Despite disrupted academic routines over the past two years, Professor of Marketing Zahy Ramadan kept his students connected to their studies through an immersive virtual classroom. 

“During the war, my virtual classroom gave students a space to remain connected, participate, and move forward despite the uncertainty around them,” Dr. Ramadan recalled.

The experience demonstrated how emerging technologies could sustain learning during a crisis. At LAU’s Adnan Kassar School of Business (AKSOB), Dr. Ramadan has introduced immersive metaverse classrooms, live cases involving AI-powered stakeholders, and reverse prompt engineering exercises that encourage students to examine the assumptions behind AI-generated responses.

His teaching innovations have garnered international recognition. Dr. Ramadan received a Highly Commended distinction in the University of Manchester’s 2026 Making a Difference Awards, while his Metaverse Strategy Lab was shortlisted for the 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards in the Immersive Experiential Learning category. 

On October 24, 2026, LAU honored Dr. Ramadan with the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, recognizing his contribution to innovative business education. His colleague at AKSOB, Professor of Finance Rim El Khoury,  was awarded the Faculty Research Excellence Award.

Presented annually, these awards recognize contributions to research and teaching that advance knowledge, encourage scientific inquiry, and enrich the student learning experience.

For Dr. Ramadan, the distinction acknowledges an approach to education that prepares students to evaluate competing perspectives, question assumptions, and exercise independent judgment as artificial intelligence transforms professional environments.

“In my classes, students step into situations where they must question, choose, and defend their decisions,” he explained. “I want them to leave knowing that a convincing answer still needs to be questioned, and that their own reasoning matters.”

The Faculty Research Excellence Award recognizes sustained scholarship that advances scientific understanding and informs decision-making, an area in which Dr. El Khoury’s work has earned international recognition.

Her research focuses on financial markets, sustainable finance, corporate governance, and investment, examining how uncertainty affects interconnected markets and how financial risks spread across economies. Her findings contribute to a better understanding of the challenges facing investors, businesses, and policymakers.

Named among the world’s top two percent most cited scientists in 2025, Dr. El Khoury has published extensively in international finance and economics journals and serves the academic community as an associate editor, guest editor, and peer reviewer.

“My research is driven by a curiosity to understand how financial markets behave, how risks spread across interconnected markets, and how sustainability and corporate governance shape financial and business decisions,” she said.

For AKSOB Dean Dima Jamali, the awards recognize achievements that contribute to the school’s research ambitions and its commitment to preparing students for the changing demands of business and society.

“I am proud of our AKSOB faculty who continue to excel in teaching, research, and community impact,” she said. “Teaching innovation and research excellence are the hallmarks that continue to differentiate AKSOB as a leading business school in Lebanon and the region.”

LAU Associate Professor and Assistant Provost for Accreditation and Academic Operations Rula Diab emphasized the enduring contributions of faculty members to their students and academic disciplines.

“These awards honor the commitment, creativity, and care behind excellent teaching and meaningful research,” she said. “Dr. Ramadan and Dr. El Khoury remind us that academic excellence has a lasting impact in the lives of our students and in the knowledge we contribute to the world.”

LAU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Gregory L. Heileman placed the awards within the university’s broader commitment to excellence in research and teaching. “Drs. Ramadan and El Khoury exemplify the very best of LAU,” he said, commending their achievements in sustaining learning through difficult circumstances and advancing internationally recognized research. “Their contributions demonstrate the essential role of universities in times of uncertainty: Providing continuity through outstanding education and advancing knowledge that helps us navigate an increasingly complex world.”

For Dr. Ramadan, the award offers further encouragement to explore new teaching approaches and share his experience with colleagues. His commitment remains rooted in the human purpose of education: “Touching the lives of students and helping them develop the judgment and confidence to shape their own futures.”