On June 17, 2025, the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management (DHTM), Faculty of Business Administration and Economics (FBAE) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), signed an agreement with EMF Trading Ltd – Barry Callebaut, with the objective of nurturing chocolate-making talents through the development and implementation of a specialized Chocolate Making course.
The agreement was signed in the presence of NDU President Fr. Bechara Khoury; Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michel El Hayek; Dean of the FBAE Dr. Viviane Naimy; Chairpersons of the Departments of Economics, Accounting and Finance, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Management and Marketing—Dr. Roy Khoueiry, Dr. Mirna Kordab, and Dr. Marwan Azouri; Roy Hazboun, Culinary Instructor and Chef and Founder of Roy Hazboun Consultancy; and André Fahed, Director of the Office of Communications.
From EMF Trading Ltd: Elias Feghali, Chairman; Marwan Ayoub, Marketing and Communication Manager; Chef Elie Bejjani, Senior Technical Advisor; Chef Dory Younes, Technical Advisor; and Raya Fahed, Digital Marketing Specialist.
"We are very conservative in choosing our partners, and we have gained our students’ trust on that front,” shared the President. “That is why we only select the best." He also emphasized the importance of creating job opportunities for NDU students, hence the ongoing effort to meet new market demands.
"We are very excited to launch this partnership with NDU," stated Feghali. "There are many chefs and pastry chefs in Lebanon, but not many chocolatiers, and we would love to educate students in this specific field." Feghali also saw this partnership as an opportunity for EMF Trading to stay ahead by delivering the most advanced theories and practical learning.
Both parties aligned on the common objectives of the agreement, which are to:
- Establish a partnership between NDU and EMF Trading Ltd – Barry Callebaut to enhance DHTM students' academic and professional training in chocolate making.
- Develop and deliver a comprehensive Chocolate Making course tailored for Hospitality and Tourism Management students.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange, technical training, and hands-on experience with high-quality chocolate products.
- Promote expertise in chocolate production techniques.
Consequently, the scope of this collaboration includes:
- Designing a structured syllabus for the Chocolate Making course, integrating both theoretical and practical components.
- Conducting specialized training sessions led by experts from Barry Callebaut.
- Providing access to Barry Callebaut’s chocolate products and specialized tools for training purposes.
- Issuing certificates of completion to participants, jointly endorsed by NDU and EMF Trading Ltd – Barry Callebaut.
On a practical level, NDU commits to providing the necessary infrastructure and facilities to host the course, promoting it as part of the curriculum (a one-credit course sponsored by Callebaut), and ensuring the academic quality of the course as per the approved syllabus.
On the other hand, EMF Trading Ltd – Barry Callebaut will supply high-quality chocolate products and resources for training, assign expert trainers and chocolatiers to conduct sessions, and facilitate exposure to industry standards and best practices.
Following a productive discussion around the various kinds and uses of chocolate—which open doors to further education and future career opportunities—both parties expressed mutual gratitude, united by one common goal: advancing NDU students’ education through a customized initiative in the chocolate-making industry.