The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) conducted a regional study on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Arab Region. As part of this initiative, ESCWA identified and selected a number of universities across the Arab region to participate in a data-collection survey aimed at assessing sustainability awareness and practices within higher education institutions.

From Lebanon, the University of Balamand (UOB) was selected as the sole participating university, in recognition of its active engagement in sustainability-related research. This engagement is particularly reflected in the work of the Faculty of Engineering, through the research contributions of Dr. Mantoura Nakad, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, who collaborated directly with ESCWA on this study. The strong participation of UOB faculty members and students contributed to the robustness and quality of the collected data, resulting in very positive outcomes for the university.

The survey examined the level of awareness of faculty members and students regarding sustainable development, as well as the extent to which sustainability concepts are integrated into teaching and learning. Its objective was to evaluate the role of universities in the Arab region in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and specifically SDG4, Quality Education. The results of this survey were consolidated into a regional report entitled Education for Change: Universities and Sustainable Development in the Arab Region, in which the University of Balamand is featured. The report provides an overview of ESD practices and efforts across the Arab region, highlighting institutional contributions toward sustainability, with UOB being the only university represented from Lebanon.

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