Issue 31 - January 2026 | Exceeding Expectations, Aiming for Impact

January 30, 2026

Group of six young adults walking down outdoor stone steps on a sunny day, carrying books and backpacks, surrounded by green grass and trees.

Alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university championed the LAU schools’ impact funds in the second edition of Giving Tuesday. The result: More than 500 donors raised close to $100,000 for the next generation of student leaders.

Breaking Barriers

Person with long hair sitting in a wheelchair equipped with tracked stair-climbing attachments on outdoor steps at night.

A student team’s innovative AUTOTHRONE—an affordable, smart wheelchair prototype—took first place in a regional competition, showcasing LAU’s hands-on engineering talent and real-world impact.

Building Resilient Economies

Conference panel and audience in a seminar room with speakers addressing attendees.

Leading economists and policymakers convened at LAU for the 19th annual ASFER conference to discuss structural reforms, investment strategies, and policy tools to boost competitiveness across the Arab world.

Partnerships for Good

Four people standing in front of a Lebanese American University backdrop, with the two individuals in the center holding a black folder together.

The university announced new partnerships that will advance experiential learning and incubator access, promote citizenship and civic engagement, expand research collaboration and advance public-sector reform.

Celebrating Lebanese Heritage Under a New Name

Three in suits standing indoors in front of large windows with the American and Lebanese flags behind them.

The Center for Lebanese Heritage at LAU was renamed the Philip A. Salem Academy for Lebanese Heritage in recognition of the generous gift made by the distinguished physician, scholar, and former LAU trustee. The academy’s first event paid tribute to poet Elias Abu Shabaki.

Investing in Lebanon’s Digital Future

Three men in suits holding Lebanese American University folders in front of a branded backdrop and Lebanese flag.

LAU signed a landmark three-party partnership with the Ministry of State for Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence (MITAI) and HTech to accelerate national digital transformation, research collaboration, and workforce upskilling in tech fields.

Alumnus Inspires Young Researchers

Speaker at a podium in a lecture hall with two screens displaying images behind him.

Alumnus Zak Kassas (BE ’01)
presented cutting-edge research on navigation resilience using LEO satellites and the STAN framework, inspiring students and highlighting LAU’s global research connections.

Experiential Learning

Graphic design students drawing and painting on a large mural with black and white abstract and figurative designs on a white wall indoors

Graphic design students expanded their skills in experimental animation projects, blending storytelling, motion design, and immersive techniques that prepare them for careers in digital media and creative industries.

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Save the Date

Second Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Symposium AMR Unmasked: Leveraging Diagnostics, AMS, and IC for a Safer Tomorrow

February 2, 2026
4:00 p.m–7:00 p.m.

LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital, Dr. Michel E. Mawad Block D, auditorium, 5th floor

Digital Banking in Lebanon and the MENA Region: Current Trends and Future Outlook

February 5, 2026
3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Beirut campus
AKSOB 903

Master’s Open Day

February 5, 2026
5:00 p.m.– 7:00 p.m.

Beirut campus
Riyad Nassar Library, Level 9

All Events >

LAU News Brief is a monthly newsletter from the Lebanese American University for faculty, alumni, staff, students, parents and friends.

Created by the Strategic Communications Department.