The University of Balamand (UOB), represented by its President Dr. Elias Warrak, signed new academic cooperation protocols with several heads of the Municipalities Unions of Akkar at the University’s Koura campus. The signatories included:

- Mr. Mohamad Baarini, President of the Union of Municipalities of Jord el Kaytia
- Mr. Mohamad Mousawmaai, President of the Union of Municipalities of Sahl Akkar
- Mr. Mohamad Hadara, President of the Union of Municipalities of Arka el Athariya
- Mr. Omar El Hayek, President of the Union of Municipalities of Nahr Ostwan
- Mr. Khaled Badawi, President of the Union of Municipalities of Wadi Khaled
- Mr. Ali Esber, President of the Union of Municipalities of Jabal Akroum

Also in attendance were Dr. George Bahr, University of Balamand Provost, Dr. Salim Kanaan, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dr. Elie Karam, Dean of the Issam M. Fares Faculty of Technology.

Dr. Warrak presented an overview of UOB’s programs and activities across different areas, highlighting its leading role in serving local communities. He stressed: “We do not see education as just a certificate, but as a true way to empower young people and open new horizons for them, especially in areas facing ongoing crises. The cooperation with the Akkar unions is part of our responsibility toward this generation and its future.”

This cooperation between the UOB and the Municipalities Unions in Akkar aims to empower young people through education and to connect academic learning with the needs of the local community. The university provides its academic resources to serve the students of the region, while the unions support and guide them, based on a shared belief that building a better society starts with creating real opportunities for learning and growth.