A visitor's voice: Lois Stevenson

Lois Stevenson is a leading authority on entrepreneurship development and its role in government policy. She is currently a visiting research fellow with the International Development Research Center at their Middle East regional office in Cairo, Egypt, where she has lived for the past two years. As one of the world’s leading experts on entrepreneurship policy, she has delivered addresses and held workshops in countries all over the globe including Australia, Brazil, China, Croatia, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, and Zimbabwe.

What brought you to Damascus and how long have you been here/how long did you stay? My visit to Damascus was on business. The organization I work for, IDRC, is interested in developing a regional project to enhance the amount of research and data on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship. In Damascus, I visited government officials, the research community and the Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association (SYEA) to discuss areas of possible cooperation. I was there for three days.

What were the impressions you had of Syria before arriving and when did you hear about Syria for the first time? It was my second trip to Syria. I was very excited about going to Damascus, having heard so much about its historical significance when I was a young girl in school. Apart from the Old City, which I loved, Damascus was much more modern than I expected – modern shops, lovely tree-lined streets, and so on.

How have your impressions changed today after having lived “the Syrian experience”? I would love to go back to Syria on a holiday to visit some of the ruins and see more of the country outside of Damascus.

What are the most outstanding features, or impressions, that you have found during your time in Syria? What stories will you take back home? I was very impressed by a number of things. First of all, by the hospitality of Syrians. Secondly, by the ambiance of Old Damascus. The first time I was there, we went for dinner there on two evenings - the souk was quaint and charming – the array of  estaurants, on roof tops and alley lanes, and otherwise, were fabulous. Shopping is also very good! On the business side, I was impressed with the young entrepreneurs I met and the innovative work they are doing to promote entrepreneurship in the country. This is an approach that is not as well developed in Egypt – that energy was very motivating.

What’s the one word that comes to mind when you think of Damascus? Exotic.