SDG 4: Quality Education

The Readers’ Club Engages Youth in Local Communities

In pursuit of its mission to grow its national outreach and empower readers, the LAU Libraries Readers’ Club partnered with the Institute of Management and Services to host a roundtable book discussion for young girls in Maad village, Byblos. In line with the LAU Libraries’ strategic goal to promote social responsibility, the club anticipates sparking further intellectual dialogues and building connections within rural communities around the country.

LAU and Boise State University Collaborate on Virtual Exchange Program

Lebanese and US students collaborate on innovative solutions, overcoming communication challenges.

Students from LAU and Boise State University (BSU) embarked on a virtual exchange program funded by the US Embassy in Lebanon, turning difficulties into co-created, innovative solutions.

Through Flipgrid, an educational video app, 71 students worked on three projects aimed to engender cross-cultural dialog. The first of these projects was an ice-breaker activity whereby the students designed a new product/service for a grocery store. In the second, the students had to develop solutions to a problem that they imagined their cross-cultural counterparts were experiencing and then refined those innovative solutions by carefully listening to their counterparts’ comments.

In yet another project they had to work collaboratively to identify the strategic differentiators for a company addressing one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“When the students suddenly understood that a nine-hour difference translates into a 24-hour communication cycle, I got a lot of push-back,” said Dr. Jordan Srour, associate professor of operations management at the Adnan Kassar School of Business, who worked on designing the course. “One student even asked: whose crazy idea was this?”

One interesting solution, explained Dr. Srour, was a set of fire poles with embedded sensor technology and sprinklers that simultaneously alerted to and mitigated the spread of wildfires. “This project stuck in my mind as wildfires became a point around which the team members could really understand each other,” she said.

Another project that stood out was one developed in an individual assignment, allowing BSU students to safely return to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. LAU students developed an app – using BSU logos – that allows students to select a location on campus and then identify the route that takes them through the least crowded and most recently cleaned areas to ensure their safety.

“I was totally shocked,” said Dr. Srour, “as LAU students independently worked on a problem inspired by their conversations with BSU students. With the many problems happening in Lebanon, these students chose to focus their efforts on a problem related to their BSU counterparts.”

The experience has taught the students what no textbook can: how to listen.

“Of course, the technology has facilitated the communication, but the class’s major strength was the fundamentals of what it is to be a human with a problem that needs solving,” explained Dr. Srour. 

“Apart from the nine hours’ time difference and some power cuts faced along the way, I found the program really engaging,” said senior student in information technology management Abdelrahman Ghalayini, “as it gave me a better idea of what it means to work with different cultures and time zones.”

But what he appreciated the most, he noted, was the chance to work with a university abroad and interact with students from different backgrounds. “This helped me expand my knowledge and come up with new ideas that led to completing the project.”

The course also helped improve the students’ critical skills.

“We had to come up with creative, data-driven, and interesting ideas throughout the semester, especially in the collaborative projects with BSU students,” said second-year student Mariam Tahsaldar, who is minoring in data analytics.

“I was happy that they learned more about Lebanon since they did not even know that we spoke English in the first place,” she added.  “I also got to learn more about their country and vice versa.”

Moving beyond intellectual capital and pedagogical innovation, the project embraces the ideal of a university without borders.

“The collaboration with Boise aligns with all three pillars of LAU’s strategic plan,” said Dr. Srour. “I love the fact that we partnered with BSU and not a school in a well-known location like New York or California. It is so important for our students to learn that ‘global’ is an all-encompassing word – not just reserved for the world’s major cities.”

Projecting beyond that, she hopes to see LAU engage even more in virtual exchange experiences across the curriculum.

“One potential future for this modality would be in terms of language learning,” she said. “How wonderful would it be for LAU students to support BSU students in learning Arabic virtually?”

Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Information Technology and Operations Management Department Manal Yunis underlined the vital importance of such programs.

“Nowadays, internationalization is key to success,” said Dr. Yunis. “To be and to stay competitive, universities seeking high ranking levels set a variety of plans, one of which is investing in cross-cultural partnerships with other higher education institutions for research and teaching purposes.”

At the teaching level, she added, developing collaborative activities with international higher education institutions can yield transformative results with high impact. “Besides enhancing students’ engagement levels, such partnerships can help students build global perspectives in life and professional decisions, and can also prepare them for careers in a global and diversified economy.”

Furthermore, she noted, course partnerships foster a positive attitude toward the other culture and its people, which can with time help students eliminate wrong preconceptions, develop flexibility and cultural intelligence skills.

LAU students Abdelrahman Ghalayini and Elie Abou Issa, along with three students from BSU received the top award at BSU’s College School of Business and Economics Challenge (COBE) Innovation Challenge for their idea to convert waste energy from roadways to electricity using vertical turbines.

Other SDG-targeted projects on which LAU students collaborated with their BSU counterparts took the international prizes and were selected as the Dean’s Choice as well as the Judges’ Recognition Award.

Summer Camps: Enhancing High Schoolers’ Learning Experience

The School of Arts and Sciences offers 11th graders university-level online courses and partial scholarships.

LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences (SoAS) held the ninth edition of its summer camps online, attracting enthusiastic students from across Lebanon to learn about their favorite subjects in a stimulating and interactive environment.  

The camps are among the school’s social engagement and outreach activities that aim to inform Grade 11 students about education opportunities during a week of university-level courses offered in subjects of their interest.

The free camps spanned translation, English creative and speech writing, computing, nutrition and food science, chemistry and the newly added mathematics.

By the end of the week, up to six students from each camp won partial scholarships to LAU for their final projects. 

The high schoolers’ attendance, despite the deteriorating situation and constant power cuts, was commended by SoAS Dean Cathia Jenainati.

“There are many reasons why many of you could have dropped out of the camp. There are many reasons why this could not go on,” she said during the online closing ceremony. “But despite all of this, here you were. You enjoyed the camps and our dedicated instructors as usual turned up to run them.”

It is the young people’s “strong spirit,” added Dr. Jenainati, that enriches education. “We are feeding on your spirit, your enthusiasm, your hope and your dedication and all of that energy that you bring to us.”

Thanking them for their participation, Dr. Jenainati pointed out that the camps reflected “one percent of the kind of fun and intellectual engagement you will have at LAU were you to join us in the future.”

Assistant Dean Samer Habre reaffirmed the school’s commitment to the summer camps regardless of the dire conditions in the country, hoping they would be “a learning curve for the students and also a rewarding experience in terms of the knowledge they gain and in terms of the scholarships they win.”

Each camp introduced the participants to principles of the subject they are studying.

In chemistry, campers discovered diverse experimental procedures, virtually isolated natural products and synthesized medicinal active ingredients. In the nutrition and food science camp, modules included macro and micronutrients, energy balance and weight regulation, nutrition-related diseases, physical activity, eating disorders and food safety.

“I was so surprised,” said Emma Sleiman, a chemistry camper. “Who would have thought that during only five days, you, professors [Elie] Akoury and [Brigette] Wex, have succeeded in giving us the vision, and that vision is seeing ourselves as chemists.”

A student in the nutrition and food science camp, Rasha Saad, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to take part in the course, describing it as organized and informative.

“The information I learned from this was not just applied; it was one that I could talk to other people about, as nutrition is a part of our lives,” she said, adding that the camp was also an opportunity to share a class with students from across the country.

Instructors from the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics introduced students to Python – one of the most commonly used programming languages – and in Logic and Proofs covered the rules of logic in distinguishing between valid and invalid mathematical arguments.

“This experience with LAU was very engaging, intensive and very challenging,” said computing student Ghassan Abboud. “There was some advantage to it being online because we were able to start coding right away and better understand the concepts involved.”

What he liked most about the camp, he added, was the fact that “not only did it teach you how to code in Python, but also how to learn Python on your own, how to figure out the resources.” Experimenting with the actual process of developing an idea, designing the code and fixing any bugs left him with a sense of achievement.

In the newly introduced mathematics camps, Riham Al Bayaa said that despite the poor internet connection, instructors always provided a solution through recorded sessions.

The English speech writing camp trained campers to communicate with better clarity and impact, while the English creative writing sessions were designed to foster an appreciation of literary works and help students refine their creative writing skills.

“I loved the activities, how they challenged you on the spot and how they kept everything on blackboard so that you could always go back to them anytime. Our instructors were more like friends,” said camper Nancy Slim. “I felt I really belonged here, with the groups of amazing students and teachers.”

Last but not least, the translation summer camp familiarized students with a rich array of texts, including journalistic, legal, scientific, technical and business, in addition to some approaches in translation.

“This program introduced us to LAU and the translation camp educated us in different fields and topics, such as coronavirus, fake news and more. It was also a chance to make new friends. It was fun and helpful; I would recommend others to enroll next year,” said camper Roumi El Helou. 

The summer camps have proven to be an excellent tool to attract high-achieving students and to provide education opportunities through scholarships.

“Summer camp students who later join LAU, especially the ones who win scholarships, are a sample of the student population we are seeking to expand,” said Dr. Habre.

“Campers have shown since the inception of the camps nine years ago that they rank among the best, earning high GPAs, winning best capstone awards, and being academically engaged in their fields. Many of them have pursued graduate degrees, which attests to their academic excellence,” he added.

Zero Waste Fashion: An Eco-Design Marathon

The Fashion Design Program is holding a workshop in collaboration with the United Nations.

The training aims to motivate the future decision makers to think and plan their designs in a sustainable zero waste approach.

The event will feature lecturers and experts on the topic, as well as hands on activities, to offer to the students an innovative, inspiring, and immersive experience.

Keep Learning Alumni Webinar: Resilience in Extreme Contexts by Leadership and Business Advisor: Rabee Fares

International award-winning leadership coach Rabee Fares offered an eye-opening session that was of great benefit to all those in executive  or leadership positions across industries.

Rabee spoke about extreme events and extreme contexts, adapting to extreme contexts and how to bring out your best and the best of others in extreme contexts.

Young Scholars Demonstrate that the Robot is their Friend at the World Robot Olympiad

On August 6 and 7, students from schools across Lebanon immersed themselves in the fascinating world of robotics at the World Robot Olympiad national competition (WRO-Lebanon 2022), My Robot My Friend, co-organized by the WRO-Lebanon Section and LAU.

Guided by student volunteers and judged by faculty from the School of Engineering, the young scholars competed in three categories of different age groups for the chance to represent Lebanon in the International WRO competition to be held in Germany this fall.

LAU’s active participation in WRO-Lebanon 2022, the first robotics competition of its kind to be reinitiated since the onset of the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, proves once again its pioneering role in the development of education in the country.

After a long competitive day, the closing ceremony was held at the Municipality of Byblos, under the patronage and in the presence of the Director-General of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Imad Al Achkar, the Secretary-General of Catholic Schools Father Youssef Nasr, President of the municipality Wissam Zaarour, Dean of the School of Engineering Lina Karam, WRO Official Representative in Lebanon Jenny Chemaly, Founder and President of Growth Holdings LLC Philip Ziadeh, founder and CEO of the Advanced Computer Technology Center Rabih Baalbaki and supporters of the education and engineering sector.

Welcoming the young students, “Lebanon’s hope and future,” Dr. Karam described robotics as a combination of “several fields, including electrical and mechanical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence with aspects from psychology, ethics, public policy, and design; it enables various applications from assistive technologies and medicine to transportation, manufacturing, construction, and space exploration.” Robotics, she added, is about dexterity, precision, and improving the quality of life.

Chemali attributed the success of WRO-Lebanon 2022 “to the students who worked hard with their teachers, and to the supporting institutions and people who trusted us.”

As it presents an opportunity for them to develop their creative skills and problem-solving skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, she said, “this type of competition helps them to hone their learning skills, thought process, sense of commitment, leadership and teamwork skills, and eventually to choose their career path.”

Chemali expressed her gratitude to all those who contributed to this achievement, from Director-General Al Achkar, the Municipality of Byblos, LAU, LIV, IPT, Dr. Noel Maalouf, Rasha Ghabash, Rabih Baalbaki, Mr. Chadi Al Maasarani, Caritas Youth, and all the volunteers and media.

Prizes were then distributed to the winners of each category, marking the end of this year’s competition. The Jamil Rawas Public School for Boys and Champville came first in the Future Innovators Junior (15-13) and Senior (19-16) categories, respectively, with Champville also taking the top prize in Future Engineers. Edutech claimed first place in the Elementary (12-8) and Junior RoboMission categories while Saint Joseph School came first in the Senior category.

Write to Remember Project Commemorates August 4 Explosion

LAU faculty launch creative writing initiative to help students impacted by the blast and document oral history.

The aftershocks of the massive August 4 explosion at the Port of Beirut were of such magnitude that they could not be swept under the rubble. Fear, disbelief and grief are only a few of the tangled emotions that will continue to fester if suppressed.

And what better way to release them than through self-expression? Believers in the cathartic power of words, faculty at LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences (SoAS) took the initiative to help the youth come to terms with the after-effects of the blast through a web-memoir where they could voice and preserve their memories.

The Write to Remember project was launched on the first anniversary of the blast, after Senior Instructor of English Paula Habre and Instructor of English Hala Daouk secured a $10,000 grant from the US Embassy, based on a proposal submitted with Haigazian University colleagues – former LAU faculty and Writing Center tutors – Anita Moutchoyan and Serine Jaafar. 

The outreach project targets youth who had been directly or indirectly affected by the blast with the grant specifying an age range between 16-22.

“We felt this would be a good coverage of high school/secondary level and university students who can write about their trauma,” Habre said. “The project creates a safe platform and a safe space for them to share their feelings and deal with it collectively.”

The one-year initiative serves as an archive of stories, reflections, photos, and oral history related to the explosion and its aftermath through six virtual workshops.

The most recent workshop in November was presented by LAU Assistant Professor of Creative and Journalistic Writing Sleiman El Hajj, who had written about the blast in his widely-cited collective memoir “Writing (from) the Rubble: Reflections on the August 4, 2020 Explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.”

Dr. El Hajj focused on having participants in the workshop explore the use of sensory perceptions to navigate through and reimagine/(re)write trauma.

“Food and trauma have become interrelated for many survivors of August 4 since the sights, smells, sounds, texture, even taste of food, and food in preparation, are ones that now trigger PTSD recollections of the calamity,” Dr. El Hajj explained about the use of sensory details as an embodiment of trauma. “They are therefore no longer the comforting or pleasurable activities they once were.”

“If a concrete object can so easily, and so painfully swiftly, become an embodiment of trauma,” he added, “then thinking of ways of revoking – or at least helping to process – this reality is essential, especially in climates of perpetual tension, such as Lebanon.”

The participants shared short pieces they wrote during the workshop and gave each other support and feedback.

“I was impressed by their eagerness to share their lived narratives, however painful, and also by their alacrity in embracing the reimagined narrative approach, which I suggested as a way of reclaiming a semblance of agency over an otherwise slippery slope into inchoate trauma,” said Dr. El Hajj.

“By concentrating their experiences and/or perceptions of trauma into concrete objects, they managed, in part, to rethink and make sense of at least one aspect of all that we lost on that day,” he added.

The first workshop was led by the Regional English Language Officer at the US Embassy Eran Williams, and the second was presented by Zeina Daccache, the founder of Catharsis. Three open mic sessions will be held in venues that were damaged by the blast to allow the participants to share their pieces with a wider audience.

“We have officially completed half the workshops for this project and have three to go,” Habre said. “We look forward to the upcoming open mic event on December 11, which the participants are very excited to attend.”

“The team plans to recruit more local and foreign specialists for future workshops to help the youth come to terms with their trauma through writing,” she added.  

Browse the Write to Remember website to learn about upcoming workshops and open mics, participants, oral narratives, and more.

	Participants in the workshop explored the use of sensory perceptions to navigate through and reimagine/(re)write trauma.
	The workshop run by Dr. Sleiman El Hajj focused on sensory detail.