- USAID/ASHA grant to help acquire and renovate water resource management research at AREC
AUB-FAFS received an award of $1,300,000 from USAID's Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID/ASHA) for the period of October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2024, to establish, renovate, and acquire commodities for “Integrated Water Resource Management for Semi-arid Conditions: A Demonstration Project at its Advancing Research Enabling Communities Center (AREC)." The project is aimed at enhancing water harvesting and water security. AUB-FAFS will invest in a low-energy rainwater-harvesting unit and a wastewater treatment/reuse unit. ASHA funds will cover the renovation, commodities, and program support needed for the project's eight phases, allowing the university to continue delivering high standards of education, research, and health services. The funds will also help increase outreach and community service to assist Lebanon's underserved populations of refugees and their host communities. The project emphasizes public diplomacy and mutual understanding in a targeted approach of awareness through collaboration with students, agricultural engineers, and farmers working on issues of water scarcity and environmental challenges.
- GLOB-SM Grant from EU's Erasmus and Capacity Building in Higher Education programme
FAFS is pleased to announce receipt of the European Union Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education programme. The budget of 745,800.50 Euro over a three year period (15 January 2021 through 14 January 2024) will be used, in alignment with the strategic plan FAFS 2025, to support the capacity building project “Development of new master program in GLOBal Supply chain Management for Southern Mediterranean (GLOB-SM)". The proposal, developed by AUB/FAFS and submitted for consideration in response to a February 2020 request for proposals, was ranked among the first tier of proposals received by the EU granting agency. The project will be led by FAFS' Dr. Gumataw Abebe, Assistant Professor of Agribusiness Marketing and Management and Dr. Maya Nabhani, Director of Continuous Academic Improvement; it is co-led by MSFEA's Dr. Bacel Maddah, Professor and Chair, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. It will also involve the Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon and other partners from France (Kedge Business School), Belgium (University of Antwerp), and Jordan (Talal Abu Ghazaleh University College for Innovation and Princess Sumaya University for Technology).
The GLOB-SM graduate program promises a unique contribution to food security, maritime industry, and humanitarian relief programs in the Middle East. Through the implementation of innovative strategies and tools, GLOB-SM will support modernization, accessibility and internationalization of institutions of higher education by developing a high-demand, technology intense, need-based curriculum that is new to Lebanon, Jordan, and the whole of Middle East. The only program of its kind in the MENA Region, GLOB-SM will provide an international standard of high quality education that contributes to enhanced local and regional competencies in supply chain management and employability of graduates.
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to help strengthen the capacity of Lebanese and Syrian refugee community farmers
W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded a $65,000 (August 1, 2020, through July 31, 2021) capacity building grant to AUB-FAFS to advance economic empowerment and enhance resilience to the impacts of COVID-19 in Syrian refugee and their Lebanese host communities through core support to ESDU's Ardi Ardak Initiative. The project uses an inclusive circular model focused on sustainable production through capacity building of small-scale producers in using sustainable, eco-friendly, climate-smart best practices. It supports local producers by linking them with the market and by purchasing 'mouneh' products, local seeds and seedlings from Ardi Ardak network of small-scale producer. It supports vulnerable consumers and promotes consumption of local produce by distributing these 'mouneh' products, seeds, and seedlings to refugee and vulnerable host communities. The project also fosters household self-sufficiency by providing technical guidance on sustainable agriculture and agro-food processing.
