Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, a writer, lecturer, and professor at Damascus University since 1985, also serves as Minister of Expatriates in Syria. Before assuming her current ministerial position, Dr. Shaaban was Director of the Foreign Media Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Syria and a spokesperson for Syria.

Inspired by a strong-willed mother, Dr. Shaaban's life and career has been dedicated to changing the social injustices that befall women in the Arab world. Her subsequent involvement in politics and foreign affairs as President Hafez Assad's interpreter during peace negotiations set her on a unique career path. Over the past ten years, Dr. Shaaban has set an example for professional women working within the ranks of decision-makers in her country, trying to change not only the fate of women but the future of men and women alike. In 2005, she received the award for "The Most Distinguished Woman In a Governmental Position" from the League of Arab States. Her nomination for the Noble Peace Prize in 2005 comes as a culmination to her efforts in serving the cause of peace in the world.

Dr. Shaaban has studied in the United Kingdom and the United States, holding a PhD in English Literature from University of Warwick and attending Duke University as a Fulbright Scholar in 2000. She has published four books and several articles in both Arabic and English as she creates a bridge between East and West. She's married with two daughters and a son. Among her major accomplishments are:

• 2005: Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
• 2005 - Award of “ The Most Distinguished Woman in Governmental Position,” League of Arab States, Cairo, Egypt
• 2000 - Thelma McAndless Distinguished Professor Award, Eastern Michigan University
• 1990 – 1991 Fulbright Research Scholarship, Duke University, Durham NC
• 2003 – Present: Minister of Expatriates; Ministry of Expatriates – Syria
• 2002 – 2003: Director of Foreign Media Dept., Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Syria
• 1993 – 2003: Interpreter for the President of Syria
• 2000 – 2005: Vice President – Arab Writers Union, Syria
• 1988 – 2002: Advisor for Minister of Foreign Affairs, Syria
• 1985 – 2002: Professor of Romantic Poetry, English Dept., Damascus University
• 1982 – 1984: Lecturer, English Department, Constantine University, Algeria
• 1977 – 1982: PhD in English Literature, Warwick University, England
• 1976 – 1977: Masters in English Literature, Warwick University, England
• 1971 – 1975: B.A. in English Literature, Damascus University, Syria
• Author: Arab Women In The 20th Century; 100 Years Of Arab Women Novelists; Poetry And Politics: Shelly And The Chartist Poets; Both Right And Left Handed: Arab Women Talk About Their Lives; "The Hidden History Of Arab Feminism," Ms. Magazine, New York, May/June 1993; "What Are Arab Women Authors Writing About?" The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Washington, DC, February 1993; "Shelley And The Barmbys,” Keats-Shelly Journal, New York 1992; "As A Middle Eastern Woman, What Would I Change In My Country?," The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Washington D.C, July 1991; "Feminism Between Western Thought And Arab Reality," Al-Baath Weekly, December 1998; "Arab Women Literature And English Women Literature: Ghada Samman & Virginia Woolf, A Comparative Study," Al Mawqif Al-Arabi, Damascus 1986
• Weekly Newspaper Columns: Asharq Al-Awsat (London), Al-Watan (Oman), The Daily Star (Lebanon), Tishreen (Syria), Asharq Al-Qataria (Qatar)

BOUTHAINA SHAABAN’S RESUME
BOUTHAINA SHAABAN’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE