The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and Banque Libano-Française organized an award ceremony for the winners of the annual climate change competition that targeted AUB graduate students. The theme of the competition for the year 2017-2018 was “Climate Change and Land in the Middle East and North Africa Region”.
The ceremony was inaugurated by Dr. Tarek Mitri, director of the Issam Fares Institute, and Raya Raphaël Nahas, general manager of Banque Libano-Française. Mitri emphasized that the winning research proposals not only aimed to advance science but also had a substantial integral policy development aspect that socially benefits Arab communities. After congratulating the winners, Raphaël Nahas explained how such a competition aligns with the strategic environmental and social responsibility of the bank and strives to achieve sustainable development. She added that this competition gave the youth a chance to make change not only in their universities but in Lebanon, the region, and the world.
The three winning students, selected by a jury of five experts, were given their certificates and cash prizes after having presented their research proposals related to land, land use, and climate change in Lebanon and the Middle East and North Africa region.
Following are the winners and their respective faculties at AUB: first prize—Mahdi Saleh from the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture; second prize—Shafiq Abdallah from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences; third prize—Yara Acaf from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.