On Thursday, April 28, Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) hosted the Erasmus+ Info Day, during which researchers from NDU and other universities, in Europe and abroad, presented the latest updates on three, ongoing Capacity Building projects funded by the organization. The event was attended by the President of NDU, Fr. Bechara Khoury, the European Union (EU) Delegate to Lebanon, Ms. Orla Colclough, and the Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Lebanon, Dr. Aref Alsoufi.
Dr. Alsoufi gave an overview of the state of the current Erasmus+ research at universities in Lebanon and abroad, particularly in areas such as, wastewater treatment, urban planning, and healthcare, all under the header of Capacity Building.
Ms. Colclough further explained the EU’s role in funding these research projects, underlining intra- and interregional cooperation towards societal progress.
Fr. Khoury’s opening address cited the decade-long relationship between NDU and the European Commission, stressing on education and research as being a top priority for NDU.
“NDU works to shape the person,” said the President, “This is not an isolated effort, nor should it be confined to the walls of the University. We plan to reach out to the society at large.”
The first speaker, Dr. Makram El Bachawati, Assistant Professor at the University of Balamand (UoB) and Principal Inveatigator of the Sustainable Wastewater Treatment for Hospitals (SWaTH) project, outlined the mission of the 3-year research venture, launched in January of 2021. SWaTH uses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to evaluate the environmental implications of wastewater treatment, a point elaborated upon by NDU faculty member, Dr. Claudette Hajj, of the Faculty of Engineering (FE). Dr. Hajj explained the process by which wastewater is, first, rid of grit, gas, and oil, then, of floating particles before it is, finally, filtered and reintroduced to the hospital piping network.
Recently, a team from NDU participated in the SWaTH trip to the Clemenceau Medical Center (CMC) in Beirut, in celebration of the 2022 International Water Day.
Other wastewater treatment projects included MAIA-TAQA, presented by Dr. Elias Kinab, Associate Professor at the Lebanese University (LU). Dr. Kinab described the installation of a pilot, wastewater treatment plant at the LU Industrial Research Institute in Hadath, Lebanon. The plant is powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, where the treated water is used to irrigate the greenery surrounding the Institute. The plant is expected to be operating in June 2022.
The main Erasmus+ urban planning project is UPGRADE. It is intended to improve urban planning and public transportation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Dr. Ioanna Spyropoulou, Associate Professor at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), joined the conference virtually from Greece to discuss the project’s specifics. UPGRADE is oriented towards increased mobility in urban planning and towards evidence-based comparisons of transportation modes in Lebanon and Egypt.
Dr. Talal Salem, FE Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of UPGRADE, underlined the project’s involvement in higher education. The aim is to develop international curricula to widen its outreach and invest in graduates in urban planning. By way of example, NDU Students, Ms. Rebecca Maroun and Ms. Leila Chaaya, conducted a study to analyze the perceived risk of public transportation in Lebanon, focusing on the Jounieh area. Their results pointed to the existence of a high-risk perception in both public transportation and ride-sharing services since participants expressed fear of crime and accidents.
In terms of health care, Dr. Jessy El Hayek, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) at NDU, spoke of the upcoming launching of an ICARE Clinic at the University, a student-led venture to provide communities with high quality health care, education, and social services at little or no cost. This is motivated by a growing difficulty in accessing health care and medication in Lebanon, with an increase in death toll linked to preventable conditions and diseases. The ICARE Clinic will be supervised by FNHS faculty members and medical professionals, with minimal reliance on paid staff. The planning began in January 2021, and the clinic is expected to open in January 2024.
Moreover, Dr. El Hayek briefed the audience on the progress of the RERE initiative, centered on providing e-health services to the community and university stakeholders. By leveraging information technology resources and cooperating with the industry, health services may be offered more efficiently; this approach is cost-effective, multidisciplinary, and focuses on academic research, training and policymaking. The project is expected to be completed in November 2022.
Closing the health discussion was Dr. Antoine Aoun, NDU’s Medical Doctor and FNHS Associate Professor, whose presentation shed light on lifestyle medicine, a holistic and evidence-based practice wherein health is not defined as the absence of disease, but, rather, the daily lifestyle that contributes to the physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. The launching of a Lifestyle Medicine Clinic would be part of the ICARE project at NDU, in collaboration with the FNHS. Its purpose would be to educate and motivate individuals to acquire daily discipline to change their lifestyle choices and improve their health. According to Dr. Aoun, an estimated 80% of chronic diseases can be attributed to lifestyle decisions, reinforcing the importance of prioritizing one’s well-being.