​Dr. Walid Karam, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, has been elected Chair of the IEEE Computer Society Lebanon Chapter for a two-year term starting January 1, 2023. This recent accolade comes after serving two consecutive years as the secretary of the IEEE Lebanon section (2019-2022).

The IEEE Computer Society is the largest global community of computer scientists and engineers with over 375,000 members worldwide in 168 countries. By inspiring and connecting professionals from all areas of computing and at every career level, IEEE CS guides the future of its members and the greater industry, enabling new technological opportunities to better serve our world.

Dr. Karam had previously served as the IEEE CS Lebanon Chair for a 2-year term (2017-2018), during which several activities were organized at the national level; the most prominent of which is the IEEE GrandTech 2017 that was hosted on the University of Balamand (UOB) main Koura Campus.

The IEEE Student Branch at UOB provides a great opportunity for student officers to develop leadership, communication, networking, negotiation and team-building skills. This could not have happened without the efforts and support of academics like Dr. Karam, who is also the Counselor of the IEEE Student Branch at the university. He supports students in technical and social events, fostering good relations with the IEEE Lebanon Section and student branches in other universities, and promoting awareness on the benefits and missions of IEEE. 

UOB Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Professor Rami Abboud, who is a Senior Member of IEEE, congratulated Dr. Karam for his new position as IEEE CS Lebanon Chapter Chair and praised his substantial contributions to the field of Computer Engineering, wishing him all the best with his new role. ​