A delegation from The Lebanese University recently visited Wayne State University to explore study and academic exchange opportunities for students and faculty in STEM fields.
Hosted by Dr. Ahmad Ezzeddine, Wayne State associate vice president for Educational Outreach and International Programs, The Lebanese University delegation was led by Dr. Hassan Zeineddine, dean, Faculty of Sciences; Dr. Ali Elhaj, chair, Scientific Committee, Norms and Technology Management; Dr. Daoud Naoufal, chair, chemistry and biochemistry department; Dr. Ali Safa, professor, chemistry; and Dr. Jamal Charara, professor, physics and biomedical engineering.
“Wayne State has a great number of partnerships and collaborations across the globe through which we create and provide global experiences for learning and research for our students and faculty,” Ezzeddine said. “We are excited about pursuing a partnership with The Lebanese University because of its history, rigor and quality of education, particularly in the disciplines represented by the Faculty of Sciences.”
The visit was coordinated by Elhaj, chief executive officer of Medrar Medical Center and a Wayne State alumnus who received a master’s from the College of Education in 1983. “I owe a great deal of gratitude to Wayne State for helping with everything I have achieved,” he said.
The delegation met with leaders of several Wayne State departments and alumna Nour El Harakeh, who received a bachelor’s in chemistry from The Lebanese University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at Wayne State.
Bilal Kabalan, consul general of Lebanon in Detroit, met the delegates during a private luncheon at the Detroit Institute of Arts that also included Wayne State’s Nabil Chalhoub, chair of mechanical engineering and Mohamad Hassoun, professor, electrical and computer engineering.
“Wayne State University has a long tradition of teaching people from all over the world, and I am here to help,” Kabalan said.
More than 2,400 of Wayne State’s 27,000 students are international, hailing from nearly 70 countries including China, Egypt, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Jordan, India, Lebanon, Oman, Canada and Palestine.
The Office of International Programs (OIP) facilitates the exchange of students and scholars between WSU and more than 150 educational and research facilities worldwide. OIP comprises the Office of International Students and Scholars, which receives and supports students and academics coming to Detroit; Study Abroad and Global Programs, which works with students seeking an educational experience outside the United States; and the English Language Institute, an intensive program that prepares non-native English speakers for academic and social success.
Photo: Dr. Ahmad Ezzeddine (from left), associate vice president for Educational Outreach and International Programs at Wayne State; Dr. Hassan Zeineddine, dean of the Faculty of Sciences at The Lebanese University; and Bilal Kabalan, Lebanon’s Consul General in Detroit, discuss opportunities to work together on academic programs.