The University of Balamand (UOB) proudly announces its significant participation in the kickoff meeting of the MediCoRe project, held on May 16th and 17th, 2024 in Italy. The event marked a pivotal moment in fostering collaboration among 37 Higher Education Institutes across the Mediterranean basin, including Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

MediCoRe is a consortium that aims to foster innovation and excellence in engineering while addressing pressing environmental challenges. The consortium promotes interdisciplinary research focused on the sustainable mitigation of environmental degradation and vulnerability, leveraging funded projects and shared expertise within its extensive network of partners.

UOB, initially the sole representative from Lebanon, expanded the partnership by inviting Notre Dame University (NDU) and Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS) to join this consortium. The Faculty of Engineering (FOE) under UOB plays a pivotal role within MediCoRe, with the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Rami Abboud, serving as one member of a total five members from the whole consortium on the Steering Committee. Dr. Nabil Semaan (Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Engineering Management) will be acting as the National Coordinator for the Eastern Arab countries, and Dr. Firas Barraj (Assistant Professor at the Civil Engineering Department) will represent UOB as a member of the General Assembly.

On the 22nd of July 2024, and in the vibrant city of Bari in Italy, a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed, by Dr. Elias Warrak, UOB President, indicating an ambitious partnership among Mediterranean institutions. This MoU establishes the "Mediterranean Community Resilience" network—a dynamic and forward-thinking initiative designed to ignite collaboration and innovation across borders. The network is committed to fostering groundbreaking research cooperation, facilitating enriching exchanges of students, researchers, and educators, pioneering new joint educational ventures, including master’s degrees and summer schools, and driving technological transfer initiatives across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, including, but not limited to, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Structural Engineering.

Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Professor Rami Abboud expressed his enthusiasm for this forward thinking consortium and commended Dr. Semaan and Dr. Barraj for their pivotal participation in the kickoff meeting on behalf of UOB. He emphasized that UOB's participation in such consortium underscores FOE’s commitment to addressing environmental and engineering challenges through collaborative efforts across the Mediterranean region. Prof. Abboud believes that this MoU represents more than just an agreement; it is a bold step toward shaping a resilient and innovative Mediterranean community, ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.