A Cooperation Agreement between BAU and the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements Program

Mr. Freij Sabonjian, the Minister of Industry, and Professor Amr Galal El Adawi, President of Beirut Arab University, together with Mr. Nehmé Afram Head of the Association of the Lebanese Industrialists and Dr. Hasan Al Sharif, representing the National Council for Scientific Research, signed an Agreement of Cooperation between the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements Program and BAU.

The agreement which was signed on the 15th of June, 2012 was attended also by Mr. Dani Jadoun, the Ministry of Industry General Manager, Mr. Said Hamadeh, Program Coordinator, Faculty deans, Faculty members and interested industrialists.

President El Adawi

Prof. Amr Galal El Adawi welcomed Minister Sabonjian, together with the delegation, at BAU. In his speech, Prof. El Adawi stated that it is our pleasure to sign an agreement of cooperation with the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements Program and regarded such an initiative an important step towards bringing the universities and scientific research  closer to industry and the industrialists’ needs.

He considered that such an agreement is so beneficial especially that the university abounds with great potentials which are of benefit to the production sector in Lebanon. Not only does the university graduate students, but also it contributes to the process of development and construction and procures job opportunities for them. We, as an academic institution, are responsible and always ready to support the industry sector with the necessary experience, research, and intellectual and educational potentials.

AL Sharif

Dr. Hassan Al Sharif thanked all those who helped lead this agreement to success especially Sheikh Said Hamadeh the Program Coordinator. This new project, he added, takes the doctorate and graduates’ projects into consideration, which adds to the value and the creativity of the research rendering our industry more competitive and efficient at the marketing level abroad.

Afram

Mr. Nehmé Afram expressed his honor to cooperate with the various universities in Lebanon  in order to strengthen  the coordination  between scientific research and the industry sector. He stated that this Program dates back to more than 15 years and has maintained its development and progress through benefitting from past experiences. He believes that this program will be a link among the universities, the students, industrialists and the National Council for Scientific Research.

On the other hand, he declared that BAU’s students got more than one award in this program which proves the ability of the university students in Lebanon to adapt to and be updated with science and scientific research together with its application in the industry sector. He made it clear that the Lebanese have always succeeded worldwide, and such success has to be apparent in Lebanon as well. Although Lebanon is affected by the international economic status, it can overcome such an obstacle through cooperation between the academic body and the production sector which will save the economy.

Minister Sabonjian

In his speech, Minister Sabonjian stated his desire to promote the cooperation between the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements Program (LIRA) and the academic institutions via BAU’s decision to support the Faculty of Engineering graduates’ projects related to industry. He also referred to the same agreement signed with the Lebanese University, the American University (AUB) and the Lebanese American University (LAU) saying that they seek to take in more universities. He considered that the LIRA program, as a preliminary outcome, has established interaction among these universities with which they share clear, common and definite objectives and which showed readiness to offer support through their professors and laboratories as related to industrial research. He acknowledged the policies of the academic institutions in Lebanon saying that the universities’ role towards their students continues even after their graduation especially in their professional lives. That is why such programs are found to procure a safer and a more promising future for our children and, through industry, secure job opportunities as well as technical and professional training are provided. It is in the factory that the real sense of belonging to the country among the employees is created; thus, they become more committed to respect and abide by the laws leading justice to prevail in a community where nobody is oppressed or wronged.

The Agreement Objectives

The agreement aims at procuring a framework within which both parties can carry out common activities such as:

1. Establish industrial and graduate research projects between BAU and the industry sector.
2. Conduct a feasibility study when necessary.
3. Exchange information and experience.
4. Provide the necessary funding for the common activities, conferences and seminars.
5. Seek other concerned parties especially the industrial institutions and international organizations.
6. Encourage factories to welcome students in their labs and to provide them with the necessary scientific experience and production technology.
7. Seek harmony between the engineering, science and technology programs and the industry and the job market needs.
8. Contribute in all of the activities which revenues will be used to equip the university labs with the necessary tools to conduct applied research.