Collaboration with NGOs

LAU collaborates with NGOs to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through student volunteering, research programmes and development of educational resources. Below are few examples highlighting this engagement showcasing LAU’s active role in fostering community engagement and social responsibility through meaningful partnerships with NGOs:

Student volunteering programmes:

Hands-Only CPR program offered to school students

March 2, 2022

In line with its mission to serve the community, the LAU Clinical Simulation Center in collaboration with the NGO Youth Organization Heart Awareness (YOHAN) resumed its activities to promote the Hands-Only CPR program, a discipline of the American Heart Association designed to raise awareness in schools and the community about sudden cardiac arrest. The CSC AHA-International Training Center certified instructors and LAU medical students delivered on January 19, 2022 a training session to Grades 11 and 12 at Collège des Apôtres, Jounieh.

Hands-Only CPR is easy and can save lives. If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, just remember these two steps:

• Call the Red Cross (140) or assign a specific person to do so
• Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song “Stayin’ Alive” until help arrives.

​​For more info, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr and watch a one-minute training video, which shows a straightforward way of performing Hands-Only CPR.

TOT Event in collaboration with SAID NGO

Nursing senior students organized and attended a Training of Trainers seminar with SAID NGO on “Raising awareness about colorectal cancer (CRC) and the need for early detection.” In turn, the LAU Nursing Club transmitted the health promotion message that CRC is PREVENTABLE, TREATABLE, AND BEATABLE to the LAU community. This allowed the students to gain practical knowledge while making a public health contribution.

Mobile Clinic

On Friday, November 24, 2023, senior nursing students from the LAU Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, pharmacy residents, the LAU Medical Centers (Rizk Hospital and St. John Hospital), and SAID NGO teamed up with Ghazir Municipality to serve the Ghazir community. The sessions covered a variety of health topics, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, nutrition, medication safety, and colorectal cancer screening.

Through Research programmes:

LAU collaborates with NGOs to tackle the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through research programs. Here are few examples:

From Education to Employment? Young People’s Trajectories in the Context of Protracted Displacement in Lebanon and Jordan

February 25, 2022

https://eventscal.lau.edu.lb/event.php?evt=20220215_from-education-to-employment-you-1

The Institute for Migration Studies and the Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) at LAU are pleased to invite you for an upcoming panel and research findings discussion. Since the end of 2018, the CLS and the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) at Oxford Brookes University collaborated on a research program titled From Education to Employment? Young people’s trajectories in the context of protracted displacement in Lebanon and Jordan.

Destination Lebanon: A World-Class Supercomputing Center at the Service of Academic Research

https://news.lau.edu.lb/2022/destination-lebanon-a-world-class-supercomputing-center-at-the-service-of-academic-research.php

LAU plays a key role in the establishment and operation of a CERN facility in Lebanon, offering students and faculty access to invaluable computing resources.

CERN representatives met with a Lebanese delegation to celebrate the dispatch of the donated computer servers to Lebanon following the fundraising campaign for the High-Performance Computing for Lebanon (HPC4L) project. (Photo ©2022 CERN)

LAU’s research community will soon have access to high-performance computing thanks to a project initiated by the Geneva-based European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) to donate and help setting up a Tier-2 data center in Lebanon as part of its High-Performance Computing for Lebanon (HPC4L) project.

The operation and setting up costs of the facility will largely be covered by the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications’ Ogero where it will be housed due to bandwidth requirements. It will, however, be governed and maintained by a consortium of five universities: LAU, the American University of Beirut, Saint Joseph University, Beirut Arab University and the Lebanese University, as well as the National Council for Scientific Research.

LAU will lead the system administration of this HPC setup, a key role that requires technical expertise and that will offer a unique learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students from various disciplines. Among other things, students will be able to use the center for their capstone projects and to run demos on site.

Global Affairs Service Center Hosts UNDP’s Agents of Change

Young entrepreneurs nationwide gather at LAU to collectively generate ideas and work on sustainable development projects.

More than 350 participants from diverse academic, cultural and social backgrounds attended the annual UNDP YLP boot camp.

Interactive training sessions for the youth were held over two consecutive days. “The youth is the NOW and not the future,” said Dr. Sweidan.More than 350 participants from diverse academic, cultural and social backgrounds attended the annual UNDP YLP boot camp. Interactive training sessions for the youth were held over two consecutive days.

Attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that target pressing global challenges like climate change, poverty, well-being and inequality, among others, is a shared responsibility that transcends borders. The youth, in particular, play a pivotal role in achieving those goals by driving innovative solutions and mobilizing their communities to ensure a sustainable and equitable world for future generations.

To help foster a community of change-makers dedicated to fulfilling the SDGs, the Global Affairs Service Center (LAU GASC) – an advocate of leadership and youth empowerment – recently hosted the ninth cohort of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Youth Leadership Program (YLP).

This collaborative effort between the LAU GASC and UNDP YLP aligns with the university’s strategic plan to strengthen its external partnerships with local and international organizations invested in youth development and to promote the university as a hub for networking and building a resilient community of entrepreneurs.

Collaboration with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)

Link: https://www.lau.edu.lb/experience/clubs/

Collaboration with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), resulted in the creation of the AEE Club (AEE LAU Student Chapter).

This chapter is active since September 2019. In 2023 it won the “Best Student Chapter meeting international” and the “Outstanding international student member” (https://www.aeecenter.org/announcing-the-2023-aee-student-chapter-award-winners/).

Through Development of educational resources:

School of Nursing Clinical Affiliates

https://nursing.lau.edu.lb/about/clinical-affiliates.php

The Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing established affiliation agreements with a variety of healthcare settings and organizations that deliver health and community services. Primary among these are the Lebanese American University Medical Center - Rizk Hospital and the Lebanese American University Medical Center - St. John’s Hospital. Additionnaly the school is affiliated with other Community Healthcare Sites:

Community Healthcare Sites:

The role of nurses in the community is vital. Community health nurses work under the auspices of a variety of healthcare organizations and agencies. They provide care across the continuum, from health promotion and disease prevention to clinical treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. Community health nurses work holistically by including biomedical, psychosocial, behavioral, and socio-environmental perspectives.

LAU’s nursing students will have the opportunity to learn in community settings throughout Lebanon as the school develops affiliated with various community organizations and NGOs.

The Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing is affiliated with the following community and clinical sites:

• Al Salamah Al Ahli Primary Healthcare Center
• Karagheuzian Association
• Dar Al Ajaza Al Islamia
• Restart (Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture)
• Primary Healthcare Center Hazmieh

More collaborations:

A Lean Approach to Designing Sustainable Value Chains in Food, Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industries

Projects Description

This is a portfolio, comprised of three main projects, that focuses on developing a sustainable and lean value chain by reducing and/or valorizing waste across food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The main objective of this program is to integrate students in the work field, improve their hands on experience, and at the same time to help renowned Lebanese industries to efficiently optimize their operations and increase their return. To reach such mutual objective, a combination of innovative engineering processes and advanced lean manufacturing tools and techniques will be implemented, and relevant key performance indicators will be thoroughly assessed to evaluate the improvement in the supply chain’s performance. Based on the need of our industrial partners, wastes will be either reduced or processed and converted into valuable end-products that can be sold to farmers, food, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and/or cosmetics industries. The project has multidisciplinary facets that require the intervention of multiskilled students and professionals in different fields such as operations management, engineering (mainly petrochemical, food, mechanical and industrial engineering), chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, data analytics, marketing and advertising.

The projects that were initiated under this portfolio are the following:

The First Project aims at designing, modeling, and optimizing a sustainable castor oil value chain using advanced lean six sigma tools and techniques. In this context, specific pretreatments and emerging extraction techniques will be adopted to extract oil from castor seeds for multiple ulterior usages.

Within the scope of the second project, the research team will integrate lean manufacturing and six sigma approaches in the brewing process to improve the performance of a Lebanese Brewery. They will identify and reduce different types of wastes (defective products, excess energy consumption, inventory, motion, overproduction, transportation, processing, waiting lines and bottlenecks) to increase the manufacturing process efficiency.

Finally, the third project targets the implementation of lean and green practices in wineries. In this context, the losses generated from the production line of a Lebanese winery will be valorized by extracting some bioactive compounds. An emerging extraction process will be carried out to enhance the efficiency, yield and quality of the extracted compounds. The latter can be sold to pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotection, and immunity boosting properties.

TL Undergraduate Program (TLU)

TLU Program Overview and Benefits

This program provides four-year university scholarships and internship opportunities at LAU to high school students who have the potential to become leaders. It aims to transform participants into well-rounded individuals, endowed with the knowledge and skills to be successful in the marketplace and to take on the challenges facing their home countries.

In addition to their studies, recipients are expected to engage in community service activities and internships. Limited English-language training is provided for some participants. Undergraduate students who maintain a 3.0 GPA may have an opportunity for a study abroad semester in the United States.

Student Life

In addition to pursuing rigorous academic studies on campus and a semester-long study abroad program in the United States, the LAU MEPI-TL students organize and participate in a number of supplemental activities designed to develop them into well-rounded professionals and leaders.

• Seminars/Roundtable discussions/Workshops: Academics, representatives of local and international NGOs, government officials, and business leaders lead students in a variety of programs.
• Site visits: Visits to businesses and public organizations, in addition to non-governmental and community associations give students a broad perspective on leadership and management as well as insight into the career paths available to them.
• Mentoring: The LAU MEPI-TL staff provides both academic and psychological support to students as they transition to life in Lebanon and the university. Selected faculty members also serve as mentors, trainers and supervisors to students throughout the duration of the program. In addition, new participants are paired with senior TL students who serve as mentors, helping newcomers quickly integrate into both the LAU community and the TL program.

Study Abroad in the United States

TL students have the opportunity to apply for a study abroad program and spend a semester in a US-affiliated partner university during their Junior year at LAU. Students are selected based on LAU’s study abroad rules and procedures. During their time in the States, students are expected to continue to pursue coursework toward their major requirements.

This experience is designed to broaden each student’s global perspective through cross-cultural and academic exchanges.

Supplemental Activities

In addition to their coursework, students are expected to participate in a number of supplemental activities aimed at developing their interpersonal, leadership and professional skills:

• Seminars/Roundtable discussions
• Summer internships
• Community service
• Networking activities
• Leadership skill-building
• Mentoring experiences
• TL Capstone Project

Student Governance

All LAU MEPI-TL students are encouraged to take a leadership role at LAU, so that they may affect their rights and lives at LAU. To this end, the students elect their representatives every October. The representatives liaise on the students’ behalf with the LAU MEPI-TL administrative team, and with the LAU student body and councils.

Leadership Engagements

In addition to their academic studies and supplemental activities, LAU MEPI-TL students benefit from leadership skills development programs and internships, which prepare them for leadership roles in the region’s public or private sector upon graduation.

Leadership skills sessions

Regularly conducted workshops and retreats help students build their leadership capabilities throughout the program. These sessions help students develop the soft skills key to being both a contributing team member and effective team leader.

Summer internships/Community service

The internships and community service programs have an international and reform focus. Students participate in summer internships following their freshman and sophomore years, as well as a six-month civic service project at the conclusion of the program. At the end of their internship/volunteer experiences, students prepare a public presentation.

Several Success stories were generated from this partnership such as (but not limited to):

• From MEPI TLG to the United Nations: Gaelle’s Journey of Economic Empowerment (https://mepitl.lau.edu.lb/success-stories/from_mepi_tlg_to_the_united_nati.php)
• Muna Saeed Wins an Award for Best Research Paper on Women and Gender Studies (https://mepitl.lau.edu.lb/success-stories/graduate/a_lau_mepi_tlg_student_wins_an_a.php)
• Capacity Building for Law Enforcement Personnel in Lebanon on Human Rights (https://aiw.lau.edu.lb/projects/capacity-building-for-law-enforc.php)
• Hiba Kammoun Shines at Women Deliver 2023 Conference: Uniting for Gender Equality (https://mepitl.lau.edu.lb/success-stories/hiba_kammoun_shines_at_women_del.php)
• Exploring the Future with AI: MEPI TLU Student Zina Kamel’s Vision for the Artificial Intelligence Club (https://mepitl.lau.edu.lb/success-stories/exploring_the_future_with_ai_mep.php
• From MEPI TLU to RoboCup: Mohammad Shahine’s Journey of Innovation and Achievement (https://mepitl.lau.edu.lb/success-stories/undergraduate/from_mepi_tlu_to_robocup_mohamma.php)

From emigration and food insecurity to overeducation and the impact of Lebanon’s fuel price hikes, timely topics were the focus of wide-ranging and enriching presentations by LAU students who took part in the Third Annual Conference on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), organized by the Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders Program (MEPI-TL).

The three-day symposium included 19 panel discussions, four debates and 80+ research paper presentations, and was hosted by the American University in Cairo (AUC) this summer.

The conference focused on climate change, diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing together 80 MEPI-TL presenters from the American University in Beirut (AUB), LAU, and AUC to discuss pressing global challenges.

It is noteworthy that the LAU scholars contributed to the conference with a total of 33 graduate scholars, three Gender Scholars, and two undergraduates, who delivered a total of 38 presentations. Additionally, seven faculty members took part in panel discussions.

Outreach and Civic Engagement

https://oce.lau.edu.lb/

The Outreach, Leadership, and Empowerment (OLE) and the Community Service & Engagement (CSE) units at LAU integrate civic engagement with the extra-curricular activities of LAU students and encourage them to broaden their horizons both within and outside Lebanon through leadership training, skills development, and volunteering opportunities.

Outreach, Leadership, and Empowerment (OLE)

Youth Leadership Simulation Programs
You’ll learn how international diplomacy works with MUN, MAL, MAU, and MEU

Outreach and Leadership Programs
You’ll get the chance to participate in local and international programs, visits, and conferences

Volunteerism, Networking, and Civic Engagement

You’ll learn, engage in the community, and share your knowledge by training others

Capacity Building

We’ll help you build your soft skills, character development and career-readiness

What is CSE and how will CSE transform my experience?

The Community Service & Engagement (CSE) at LAU aims to provide LAU students and student recipients of USAID scholarship grants with the tools, opportunities, and guidance needed to not only excel academically but also become active, compassionate, and socially responsible leaders within their communities and the world at large.

CSE serves as the driving force behind fostering a culture of community engagement throughout the LAU community. We provide innovative and immersive programming that encourages LAU students to explore the diverse landscapes of their nation while contributing to meaningful causes. This experiential learning is not just an addendum; it’s a vital facet of the LAU academic journey.

Join us in shaping compassionate pioneers dedicated to making a profound impact in their communities. Discover how CSE at LAU transforms students into engaged citizens, equipping them with the skills and empathy needed to build a better tomorrow.

How will CSE transform my experience?

• Aptitude Development: Participating in CSE programs allows you to hone your core competencies through practical experiences, workshops, and interactions with mentors, empowering you to become a more effective and influential changemaker.
• Community Impact: CSE offers chances to engage in community service and public service initiatives, enabling you to make a positive impact on society and develop a sense of social responsibility that goes beyond the classroom.
• Personal Growth: Beyond academic excellence, CSE promotes personal growth by encouraging self-discovery, resilience, and adaptability, preparing you to face challenges and seize opportunities with confidence.