The Issam Fares Faculty of Technology (IFFT), Department of Agriculture at the University of Balamand (UOB) recently held a successful Sustainable Landscape Innovation Workshop, welcoming 28 students from four major Lebanese universities: UOB, the Lebanese University (LU), the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), and the American University of Beirut (AUB).

The workshop which lasted two days, brought together students in mixed teams from different universities to foster collaboration while engaging innovative competition. Their mission was to design and develop sustainable landscape prototypes that can be installed on campus and enhance social impact.

The workshop was led by Dr. Victoria Dawalibi, Chairperson of the Department of Landscaping at LU’s Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Sciences (ULFAV) and Head of the Agricultural Engineers sector at the Beirut Order of Engineers and Architects, Dr. Rodrigue El Balaa, Chairperson of the Department of Agriculture at IFFT and director of the Agricultural Value Chain Development Center (AVCDC), and Dr. Roula Aad, Sustainable Landscape expert and lecturer at LU’s Faculty of Agronomy.

The event concluded with presentations of the students’ prototypes, evaluated by a jury of experts: Dr. Nadine Nassif, Dean of the Faculty of Agronomy at LU, Dr. Samar Azzi, Chairperson of the Department of Agriculture and Food Engineering at USEK, Dr. Joelle Jandry from the Faculty of Agriculture at LU, and Eng. Lea Kalpaklian, Greenwalls expert.

The top three teams were recognized for their creative and sustainable designs. In a spirit of ongoing collaboration, IFFT’s Dean Dr. Elie Karam made a donation to LU’s Faculty of Agtonomy Veterinary Hospital, currently under construction to foster the ongoing collaboration between the two universities.

This workshop highlighted the power of teamwork and innovation in promoting environmentally friendly practices across Lebanese universities. It was also agreed between representatives of the different faculties to put an emphasis on future collaborations including workshops and interuniversity activities in a spirit of collaboration and complementarity.













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