Courses on Sustainability

Elective Courses

RESEARCH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

The Research Center for Environment and Development (RCED) was established to perform research using interdisciplinary approaches on matters related to natural resources and sustainable development.

The RCED is a team of BAU researchers and students.

The Center is directed by Dr. Safaa Baydoun and a Managing Board of experts and consultants headed by the University President.

VISION

The RCED strives to play a leadership role in sustainable development through ecosystem approaches to protect the environment, conserve biodiversity, and improve community livelihood by sustainable use of natural resources.

MISSION

Our aim is to understand the various threats and challenges of ecosystems and natural resources and recommend appropriate management approaches. The RCED focuses on fostering the participation and engagement of community members through integrated research strategies that go beyond the scientific laboratory research framework to involve the environmental and socioeconomic aspects of sustainable development.

Objectives

• Conduct applied research to protect and conserve natural resources towards sustainable use and community development

• Provide applied research internships for undergraduate and graduate students

• Stimulate participation in national and international cooperation programs and interdisciplinary collaborative research networking

• Establish community outreach programs and engagement activities

• Establish capacity building activities

• Enhance community environmental awareness

Interests

• Water and soil quality assessment and monitoring

• Flora biodiversity and conservation

• Economic empowerment of women

• Energy efficiency and renewable energy

• Environmental Awareness and educational programs

CLUSTER FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

2.1 ESTABLISHED STARTUPS

The first start-up launched in 2019 by our program is INFRASTIC. INFRASTIC is a concrete block mix, a new construction technology developed by a team of three students from Beirut Arab University.

The team has participated and won several regional and international programs such as UN’s YLP 5. They traveled to participate in the Amman Youth Conference, in November 2019. They also enrolled in the MIT Arab Entrepreneurship Competition and won the first place in the ideation track and 5000$ in grant money. INFRASTIC also won the Development de L'Entrepreneuriat Etudiant au Liban (DEEL) competition organized by AUF. Currently, they are in the first batch of Clean Energy Berytech Program, receiving 2000$ in grant money, with the aim of validating their assumptions and the design. In August 2020, and with the support of BAU’s legal department, INFRASTIC was awarded their first patent by the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce.

During the whole process, of testing, validating, and reporting back, the University offers its lab facilities, and engages its academic staff as the participants’ mentors and advisors. The faculties involved in mentoring are currently the Faculty of Architecture – Design and Built Environment, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Business Administration.