Engineering and public policy convergence has become a prerequisite for sustainable development. Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) students were encouraged and challenged to play a leadership role, gain knowledge, be socially responsible, and act to protect the environment.
This new collaboration between NDU and various NGOs in the civil society sector was reflected in this event, held on March 22, 2018 on NDU’s Main campus. Working with the Lebanese Oil and Gas Initiative (LOGI), the international mining transparency movement Publish What You Pay (PWYP), and the global professional body International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), this NDU-based interdisciplinary Center of Excellence constitutes a working group that will provide intellectual capital and collaborative opportunities.
Addressing the upcoming phase of exploration and extraction as of 2019, the panelists asked if the current reputation of the Lebanese Petroleum Agency (LPA) could be maintained, given its recognition thus far. Will the principle of rule-of-law survive or is Lebanon destined to suffer from the resource curse and enter into an even more damaging culture of impunity? The panelists agreed that it is up to all civil society players, in education, research, NGOs, and the media, to push together for EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) accreditation.
NDU graduates from engineering, government, and international relations are natural colleagues and future professional allies in putting developmental projects on the sustainability track. According to Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and IAHR representative, Dr. Michel Chalhoub, ‘The Mediterranean is our common home!’ Based on NDU’s mission statement, it is up to us all to protect it and promote sustainability in the region.