The University of Balamand has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with QOOT, Lebanon’s Agri Food Innovation Cluster (Supported by Berytech). The aim of the agreement is to foster positive collaborative relationships between the Agri-food industry and the university. This aim is to be undertaken through raising the industry’s awareness of the university’s research and development capabilities while strengthening collaboration between the private sector and the university.

Through this collaboration, the industrial partners in QOOT will provide prime access to internships and various opportunities to our students. On the other hand, the university will commit to adopting some of its activities especially in curricula and final year projects to the actual industry needs. The overall outcome is a better engagement of students in the market.

While the opportunities arising from this agreement are mainly targeted at students from the Faculty of Engineering and the Issam Fares Faculty of Technology (IFFT), the opportunities are limitless. Cooperation has already started through a visit that Dr. Rima Manneh, Chairperson of the Chemical Engineering Department has made to Almaza and SMLC Pepsi.

Professor Elie Karam, Acting Dean of the Issam Fares Faculty of Technology remarked that he is extremely pleased with this collaboration. “We will continue to seek partnerships with major industrial partners to the benefit of our student experience”. He also took a moment to praise the efforts of Dr. Rodrigue Balaa, Chair of the Agricultural Engineering Technology Department at IFFT for initiating contact that led to this agreement.

In turn, Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Vice President for Internationalization & Engagement Professor Rami Abboud remarked that such collaborative work with the industrial partners, especially those who emphasize innovation and R&D, is key to advance the competitive advantage of our graduates. “It is indeed great to see the progress of this agreement successfully with the opportunities it presents and the multidisciplinary efforts from our part that it entails.”