François El Inaty, a Balamand dedicated alumnus, who graduated with a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering in December 2021, has a successful story to share regarding his doctoral studies.
During his time at the University of Balamand (UOB), François showed high level of dedication and commitment towards excellence in academic performance, which has clearly been translated throughout his academic career so far.
In March 2022, François joined the Unité Mixte de Recherche - Matériaux pour une Construction Durable (UMR MCD) and the Laboratoire d'Expérimentation et Modalisation pour le Génie Civil et Urbain (EMGCU) / Département Matériaux et Structures (MAST) / Université Gustave Eiffel – Cerema to work on a research project entitled “Etude des mécanismes de l’attaque sulfatique externe dans les matériaux cimentaires” as an intern.
Francois did not stop at this level but aimed higher and succeeded in passing the “Concours Doctoral” at the “École Doctorale Sciences, Ingénierie et Environnement- Paris-Est Sup”, in May 2022 and started his doctoral studies in October 2022. His PhD subject is entitled: “Conventional and spectroscopic approach for the decoupling of the mechanisms of external sulfate attack and chloride in cementitious materials” at the Université Gustave Eiffel – Cerema in Marne la Vallée, Ile de France, France.
François will be presenting his work at the 4th International Congress on Materials & Structural Stability at the Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco in March 2023. He will also be presenting his work in October 2023 at the 16th International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components (XVI DBMC), Tsinghua U., Beijing, China.
Reflecting on his past UOB journey, François claimed: “The University of Balamand has given me a solid foundation in the field of Civil Engineering. During my Masters of Science, I have acquired all the knowledge I needed to integrate into the research field. A word of appreciation must be expressed to my thesis supervisor, Dr. Georges Aouad (a past UOB Associate Professor and a current UOB Adjunct Professor), for his constant support during my graduate studies, and for setting me on the right path. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all the professors who have guided my reflections during my time at UOB”.
The Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Rami Abboud is always proud of UOB students, like François, who show that kind of dedication and continuous success and is really excited to see what the future holds for François. Prof. Abboud welcomed Francois in his office on 4th January 2023, whilst visiting his alma mater, UOB, a place Francois still considers as his second home.
All the best in your academic journey François! UOB is very proud of you.