Within the framework of the Sustainable Water Treatment for Hospitals (SWaTH) project, funded by Erasmus+, the consortium and partners from various Lebanese and European Universities visited Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) for a tour of the Main Campus and the Faculty of Engineering’s (FE) facilities. They were greeted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), Professor Michel El Hayek, the Assistant Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (AVPRGS), Professor Ghazi Asmar, and the FE Dean, Professor Jacques Harb.
Professor Mihai Nicolescu and Dr. Bassam Kayyal from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (RIT) in Sweden, Dr. Gabriel Perez from the University of Lleida (UdL) in Spain, Dr. Makram El Bachawati, SWaTH Project Coordinator, and Dr. Henry Zakhem and Ms. Yara Nasr from the University of Balamand (UoB) in Lebanon, were welcomed by Harb at the FE Conference Room, where he gave a brief overview of the Faculty mission and vision, values, and the programs offered. Harb additionally shared information about the number of enrolled students in each program, yearly graduates, and the number of papers published by the faculty members. His address ended with an outline of all the key ways that NDU’s involvement with SWaTH has impacted the students and faculty in terms of their research in and engagement with promoting sustainable water treatment in the country and region.
The SWaTH team was accompanied on a campus tour, visiting the FE Laboratories and Facilities, particularly the Chemical Engineering and the Environmental Engineering Labs, perusing the equipment acquired in the framework of the SWaTH Capacity Building project. Dr. Elias Feghali, the Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Coordinator, and Ms. Dalia Falah, the Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, along with the participation of Harb, El Hayek, Asmar, Ms. Theresa Bassil Bou Zgheib, Senior Research and Graduate Studies Officer, and Ms. Jeanette Elias, FE Senior Administrative Assistant, elaborated on the equipment’s specific purposes and how they facilitate the collective research efforts with the SWaTH Project staff.