The National Council for Scientific Research - Lebanon (CNRS-L) and Antonine University (UA) launched the first research projects that are co-funded by the two parties during a ceremony held at the main campus of UA, in Hadat-Baabda. This funding is part of a bilateral cooperation agreement concluded in 2017, stipulating that the two partner establishments co-finance for 2 years all approved scientific research projects by up to 200 million Lebanese pounds. Priority is given to projects on multidisciplinary scientific themes that stand out for their positive impact on humans, nature, and society.

During the launching session of these projects, Father Michel Jalakh, Rector of UA, thanked the CNRS-L in the person of its General Secretary Prof. Mouïn Hamza, for its close collaboration and support for research projects. Father Jalakh explained the strategy led by the University and praised the efforts made by the Vice-rector for academic affairs and research Prof. Nidaa Abou Mrad, the directors of the research units, and the researchers.

In turn, Prof. Mouïn Hamza congratulated Antonine University which, according to his terms, “has worked tirelessly for quality assurance until obtaining the certification of the Swiss Agency of Accreditation and Quality Assurance”. UA is now one of the nine universities linked by a CNRS-L agreement to support research and was among the first Lebanese establishments to have signed and adopted the Charter of scientific ethics developed by the CNRS-L in 2016. Furthermore, Prof. Hamza admitted that he admired the remarkable development reflected in the submission of a dozen research projects, 70% of which got accepted as part of the agreement on the Joint Grant Research Program. Finally, he invited the entire Antonine academic body to submit more projects, particularly in transdisciplinary fields.

Finally, Pr. Nidaa Abou Mrad presented the eight projects that received co-funding for the 2018-2020 cycle. Six of them were in the field of computer engineering, via the TICKET laboratory affiliated with the Faculty of Engineering. These projects are piloted by Drs. Chadi Abou Jaoudé, Béchara Al-Bouna, Talar Atéchian, Georges Badr, Youssef Bou Issa, and Toni Makdessi, respectively. The seventh project, led by Pr. Nidaa Abou Mrad himself, is associated with the field of transdisciplinary cognitive research, and the eighth project, led by Dr. Elizabeth Sfeir, is related to human resources.