Sheets], Gender, Communications and Global Mobility Studies (GCGM) studies unit, Faculty of Law and Political Science, NDU-Louaize, Lebanon. {Link}
• El Helou, Rouba (2022). My Rights within a Safe Workplace Environment - في حقي مساق آمنة عمل بيئة A two-level self-learning online course on gender-based violence, discrimination, harassment and abuse of power in the workplace. ARIJ ACADEMY{Link}
• Sensenig, Eugene & Rouba El Helou (2022). Gender Mainstreaming Oil and Nature Gas in Lebanon: Analysing the Current, Developing and Potential Impacts of the Petroleum Sector on Women, Men, Youth and Gender Relations from a Multi-Stakeholder Group Perspective, ‘Gender, Communications and Global Mobility (GCGM) Studies’ (ed), Publish What You Pay MENA Region/Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Beirut, (December 2020, Presented in the Parliament {Link}). The study can be read announcement can be read https://www.ndu.edu.lb/news-and-events/news/the-ndu-flps- publishes-a-research-study-on-gender-mainstreaming-oil-and-natural-gas-in-lebanonand the downloaded {here}.
• El Helou, Rouba; Sensenig, Eugene Richard (2021). Media Monitoring Summary Report - Lebanon providing facts in the struggle for evidence-based development. {Link}.
• The Price of Being Neutral. The article deals with diversity and the differing identities that weave the Lebanese social fabric have always been a point of pride and seeming strength. August 2021. {Link}.
• Rediscovering the Future of Inclusion and Diversity in Lebanon. the article is a commentary on steps being taken in Lebanon to promote intersectionality in the civil society sector. July 2021 {Link}.
• A Voice of Our Own: Retelling the Stories of Gender Based Violence in the Lebanese Media, this book chapter has a two-fold objective, namely to first, describe discourse on lack of gender awareness in the Arab media and secondly, to reflect on the role of the author, teacher or researcher in surveying this phenomenon. The author uses an auto- ethnographic approach to describe several cases of GBV media coverage. In Gender, Shame and Violence: Terrors of Injustice, the Lexington Series “Feminist Strategies: Flexible Theories and Resilient Practices”. (21 February, 2021{Link}).
• Down and Out in Syria and Lebanon: Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinities. Towards a Research Agenda, the article narrates male refugee’s stories, their loss and ongoing mobility; linking the present to the past and analyzing political events with a gendered lens through the portrayals of media productions of men in Syria and Lebanon. Journal article in the Journal of Gender and Feminist Studies – Analize. Issue No. 12 
  (26)/2019 {Link}. Full journal access here {Link}.
• Stereotypical Images of Women in Television Shows: Lebanese Media... Stereotyping the Comedy of Errors النمطيّة األخطاء كوميديا ...اللبناني اإلعالم :التلفزيونية البرامج في المرأة صورة, an analysis of stereotypical images of women in Lebanese media from a gendered perspective in Al-Akhbar Daily, (March, 2019) {Link}.
• Absher App, from Private to Public, How Communication Technology Can Be Transformed into Power? سلطة إلى تواصلية تكنولوجيا تتحول كيف الخاص، نحو العام من ابشر،, an overview gendered analysis of how the Saudi Government is using e-governance for surveillance and oppression against female citizens. (February, 2019) {Link}.
• In the Eye of the Beholder: The Reception and Perception of a Constructed Other, the author uses a layered approach to various waves of migration to Lebanon while dealing with how media portrays the 'Other. UNDP Lebanon Peace Building News Supplement. (December, 2018) {Link}, the article is also available in Arabic {Link}.
• The Psychology of Evil: Preventing Violent Extremism التطرف درء يمكننا كيف :ّر الش نفس علم العنيف a paper discussed during a conference titled “The Role of Civic Education and Religious Diversity in Reinforcing Peace and Countering Violence” by the Jordanian Center for Civic Education (JCCE) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – (KAS), Jordan Office. The article discusses the role of media in promoting peace and rule of law. It also includes an action plan on how to use effective communication messages to prevent violent extremism, based on the “Heroic Imagination Project” (HIP) by the renowned psychologist Philip Zimbardo. (September, 2019).

• International Woman's Day: Do We Dare to Say the Truth قولال حقيقة؟ اليوم العالمي للمرأة: هل نجرؤ على, an Overview discussing the trajectory of women’s rights and struggles from the 19^th century to the present. Published in Annahar daily, March 8, 2018. URL: https://www.annahar.com/article/770178 -الحقيقة-قول-على-نجرؤ-هل-للمرأة-العالمي-اليوم

• Threats to Digital Rights in Lebanon, a conference proceedings. Book editor and author of a chapter titled “Free Speech, Under Attack!” The proceedings included opinions and insights of scholars and activists bucking the trend towards less freedom and against open competition of ideas in Lebanon. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) office for Lebanon and Syria has provided an important service by funding this volume. (August, 2017). The proceedings is available as an e-copy here{Link}
• The Gender-Citizenship Nexus: Lebanese Family Status Law and the Challenge of Legal Pluralism, لبنان في التعددية وتحدي الشخصية الأحوال :"والمواطنة اإلجتماعي النوع a seminar proceeding. Co-editor and English-Arabic translator, Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung Beirut (KAS)/Pope Benedict XVI Society Notre Dame University (NDU). (April, 2017). {Link}
• World Arabic Language Day: Content Is King الملك هو المحتوى :العربيّة للغة العالمي اليوم. The article is published in Arabic on the occasion of the “World Arabic Language Day”, it discusses challenges and opportunities facing the Arabic language online, in particular content providers, IT specialists, and reporters. December, 2016. {Link}
• Youth Radicalization, a paper discussed during a conference titled “Youth and Radical Groups from the Perspective of Youths” by Arab Forum for Alternatives and Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLS) in Germany. The article serves as an initial discussion of the radicalization process, particularly among young people. It focuses on the availability of positive interventions and suggests possible solutions to prevent extremism and violence, despite the limitations of achieving such goals. December, 2015. {Link}
• Arabic Digital Content Summit: The Era of Major Digital Transformation المنتدى الكبرى الرقميّة التحوالت عصر :العربي الرقمي للمحتوى الاقليمي. The article tackles the presence of the Arabic language, methods for enhancing the quality of the digital content and the new online reporting techniques and transformation. November, 2015. {Link}
• Dissonance and Decorousness: Missing Images of Syrian Women Refugees in the Lebanese Media, book chapter for "In Line with the Divine: the Struggle for Gender Equality in Lebanon”, published by Abelian Academic. October, 2015. {Link}
  الشائعة: خداع للشعب وخبث ممنهج Masses the Mislead to How Rumors  - 
  The article defines rumors when a communication tool by governments during war time. Case studies: World War II Tactics Versus the Lebanese Militia Fighters Tactics. Al Akhbar Lebanese Daily. September, 2014. {Link}
• The Endless Battle on Corruption, Article discussing the role of media in fighting corruption. IACALUMINUS the alumni magazine of Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Austria. February, 2014. {Link}
• From Mariam Al Astrolabia and “Furn El Sabya” An Era of Women Who Are Still Seeking Local, Regional and International Recognition. The article discussed Lebanese women contribution in economy. May, 2013.{Link}
• The Lebanese Togetherness: Divided We Stand Divided We Fall, paper presented during a summer school on Democracy and Building Strategies in the Mediterranean, with Istituto Alti Studi Euro Mediterranei-IASEM and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – (KAS Rome), Ostuni, Italy. August, 2012.
• Job Position for Young Women Only “,وظائف شاغرة، للشابات فقط”, published in “Manchette” magazine discussing media outlets that hire good-looking TV presenters regardless of their qualifications and experience. July, 2012. {Link}
• Saving “Little Syria” the first Arab neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York, نيويورك في بالزوال مهددة الصغرى سورية tracking the first immigrants to the area, 9/11 attacks and the effort to save the street by savewashingtonstreet.org. Published in Arabic- Assafir Daily. April, 2012. {Link}
• This Year’s Greetings: Bread, Medicine and Warmth ودفا خبزدوا:عليكمبسترينتي. An investigative report on families living below poverty line in Ajaltoun area (Kessrwan). December, 2011. {Link}
• Who Will Free the Occupied Beaches المحتل؟ "بالش السان"يحرر من, an investigative report on the beachfront violations (case study: Byblos City) and how the ill management of the maritime property is causing problems to citizens trying to access the beach. Al Akhbar Lebanese Daily. September, 2009. {Link}
• An interview with the Lebanese poet and writer Henry Zogheib. Al Alriyadh Saudi Daily, the Arab Edition. June 2006{Link}
• Public Library project by Sabil organization. Al Alriyadh Saudi Daily, the Arab Edition. 23 May 2006{Link}
• Noam Chomsky in Beirut 2006, a lecture discussing the danger of nuclear weapon, and the Middle East crisis. Al Alriyadh Saudi Daily, the Arab Edition. 14 May 2006{Link}
• Coverage for the 24th Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Workshop in ESCWA- Beirut. Al Alriyadh Saudi Daily, the Arab Edition. 10 May 2006 {Link}

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Secretary General – Board Member at the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH).
• Member of the American Political Science Association (APSA).
• Member of the Professional Francophone Association of Journalists - Association Francophone de Journalism - Beirut.