The University of Balamand is proud to announce that its Faculty of Engineering (FOE) was selected as a finalist in the AspenTech Academic Innovators Challenge 2025. The virtual award ceremony was held on June 25, 2025, celebrating innovative student research from around the globe.

AspenTech Academic Innovators Challenge is an international competition calling engineering students to submit their innovative proposal to address one of four real-life sustainability themes using AspenTech software solutions.

This year’s challenge was fiercely competitive; bringing together 233 students across 45 projects from 45 top universities in 16 countries. Judging was based on five criteria—innovation, impact, feasibility, creativity, and clarity—each scored out of 20 points. The event showcased outstanding academic talent and cutting-edge research across a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines.

The team from FOE was the sole representative from Lebanon to reach the finals, standing alongside globally renowned institutions such as the University of Melbourne (Australia), Wuhan Institute of Technology (China), Waseda University (Japan), and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia).

The Faculty of Engineering winning project titled “Design and Optimization of Biochar Production and Incorporating It into Green Roofs for CO₂ Capturing,” was presented by Chemical Engineering students Daniel Nasr and Nour Al Sarraf, under the supervision of Dr. Makram El Bachawati (Associate Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department). The project reflects the Faculty of Engineering’s continued commitment to sustainability, innovation, impactful research, and excellence.

The first-place award went to the project “Sustainable Production of Isopropyl Myristate Using Aspen Plus: A Green Process Simulation and Techno-Economic Evaluation” from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Professor Rami Abboud extended his heartfelt congratulations the team and their advisor for this proud achievement especially being the only team representing Lebanon stating: “This recognition underscores our faculty of engineering’s dedication to academic excellence and its role as a key player in advancing environmentally conscious engineering solutions on the global stage”.







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