As Lebanon stands at a pivotal moment of renewal following years of turmoil and economic hardship, LAU is committed to playing a role in shaping its recovery and progress by helping to rebuild essential infrastructure and promote socio-economic stability.

To that end, a multidisciplinary task force under LAU’s Global Affairs Service Center (GASC) was established to bring together academic expertise, policy frameworks and actual, on-the-ground challenges to achieve a measurable impact.

Composed of LAU experts across governance, economics, public health, and humanitarian fields, the LAU GASC Advisory Taskforce for Recovery, Reforms, and Development will support development actors by conducting mixed-method research to assess the impact of war on communities, institutions, and sectors; developing policy briefs, thematic reports, and toolkits to inform programming; crafting concept notes and interventions tailored to the unique needs of Lebanon; and training local stakeholders on thematic areas such as mental health and peacebuilding

The initiative was launched on February 19, 2025, at a symposium where developmental agencies and LAU faculty assessed the deleterious repercussions of the past on the country and the interventions needed to ensure its sustainability.

Four panels explored ways to align multi-stakeholder efforts for a resilient and inclusive Lebanon. Of prime importance was the need to build resilient institutions by enhancing governance, implementing policy reform, and improving service delivery.

The discussions also addressed the necessity to transition from immediate relief and humanitarian responses to achieving long-term sustainable impact, as well as the importance of investing in human capital through advancements in health, education, and workforce development.

Opening the symposium, LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah affirmed the university’s dedication to advancement and reform. For many years, he said, LAU has been at the forefront of promoting progress and economic growth through its education system, graduates, and research.

This was one of those moments where “developmental agencies and academic institutions, being two of the most important institutions, can play an important role in trying to help the country and the people set out on a path of sustainable development,” he added.

GASC, LAU’s consultancy and advisory arm, engages faculty expertise to address international development challenges while aligning academic research with real-world priorities. It exemplifies how higher education institutions can serve as a trusted partner in international development, said Vice President for Business Development and Global Affairs Elie Badr.

“By linking the intellectual capital of our university—our faculty’s research, expertise, and thought leadership—with the needs of international development agencies,” added Dr. Badr, “GASC fosters transformative partnerships that drive policy innovation and capacity building at the national level.”

This approach ensures that the solutions put forward are inclusive, practical, and sustainable, ultimately shaping a brighter future for Lebanon.

Outlining the task force’s goals, Lead Director of Global Affairs Service Center Suleiman Barada said that it intended “to contribute to post-war development dynamics in a way that prioritizes knowledge transfer, institutional capacity-building, and long-term resilience over short-term transactional outcomes.”

The forum, he added, was therefore critical because it “enabled direct engagement between the Advisory Taskforce and development actors, ensuring that the expertise within our academic institution is accessible, applicable, and aligned with the priorities and thematic areas of those leading Lebanon’s recovery efforts.”