True to its philosophy of graduating competent, civically engaged engineers who can serve their community, the LAU School of Engineering (SOE) is purposefully integrating civic service into its curricula and encouraging students to pursue projects that can benefit society and the country at large.

In this spirit, and as part of the Civic Engagement for Engineers course, taught by Dr. Elie Elias, students from different engineering disciplines showcased their ideas for the sustainable development, protection and advancement of the Bentael Nature Reserve in Mount Lebanon on April 29, 2025.

Over the spring semester, students worked in groups to develop innovative project concepts that respond to the environmental, social and technical challenges facing the national reserve, and presented them to representatives from the reserve, including Director Raymond Khoury. Also in attendance were MP Joseph Ishak, as well as faculty and students from the SOE.

The student teams had worked closely with the nature reserve team, conducting field visits to identify the challenges and coming up with solutions that address them.

Among their proposed ideas was a comprehensive website that connects the community to the reserve; a guide app that includes real-time updates, informing hikers, and visitors; an automated fire-prevention system that relies on solar-powered data sensors; a bird-monitoring tower to inform research activities and boost ecotourism; and a wood-crushing machine that can safely dispose of wood debris without posing any risk to the ecosystem.

For their civic-engagement proposal, the sixth student team had worked in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology on developing a makerspace kit for school children that enhances learning outcomes.

Dr. Elias found that the students’ presentations “embodied the spirit of responsibility, creativity and partnership between engineering and public life,” adding that they had not only learned in theory about the UN Sustainable Development Goals but worked to implement them in practice. Their proposals were well received by the Bentael Nature Reserve team, who were keen about looking into the means and resources to implement them.

This idea of blending academic learning with real-world impact will form an area of focus at the school, as SOE Associate Dean and Associate Professor Caesar Abi Shdid explained. “We are working to establish a permanent center for civic engagement at the school, which will be a hub for municipalities and community stakeholders to collaborate with the students on the challenges and the opportunities that surround us,” he said.

Through this hub, added Dr. Abi Shdid, “students can foster a sense of community involvement, social responsibility and active citizenship.”

SOE Dean Michel Khoury underscored the school’s commitment to graduating engineers who not only excel technically but also serve as active, responsible citizens. “This project reflects our vision of engineering as a force for community-driven impact,” he added.