BAU Signs a Technology Collaboration Agreement for Research and Education (TECH Care) with Five Major Lebanese Universities

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-Signs-a-Technology-Collaboration-Agreement-for-Research-and-Education-TECH-Care-with-Five-Major-Lebanese-Universities

In an attempt to affiliate cooperation with other major Lebanese Universities, Beirut Arab University represented by its President Professor Amr Galal El Adawi, joined a Signing Ceremony for a “Technology Collaboration Agreement for Research and Education (Tech Care)” which witnessed the birth of “Lebanon’s National Research and Education Network (NREN)”. The Ceremony was also attended by the President of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Dr. Fadlo Khuri; Rector of Saint Joseph University (USJ) Prof. Salim Daccache; Vice President for Human Resources and University Services of the Lebanese American University (LAU) Mr. Roy Majdalani, representing President Dr. Joseph Jabbra; President of Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) Father Professor Georges Hobeika. This agreement which formed the beginning of cooperation between the universities , and which promised that more universities will join in a later step, states that TechCARE will connect educational institutions within Lebanon and from Lebanon to the world, allowing for enhanced collaboration and improved e-services for the member universities and their communities of researchers and learners. The vision of NRENs around the world—and TechCARE in Lebanon—is that building connections and fostering collaborations between a large number of universities and research institutions is key to advancing knowledge. Professor Amr Galal El Adawi stated his hopes for the future by saying: “Today’s signature is a good start for the five universities and I hope this will lead us to more cooperation in other fields.” Dr. Fadlo Khuri said “This is further evidence of the level of genuine cooperation between five of the top private universities in the country and our hope is with this step—which will make life easier for our students, faculty, and staff wishing to cooperate with the public university in Lebanon” Prof. Fr. Daccache declared: “I think this is an added value to our educational work. Today, informatics is no longer an option, it is a duty. A duty that universities have to take into consideration and introduce into their programs in order to benefit our students, and higher education in Lebanon.” Mr. Majdalani, reiterated on behalf of the LAU president how this agreement is, “one more step in building a stronger technology infrastructure for students in leading higher education institutions in Lebanon”. Professor Fr. Georges Hobeika noted: “USEK’s contribution to the launch of TechCARE, with partner universities, is significant, thus USEK will strive to provide unmatched services that will transform the entire educational ecosystem in Lebanon.” The purpose of this agreement is not only to connect researchers and students within Lebanon, but also to connect them to the world. Among the foundational services of TechCARE are the connections it provides to the European community—through GÉANT and its EUMedConnect3 Program—and the regional community through the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN). Mr. David West, Project Manager of EUMedConnect3, explained how pleased they were that Lebanon is participating in this EU-funded program, stating that “GÉANT” welcomes the Technology Cooperation Agreement for Research and Education (TechCARE) among Lebanese Research and Education Institutions”.

The Regional Meeting on Participatory Research and Advocacy on Urban Inclusion – UNESCO Beirut

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Architecture-Design-and-Built-Environment/Event/The-Regional-Meeting-on-Participatory-Research-and-Advocacy-on-Urban-Inclusion-UNESCO-Beirut

The Regional Meeting on Participatory Research and Advocacy on Urban Inclusion has been organized by UNESCO Offices of Beirut, Cairo and Rabat and hosted on the 28th and 29th of August 2018 at Unesco Beirut Office. Thirty-five Arab and International participants from social and human sciences, urban design and planning, environmental health and science, business and law shared their experiences and methodologies of participatory and interdisciplinary policy research in the current challenges of urban inclusion in Arab cities. BAU was presented by the dean of the faculty of Architecture - Design and Built environment, Prof. Ibtihal El-Bastawissi accompanied by Dr. Hiba Mohsen through a presentation in the first session entitled “Collection and Analysis of Good Practices“. It introduced “Inclusive and sustainable cities – Municipalities Good Practices in Lebanon”, implemented through a partnership among UNESCO, UN-HABITAT and Beirut Arab University. The process of developing a unique interdisciplinary methodology to the urban inclusiveness was presented highlighting on the approach of students engagement within this process which started on April 2017 and continued for 7 months to announce the 10 Good practices in Lebanon. The 2-Day workshop provided an opportunity for a dynamic discussion and exchange of views about urban inclusion as a shared vision, where initiatives and good practices meet.

BAU & CNRS Joint Funding of 14 Research Projects from Beirut Arab University

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-and-CNRS-Joint-Funding-of-14-Research-Projects-from-Beirut-Arab-University

Based on the concept of community service and activating the research process in accordance with BAU Strategy, the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Beirut Arab University signed an agreement to support and encourage scientific research. This resulted in a joint funding by the National Council for Scientific Research and BAU of 14 research projects which shed light on innovative research topics with a budget of 260,500,000 LL.

This partnership stemmed from the agreement of cooperation previously signed between BAU and CNRS which stipulates both parties to jointly finance scientific projects presented by academic staff members at the Beirut Arab University for two years provided that these projects be chosen on the basis of the decision of joint committees from both parties.

The research grant contracts were distributed to the Academic Staff members and the signing of the partnership agreement was held during a ceremony at Beirut Campus in the presence of BAU President Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi, Secretary General of the National Council for Scientific Research Dr. Moeen Hamzah, Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at BAU Professor Hania Al-Nakkash and Faculty Deans.

BAU published a Research Project in collaboration with Oxford and Gunma Paz Universities

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-published-a-Research-Project-in-collaboration-with-Oxford-and-Gunma-Paz-Universities

The Faculty of Health Sciences - Department of Nutrition & Dietetics at Beirut Arab University collaborated in the International research project that was held in partnership with University of Oxford (UK) and Gunma Paz University (Japan). This project resulted in publishing a journal paper entitled “Association between Sarcopenic Obesity (SO) and Metabolic Syndrome (Mets) in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” at the Current Cardiology Reviews (Q2 peer-review journal).

The research aimed to assess the prevalence of Mets among individuals with Sarcopenic Obesity (SO), and to determine if the latter may increase the relative risk of the former. The major finding of the study was that no higher prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (Mets) among individuals with Sarcopenic Obesity (SO) when compared to those with obesity only, nor a significant association between Sarcopenic Obesity (SO) and a higher risk of Metabolic Syndrome (Mets) was found.

Scientific Research Day: Emerging Concepts, and Ethical Challenges [1]

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/Scientific-Research-Day-Emerging-Concepts-and-Ethical-Challenges

The Institute of Human Genetics (IGH) in Montpellier, France, the National Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS-L), and the Faculty of Health Sciences at Beirut Arab University organized “Scientific Research Day: Emerging Concepts, and Ethical Challenges”. The event took place online on October 28, 2022.

International experts met to exchange information on current research challenges related to post-publication peer review and US PubPeer web, ethical issues related to the popularization of sciences, AI in health and security, and narcissism in science. Each talk was followed up by questions from the audience. Researchers and students from abroad and Lebanon joined the event, and the certificates of participation were provided by the organizing committee.

Launching (HPC4L) the High-Performance Computing for Lebanon [2]

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/Launching-HPC4L-the-High-Performance-Computing-for-Lebanon

Under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Najib Mikati, The Ministry of Telecommunications, in collaboration with the High-Performance Computing for Lebanon (HPC4L) Steering Committee, hosted an exclusive launch event of the cutting edge HPC4L facility.

Attended by a distinguished audience, the event marked a significant milestone in Lebanon's scientific research and technological advancement.

Kicking off the event, Ms. Jessy Tannous, the event moderator, extended a warm welcome to the esteemed guests. The program commenced with an enlightening video introduction showcasing different phases of the project since its inception and highlighting the important role of OGERO. By providing a state-of-the-art data center and the necessary high speed international internet connection to Geneva, OGERO has emerged as the backbone and enabler of this initiative, as stated by Chairman Imad Kreidieh.

Ms. Enrica Porcari, Head of IT at CERN, shed light on CERN's collaboration with Lebanon as well as their hardware donation to HPC4L, highlighting their commitment to supporting innovative initiatives.

Subsequently, Ms. Patricia McBride, CMS spokesperson, shared valuable insights about the training of Lebanese experts by CMS, sharing their expertise, and further strengthening the collaboration between CERN/CMS and Lebanon.

Mr. Martin Gastal, representing CERN, expressed gratitude towards the generous donors and all stakeholders who played a pivotal role in the success of the HPC4L project In spite of the difficulties that the project faced, its success was the fruit of resilience and hard work furnished by all parties concerned.

Dr. Zaher Dawy, AUB Provost representing the HPC4L Steering Committee leadership, delivered an impactful speech emphasizing the significance of this national achievement in scientific research and technological advancement; emphasizing the importance of this Public Private Partnership.
Dr. Haitham Zaraket, Scientific Director of HPC4L and faculty member at the Lebanese University, provided a comprehensive overview of HPC4L's capabilities and highlighted its unparalleled power compared to other supercomputers in Lebanon.

The event also featured addresses by Her Excellency Dr. Marion Weichelt, the Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon, reiterating Switzerland’s commitment to to research and the advancement of science and education; Mr. Johnny Corm, the Minister of Telecommunications, who extended thanks to everyone who helped make the project what it is today; and concluded with a keynote speech by His Excellency Mr. Najib Mikati, the President of the Council of Ministers. His excellency saluted the remarkable efforts by all entities who have made this possible, promising them the government’s full support.

Attendees were afforded the opportunity to explore the fascinating world of HPC4L and its immense computational capacity, enabling students and researchers to achieve groundbreaking results in a fraction of the time previously required. The event fostered networking opportunities and facilitated knowledge sharing among the scientific community in Lebanon, further cementing the country's position as a hub for cutting-edge research.

HPC4L's launch event served as a testament to Lebanon's commitment to scientific progress and technological innovation. As HPC4L continues to empower researchers and elevate the scientific landscape, it paves the way for a future defined by unparalleled advancements in various fields of study.

Established in 2018, HPC4L is a consortium of public and private institutions in Lebanon for the purpose of advancing computation research in Lebanon based on the generous HPC donation by CERN/CMS. The public partners are the Ministry of Telecommunications in Lebanon, Ogero, CNRS, and the Lebanese University. The private partners are AUB, LAU, USJ, USEK, and BAU. 

HPC4L, A milestone towards Lebanon's scientific discoveries

Beirut Arab University along some of the major universities in Lebanon (AUB, BAU, LAU, USEK, LU, USJ) are involved in the HPC4L project, hosted by the Ministry of communication in Lebanon, OGERO and the CERN (Centre European de recherché nucleaire).

This project offers us to benefit from a donation from CERN, a HPC (High Performance Computer) that is very important for research and artificial intelligence. These super computers will be hosted in OGERO, and researchers from the involved universities will be able to use them.

This is the link of the news published by CERN: CERN computer servers set sail for Lebanon | CERN (home.cern)

The photos attached are for the launching ceremony held at OGERO last week to celebration the shipment of these super computers

Info Session by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

The Deanship of Graduate Studies and Research in collaboration with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) hosted an info session entitled “Discover Germany” on Wednesday September 20th, 2023 in Ali Rashed Hall, Beirut campus.

Students from all BAU Faculties attended the info session where they learned about study, research and career opportunities. Mr. Benjamin Schmäling, the regional director of the DAAD office in Amman, explained to the attendees details they need to know regarding applying to German Master, PhD and Post-Doc programs along with relevant information like eligibility requirements, language requirements, call dates, application documents, selection criteria, the selection process, equivalencies, and scholarship opportunities and benefits.

Mr. Benjamin’s talk was followed by a talk by Mrs. Yasmine Faouzy, the Project Manager at the German-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AHK Egypt), who gave the students a fruitful overview of work opportunities, and the relevant procedures to be followed to pursue a career in Germany.
This student info session was then followed by a rich session by Mr. Benjamin Schmäling addressed to BAU Faculty members informing them of research and grant opportunities at Germany and how to reach out to German partners for exchange and collaborations.

How to Innovate in our daily activities

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/How-to-Innovate-in-our-daily-activities

Beirut Arab University - Tripoli Campus organized a seminar entitled “How to Innovate in our daily activities” with the collaboration of the U.S embassy in Beirut aimed to empower students with the entrepreneurial mindset and innovation skills.

The seminar was attended by USAID Lebanon's Director of Economic Growth Mr. Douglas Bokla, the USAID Lebanon's Director for Local Development Mr. Claude Zoula, the academic and outreach specialist at the US embassy in Beirut Mr. Elie Ferneiny (through zoom meeting platform), Director of Leadership Enterprise Development Project for USAID Mr. Fady Naffah, BAU Vice- President for Tripoli Branch Affairs Professor Khaled Baghdady, Deputy Secretary General Mr. Mohamad Hammoud, Faculty Directors, staff and campus students.

After the Lebanese and BAU Anthems Miss Nala Makkouk opened the seminar by mentioning the importance of applying design thinking in our daily activities towards accelerated innovation, noting its role in the aid of building an entrepreneurial mindset for the development and launching of successful dream business ideas.

Mr. Douglas Bokla demonstrated a presentation entitled "The Role of Entrepreneurship in the advancement of Middle East Societies with a Focus on Lebanon" whereby he stressed on the fact that a nation's prosperity is not inherited but created. Thus, its competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industries to innovate and upgrade.

An informational session was presented by Mr. Elie Ferneiny on Fulbright Student Scholarship Program, a grant to obtain a master's degree in one of the U.S. Reputable Universities.

In his turn, Mr. Fady Naffah introduced the concept and types of innovation, thus explaining “How to Innovate in our daily activities" by presenting and discussing with the students the innovators’ thinking process.

The Seminar was concluded with a valuable discussion between the speakers and the students.

Research collaboration Beirut Arab University, University of Glasgow and UNIDO

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/Research-collaboration-Beirut-Arab-University-University-of-Glasgow-and-UNIDO

Research & Development is in action for defining the optimal conditions and technologies to decontaminate Lebanese zaatar mixtures through a partnership with the University of Glasgow and Beirut Arab University.

Dr. Ian WATSON and Dr. Nada EL DARRA conducted a research on the optimal conditions and technologies to decontaminate Spices under the project “Strengthening Job Creation and Creativity in the Agri-food sector in Lebanon through technology transfer and skills training” funded by Italy and implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon.

Zaatar (Origanum Syriacum) is a traditional edible plant with high demand within Lebanon and in the surrounding Middle Eastern countries. In the age of global trade and high safety measures, decontamination is a critical process to ensure safe Zaatar consumption by reducing the load of microorganisms. Once optimized, the decontamination of Zaatar products will facilitate export market access and international trade for Lebanese zaatar producers.

Spices generally have low moisture content, and although this reduces microbial growth, their contamination has significantly contributed to food-borne infections and outbreaks. This contamination has created trade barriers when exporting the products abroad. Pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli, are commonly detected on herbs and spices. Different treatments have been used to decontaminate spices; however, most of these treatments presented some detrimental effects on the food quality. Thermal treatment of spices and herbs, including dry steam, is the most widely used technology to ensure microbiological safety. However, it can cause significant physical and chemical changes that negatively affect sensory and nutritional quality. Chemical treatment using ethylene oxide has also been used to decontaminate spices; however, its use was prohibited by an EU directive in 1991 and has been banned in a number of other countries because it is a carcinogen. Gamma irradiation has since emerged as a viable alternative and its use results in cleaner, better quality herbs and spices compared to those fumigated, yet the technique is still restricted in EU countries and not favoured by consumers. Subsequently, it is of vital socio-economic importance to investigate alternative methods to effectively decontaminate dried spices, render them safe for consumption and improve market access by maintaining the quality of the product and increasing shelf-life. With the large volume of spices consumed globally, there are obvious market gaps in deploying more favourable technology for spice decontamination and extending their shelf-life. The demonstrated system and subject of this work demonstrates a viable and cost-effective option.

Few, if any, studies have assessed the performance of non-thermal combined systems to decontaminate spices. Therefore, the purpose of this research collaboration is to evaluate a novel, non-thermal combined technology of ozone, UV-C radiation and modulated IR light as a decontamination treatment for chili flakes (CF), onion flakes (OF) and black pepper (BP), artificially inoculated with Escherichia coli. The system incorporates a fluidized bed that suspends and moves the chili flakes in the region of the IR and UV energy in air. The results obtained in this work may serve as basis in developing a combined decontamination system’s approach for spice decontamination and other foods, such as powders, that can be fluidized or suspended in an air flow.

Funded by the intramural Grant of Beirut Arab University, a visit was carried out by Dr. Nada El Darra, Associate Professor of Food Safety and Technology at Beirut Arab University to the School of Engineering of the University of Glasgow where she worked with Dr. Ian Watson, Reader in Applied Energy at the James Watt School of Engineering in the Systems, Power and Energy Research Division on developing and investigating the performance of the decontamination system. Both authors have considerable experience of developing decontamination systems on food, including e.g. UV, IR, ozone, chemical, microwave, laser, pulsed light and thermal methods. The findings of this decontamination system were published in highly prestigious journals.

Based on these findings, UNIDO expressed its interest in a trial of the prototype on decontaminating thyme and thyme mixtures. UNIDO funded research trials, conducted through a partnership with the University of Glasgow and Beirut Arab University, on decontaminating Zaatar using the prototype developed in the collaboration under this project.

BAU Won the First and Third Place at the Lebanese Biomedical Student Competition LBSC2021

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-Won-the-First-and-Third-Place-at-the-Lebanese-Biomedical-Student-Competition-LBSC2021

The Faculty of Engineering at Beirut Arab University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Program represented by two teams won the First and the Third place at the “Lebanese Biomedical Student Competition LBSC2021" for their projects entitled: “Postural Stability Assessment Using a Stabilometric Platform” and “Development of a New Biometric Authentication Approach Based on ECG Signals”, respectively.

The First Team who won the First Place consisted of students Adnan Muhieddine Alaywan and Lama Nemer Yassin. As for the Third Place Team, it consisted of students Sally Yassin and Suleiman Sharara. Both teams were under the supervision of Dr. Alaa Daher.

Nine Universities participated in this competition in addition to Beirut Arab University; Lebanese University (LU), Rafic Hariri University (RHU), Islamic University (IUL), Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), American University of Science and Technology (AUST), Notre Dame University of Louaize (NDU), Lebanese International University (LIU), and the Lebanese University College of Technology (IUT).

Thirty-Five projects were submitted and divided into two categories: Applied engineering projects (Prototype) and Engineering research projects (Research and Software).

The event was attended by the Minister of Industry Dr. Imad Hoballah, the IEEE representative in Lebanon Dr. Bashar Al-Hassan, the IEEE-EMBS - Middle East representative Dr. Muhammad Khalil, and the IEEE-EMBS - Lebanon representative Dr. Muhammad Ayyash.

Congratulations to Beirut Arab University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Program!

BAU Harvests the 1st prize in the 8th Undergraduate Virtual Research Competition

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-Harvests-the-1st-prize-in-the-8th-Undergraduate-Virtual-Research-Competition

The Faculty of the Health Sciences at Beirut Arab University – the Physical Therapy Department harvested the first prize of the eighth Undergraduate Virtual Research Competition across their category “Clinical Science”. Beirut Arab University’s team consisted of seven Physical Therapy Undergraduate Students: Aya Sidani - Dana AlKoush - Entissar Rahal - Hadeel Youssef - Lama Jarjour - Sami Ghanem - Moustafa Zebdawi. Their research project was entitled “Testing the Reliability of Angle Meter Application as a Means of Virtual Range of Motion Assessment for Further Use in a Future Protocol”. Their research project dove into validating a method of virtual range of motion assessment to accommodate patient care through the difficult time ruled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The team’s application (Angle Meter Application) was proven a reliable, applicable, and affordable way for therapists to accurately assess patient range of motion and get numerical readings rather than rely on approximation and experience, while being connected to these patients only virtually.

This competition was held between numerous countries, whereby Eighty-Seven Universities participated from United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Syria, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries, submitted their 315 undergraduate research projects from across the MENA Region.

SPE Chapter at BAU ranked 2nd place in Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference 2021

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/SPE-Chapter-at-BAU-ranked-2nd-place-in-Abu-Dhabi-International-Petroleum-Exhibition-and-Conference-2021

The Faculty of Engineering – The Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department at Beirut Arab University attained the second place winner in “Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference 2021”. The winning team was supervised by Dr. Rami Harkouss and consisted of the students: Jana Al-Ashkar, Mohamad Baalbaki, Adham Yaghi, and Alaa Dimassi.

The event was attended by 30 different Universities from the Middle East and North Africa Region, whereby it was marked by a gathering point for thought leaders, businesses converge, and decision-makers in a world of accelerating change for Petroleum Engineering industry. The competition took place virtually on the 14th and 15th of November 2021, whereby BAU Team came up with a convenient strategy to reach net zero carbon emissions by using hydrogen energy.

This remarkable achievement was accomplished due to the continuous and non-stop support of the BAU President Prof. Amr Galal El-Adawi, and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Adel El-Kordi, and all the technical and the aiding team who worked to gain this award.

The United States Ambassador visits Beirut Arab University in Tripoli

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/The-United-States-Ambassador-visits-Beirut-Arab-University-in-Tripoli

The United States Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea, the Cultural Attaché Hermila Yifter and the Academic Activities Coordinator Mr. Elie Ferneiny visited Beirut Arab University– Tripoli branch ¬¬¬on the 15th of November 2021 where they were welcomed by Professor Khaled Baghdady, Vice President in Tripoli Branch, Mr. Mohammad Hammoud, Administrative Director in Tripoli branch and the Director of Public Relations Mrs. Zina Ariss in addition to faculty directors. Ambassador Shea dedicated this visit to meet university students and discuss ways of enhancing relations, scientific and academic cooperation, and exchange experiences between the university and American universities and research centers.

During the meeting, Professor Baghdadi mentioned the plans and strategies that the university is working on such as the comprehensive modernization processes and academic developments in accordance with the most important international accreditations obtained by the university. Additionally, he discussed the university’s work on conveying all scientific and technological developments as well as global knowledge to maintain the quality of higher education in Lebanon. Professor Baghdadi emphasized on the university’s current focus on refining and building students’ abilities and skills according to the needs of the current period, society and local, Arab and international labor markets.

Dr. Nada El Darra Associate Professor in Food Safety & Technology was elected as a new member of AGYA

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/Dr-Nada-El-Darra-Associate-Professor-in-Food-Safety-and-Technology-was-elected-as-a-new-member-of-AGYA

Dr. Nada El Darra Associate Professor in Food Safety & Technology in the faculty of Heath sciences was elected as a new member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA).

AGYA brings together excellent Arab and German scholars to address common challenges and develop solutions through sustainable research cooperation.

https://agya.info/agya-life/members

BAU participated in the “Sustainable and Inclusive Internationalization: Reimagining Approaches in Higher Education in an Era of Global Uncertainties” Virtual Conference

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-participated-in-the-Sustainable-and-Inclusive-Internationalization-Reimagining-Approaches-in-Higher-Education-in-an-Era-of-Global-Uncertainties-Virtual-Conference

Beirut Arab University, represented by Prof. Ibtihal Y. El-Bastawissi (Dean, Faculty of Architecture – Design & Built Environment) and Siam University, represented by Prof. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit (President of Siam University) have been invited by the IAU (International Association of Universities) to share their experience in engaging with the Cluster and sustainability in the Networking Session in the York Virtual Conference on Sustainable and Inclusive Internationalization.

The conference was organized by York University – Canada, in partnership with the IAU, Okayama University – Japan, and Canadian Commission for Unesco. The conference took place on 20-22 January 2021, while the Networking Session that has been hosted by the IAU was on 21 January 2021. In her presentation, Prof. El-Bastawissi focused on achieving the SDG goals generally and SDG9 particularly through education, research, conferences, new labs, innovation and community-based projects as well as wide-spreading BAU Journals, and developing partnerships with other universities.

Following this successful intervention in the conference, IAU represented by Hilligje van't Land, the Secretary General, welcomed BAU and Siam Universities to share concrete examples of community engagement focusing on social impact to be presented by IAU during the University World News Webinar entitled “Building Social Impact and Civic Engagement on 27 January 2021. Prof. El-Bastawissi shared with the IAU seven examples on BAU Community Engagement and on the university’s role in promoting sustainable urban development.

SPE BAU wins the Second Rank at ADIPEC2020 in Abu Dhabi

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/SPE-BAU-wins-the-Second-Rank-at-ADIPEC2020-in-Abu-Dhabi

The SPE Chapter at the Faculty of Engineering at BAU participated at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference (ADIPEC) which involved 24 universities from the Middle East and North Africa in a friendly yet stimulating competition enriching BAU Team an experience of a lifetime and proudly winning the 2nd place.

The topic of this year’s conference was to choose among four different proposed strategies that can help in keeping the oil and gas companies resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. After diligent research, BAU Team has chosen the revaluing assets strategy as a short-term and integrating technology as a long-term solution.

BAU winning team consisted of students: Moatassem Fathallah, Jamil El Masry, Ali Hamdan, Mohamed Al Daoud, Haissam Sakr under the supervision of Dr. Rami Harkouss, Assistant Professor in Petroleum Engineering and the Chairperson Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department Acting Chairman. The team also was accompanied with the Young Professional Mentor, Engineer Ms. Zinab Al Maqrami from ADNOC Offshore company.

To follow the SPE BAU team presentation, kindly use this link below:

https://www.facebook.com/spebau/videos/457964588520934

BAU Team won the 1st Place Award in the International Global Competition “Cool Abu Dhabi”

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/BAU-Team-won-the-1st-Place-Award-in-the-International-Global-Competition-Cool-Abu-Dhabi-

A Team from the Faculty of Architecture – Design & Built Environment at BAU won the 1st Place Award in the International Global Competition “Cool Abu Dhabi Competition” organized by the Department of Municipalities and Transportation of Abu Dhabi- United Arab Emirates.

BAU Team was represented by Dr. Ali Sedki Yassin and Dr. Mostafa Rabea Khalifa, and the team members were Prof. Neveen Hamza (Newcastle University, UK), Dr. Mohamed Mahgoub (University of Applied Sciences, Bahrain), and Architect Riad Halabi (Beirut Arab University Graduate).

This achievement comes in the series of successful achievements for the Faculty at the local and international level marked by this competition which aimed to improve the outdoor thermal comfort in Abu Dhabi’s public squares through achieving creative ideas that take into account valuable outcomes such as wellness. It also aimed to provide enjoyment and safety by developing a sense of belonging, an identity for the design and increases people satisfaction on pedestrian facilities and entertainment throughout the year. A hypothetical site in Abu Dhabi was chosen containing a small open plaza presenting the typical Abu Dhabi downtown block condition, which can serve as a good proxy for investigating ideas that can be replicated across Abu Dhabi.

The competition included more than three hundred well-conceived entries from 67 countries worldwide presenting their distinguished projects to an honorable selected jury announcing ten winning teams, among which Beirut Arab University team, received a prize fund of $10,000.

The winning design entry represented the most original and innovative ideas that attempted to tackle climate change and provide new solutions for the urban heat island effect in Abu Dhabi. Technical interventions, material propositions, and scientific evidence were provided and applied on a prototypical urban site in Abu Dhabi City.

This honorable participation result was achieved with the support of the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture – Design and Built Environment, Professor Ibtihal Youssef El-Bastawissi and under the supervision of the director of the Faculty – Tripoli branch, Dr. Nabil Mohareb.

This accomplishment was fulfilled by the continuous effort and encouragement of Beirut Arab University President Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi who is keen on empowering the students’ sense of community engagement which helps the students in blending their creative thinking at the local and global levels.

Memorandum of Understanding between Beirut Arab University and the Lebanese - Egyptian Business Council

https://www.bau.edu.lb/Public-Relations/News/Memorandum-of-Understanding-between-Beirut-Arab-University-and-the-Lebanese-Egyptian-Business-Council

Beirut Arab University, represented by its President, Professor Amr Galal El-Adawi, and the Lebanese-Egyptian Business Council represented by its President, Rabih Hassouna, signed a memorandum of understanding in the presence of the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Yasser Elwi. This memorandum aims to assist students with training programs "internship" in order to prepare these youths and qualify them to join the labor market.

The agreement provides training to the students of mechanical engineering, telecommunication engineering, petroleum engineering and pharmacy in accordance with the educational objectives set by the university through relevant programs proportional to the accreditation programs required for each faculty. The duration of the training course is 45 days.

The Council also shall create a Forum for students who graduated from this program within its organizational structure whereby the have the priority within the Council’s activity to promote to the Lebanese youth who wish to establish economic partnership with their Egyptian counterparts or who are interested to work in an Egyptian company.

The Head of the Commercial Representative Office at the embassy of Egypt, the Authorized Minister Dr. Mona Wahba mentioned, “We are keen in this training program that each trainee conducts a graduation project about an idea of an Egyptian-Lebanese integrative industry. In addition, part of the training program shall deal with industrial policies for developing countries to achieve high rates of industrial growth so that the Lebanese trainee returns back where he will be an added value to the Lebanese industry."

The President of the Lebanese-Egyptian Business Council Rabih Hassouna spoke about the role of the Business Council through a plan and many projects that simulate the Lebanese youth and their aspirations that shall start today with this initiative and a series of other projects that will follow.

Professor Amr El-Adawi, President of the university, said in his speech, "This memorandum is a glimmer of hope for Lebanese students and youth in these difficult circumstances, because a university degree is not sufficient where they should be engaged in practical life. Rather, they need such training courses and we must work together to help and support them achieve their dreams through entrepreneurship. We thank the government and leadership of Egypt for these initiatives since it was among the first countries to support Lebanon and extend a helping hand at various levels.

Dr. Yasser Elwi, the Ambassador of Egypt, concluded, "Our goal is to support this initiative that begins with Beirut Arab University to include all the Lebanese territories. There is an Egyptian mobilization from all segments of society because we are keen to establish business networks between Lebanon and Egypt, and this university is a witness on 60 years of cooperation so that Lebanon can regain the leading role it deserves”.

Partnership agreement between Beirut Arab University

Dar Al-Fatwa and Islamic Endowments Department – Tripoli

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Beirut Arab University, represented by its President, Professor Wael Nabil Abdel Salam, signed a partnership agreement with Dar Al-Fatwa and the Islamic Endowments Department - Tripoli, represented by His Eminence the Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Al-Imam, for a period of three years, with the aim of achieving advanced steps in the field of developing scientific research and supporting economic and engineering development programs in particular.

The event was attended by the Secretary General of the University, Dr. Omar Houri, the Director of the Tripoli Branch, Dr. Hani Al-Shaarani, the Coordinator of TIKA in Lebanon, Mr. Ali Barish, the Mayor of Zgharta, Mrs. Iman Al-Rafei, the Mayor of Al-Minya and Al-Danniyeh, Mrs. Jean Al-Khawli, the Mayor of Bsharri, Mrs. Ruba Al-Shafshaq, the Head of the Tripoli Endowments Department, His Eminence Sheikh Bassam Al-Bustani, the Head of the Objectives Foundation, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Matraji, Judge Nour Al-Asaad, members of the Supreme Islamic Sharia Council in the North, members of the Administrative Council of the Tripoli Endowments Department, the Head of the Al-Hamidi Charitable Endowment, His Eminence Sheikh Walid Alloush, a delegation from the North Lebanon Doctors Syndicate, representatives of associations, representatives of the Zakat Fund in Tripoli, and a crowd of academic, social and economic figures and figures.

The agreement includes preparing and implementing studies with social, economic and educational dimensions that are of interest to the parties in the fields of research, development and community service. The two parties will also cooperate in organizing and holding scientific seminars and discussion groups that address topics of common interest, as well as in designing and implementing joint training programs and courses for specialists in the fields of economics, development and society.

The ceremony was opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Ziad Al-Hajj, followed by a welcoming speech by the Head of the Religious Department at Tripoli Endowments, His Eminence Sheikh Firas Ballout. The engineer of the Endowments Department, Mr. Hazem Aish, spoke about the cooperative partnership between Dar Al-Fatwa and Beirut Arab University, which is based on cooperation in the field of seminars, training, research, and launching joint projects in engineering branches, the scope of which is endowments buildings and properties.

Then, the university president, Professor Wael Nabil Abdel Salam, spoke about “the university’s permanent commitment to society, and he pointed out that this cooperation will be devoted to several fields, including research, scientific seminars, discussion groups, and training in the field of buildings and facilities affiliated with Dar Al-Fatwa.”

His Eminence the Mufti of Tripoli and the North, Sheikh Muhammad Imam, stressed in his speech that “we are all entrusted with the endowment wealth, and this protocol aims to employ the scientific energies represented by the university to help support the workshop currently underway at Dar al-Fatwa and the Endowments Department in Tripoli and the North.”

Faculty of Medicine Research Competition

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The College of Medicine organized a scientific research competition in which college students participated, to select the best research among six advanced researches. The arbitration committee consisted of:

• Dr. Elie Akl, Associate Dean for Research - American University of Beirut.
• Mrs. Hilda Harb, Head of Statistics Department - Ministry of Health in Lebanon.
• Dr. Hamza Rishouni, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine - American University of Beirut.
• Dr. Rania Itani, Clinical Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy - Beirut Arab University.

The college students presented about sixty-five research papers within the PROMISE project supervised by Dr. Bilal Azaqir, Associate Professor of Biochemistry.

Most of these studies have been published in Q1 and Q2 journals.

The competition was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Mahmoud Mahfouz, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Abdullah Al-Laqani, the Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor Hania Al-Naqqash, faculty members, and a crowd of students from the college.

The jury praised the level of the submitted research and the students’ presentation skills. The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine presented certificates of appreciation to the winning team, and the President of the University, Professor Wael Nabil Abdel Salam, congratulated the winning team.