LAU shines at Science Days 2011

LAU’s solar-powered vehicle is a crowd favorite among hundreds of exhibits at annual exhibition.

November 7, 2011

LAU volunteers gather with Dr. Barbar Akle, Mr. Elie Samia and Mr. Joseph Kanaan (right to left) for a souvenir photo.

Volunteer demonstrates LAU’s solar-powered vehicle.

Click on any photo above to view all seven images.

For the fourth consecutive year, LAU participated in Science Days, which took place from October 20 to October 22 at the Beirut Hippodrome.

The annual interactive educational event was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Swiss embassy in Lebanon, the city of Geneva and the Municipality of Beirut. It features science exhibits created by dozens of universities, scientific associations and corporations.

LAU’s stand displayed two final-year-projects by student groups from the Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering: a prototype of a solar-powered airplane and a fully built, solar-powered vehicle designed to transport tourists through the streets of Lebanon.

Six mechanical engineering students — Mario El Alam, Guy Kosseifi, Karim Mrad, Fred Hatem, Mohammad Kamareddine and Gebran Debbak — took part in preparing, designing and constructing the environment-friendly car. The project was supervised by Dr. Barbar Akle and Dr. Ramy Harik, assistant professors in LAU’s Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering.

The student team drove the solar car throughout the exhibition space, and answered numerous questions from gathered passersby.

Elie Samia, executive director of LAU’s Outreach and Civic Engagement (OCE) unit, was delighted with the outcome of the event.

“There’s a new spirit at LAU of connecting to society, a spirit of social responsibility. LAU is committed to civic engagement and outreach activities,” Samia says, likening students to “ambassadors.”

Joseph Kanaan, OCE’s project management coordinator, says LAU’s presence at events like Science Days both showcases the university’s academic achievements and exposes its students to scientific research and innovation.

“As a pioneer in educating students from across the Middle East, LAU seeks to enlighten and
empower them through events like these,” Kanaan says. “It gives them a competitive advantage in their future studies.”

“We are here to show our scientific achievements as well as our contributions to the world of culture,” he adds.

It has been a busy fall season for OCE. On November 11, the unit organized a campus event for the second annual “One Day on Earth,” a global project that gathers documentary filmmakers and students to record the human experience over a 24-hour period. On November 27, OCE will participate in the annual Beirut marathon, sponsored by Blom Bank.

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