It was a day full of ingenuity and bold ideas as students from LAU gathered on May 2, 2025, at the Beirut campus for the third annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Inter-Class Competition. 

Designed to inspire and empower students to turn creative ideas into real-world businesses, the competition brought together bright minds from the Adnan Kassar School of Business (AKSOB) and the School of Pharmacy.

Organized by the Department of Management Studies at AKSOB and led by Assistant Professor Michel Majdalani, the event highlighted the power of collaboration across disciplines. The competition featured 13 student teams, each with a unique proposal to address real-world healthcare, education and community development difficulties, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

After several competitive rounds, six standout teams made it to the finals, where they pitched their ideas to a panel of judges comprising industry leaders and LAU faculty.

Among those offering their expertise were Mr. Michel Bayoud, founder of Boeker Worldwide Holdings and founding partner at SYMZ Capital Venture Group and Dr. Wissam Fahed, CEO of Fahed Retail Holding. They were joined by Mr. Bassam Tabshouri, chair of the Healthcare Technology Management and Advancement Society and Ms. Annie Seferian, director of LAU’s Fouad Makhzoumi Innovation Center. Chairperson of the Management Studies Department and Associate Professor of Management Josiane Fahed-Sreih and Dr. Majdalani gave their insights and feedback to participants. 

The judges did not just evaluate projects—they engaged deeply with the students, offering critical assessments and opening doors to future opportunities. To further support the students, Mr. Bayoud generously offered consultancy hours to the top three teams—15 hours for first place, 10 for second and six for third—to help refine their ideas beyond the competition.

The competition’s top honor went to PharmAssist, a mobile application created by students of the MS in Pharmaceutical Development and Management program Sally Sarkissian, Mariam Haj Ali, Aurelie Daoud and Carine Sleiman. Their application helps doctors, pharmacists and patients collaborate more closely through personalized medication management tools. 

Dr. Naser Alsharif, dean of the School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Mohamad Mroueh, chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, applauded the team for their innovative spirit and practical solution.

Coming in second was Dwell Well, a mobile application designed by Hussein Hassan, a graduate-level innovation and entrepreneurship management class student, to transform university housing into inclusive and vibrant community spaces.

Third place went to SafeTrack, developed by seniors MarieLynn Fahed, Malak Amer, Lama Al Bitar, and Dareen Asfari—an application that gives parents and schools real-time updates on school bus locations to enhance student safety.

Beyond the awards, all finalists were invited by Ms. Seferian to join the advanced program at the center. The invitation comes with the exciting opportunity to develop their projects further and compete for up to $10,000 in funding.

Faculty members, including Dr. Mroueh and Dr. Sreih, praised Dr. Majdalani’s leadership in making a successful event, emphasizing how the competition nurtures students’ innovation skills, encourages interdisciplinary teamwork and fosters entrepreneurial confidence, aligning with the department’s programs. This annual event is a testament to LAU’s commitment to empowering students to turn their ideas into meaningful impact.