Fadia el-Alam Gemayel, director of the CLN. (Credit: Dina Ahdab)
"It is imperative to create local human resources for the development of the region, and above all to keep them here," says Fadia al-Alam Gemayel, director of USJ's North Lebanon campus (CLN), listing the many challenges the university has aimed to overcome since establishing itself in Tripoli in 1977.
"Our main goal at first was to introduce higher education to the north of the country, help with development, and limit rural exodus. Unfortunately, with the country’s current circumstances, young people’s lack of confidence in their future, and their massive departure abroad, we are still fighting to maintain a high standard of education and produce graduates who will later integrate into the job market."
The CLN operates on two levels: financially, thanks to the agreement with Father Salim Daccache, the rector of the university, which has enabled the granting of new scholarships to high school graduates in the region and academically, through the launch of new programs tailored to the needs of the local, national, regional, and international ecosystem.
"During a recent conference on technological innovation, Bill Gates shared his vision for the labor market in the face of the rise of artificial intelligence (AI)," continues the CLN director. "According to him, three professional fields will retain their importance: Energy, biology, and AI systems programming or coding.
We have therefore chosen to focus on all things digital and have launched a new data science degree — one of the most in-demand professions in the world right now. This comes in addition to our degrees in biochemistry, mathematics, preschool and primary education, special education, and teaching for children with special needs."
Highlighting the advantage of the new program, taught in English, Fadia el-Alam Gemayel notes that "students could be hired by major companies like Google or Netflix, while still living in Lebanon." "Unfortunately, with the financial and economic crisis that has hit the country over the past five years, we had to suspend some programs that are highly dependent on the job market, such as business management," she laments. "At that time, banks were no longer hiring, branches were closing, and many of our alumni found themselves unemployed."
Still aiming to ensure young people in the region get the same quality education as that offered in Beirut, the CLN offers students preparing for a five-year engineering degree two preparatory years, where they receive additional instruction in advanced mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
"These students will then continue the final three years of their specialization either at the École supérieure d’ingénieurs de Beyrouth (ESIB) or abroad," the CLN director adds.
Creating local human resources
In response to the new expectations of young people, especially regarding hands-on training, the CLN has established an employability center to prepare students for the workforce and future professional opportunities.
"Every year, we organize job fairs at USJ’s Beirut campus to provide our students from remote regions with more job opportunities," notes Gemayel, adding, "It’s important to remember that most of our students go on to pursue their master’s degrees in Beirut, where all the major companies are.
These events make recruitment easier afterward." She continues, "Unfortunately, this generation is still impatient and gets discouraged quickly. They want to move forward rapidly, without going through all the necessary steps. And these young people don’t understand that to get started and land a well-paid job, they need to accept any opportunity at first, build up good solid experience in the field, and then, later, demand a better salary and a job that satisfies them in order to progress."
Beyond the programs offered and established partnerships with schools, the CLN plays a significant role in the region’s cultural outreach through organizing conferences, roundtables, participation in competitions, and involvement in the entrepreneurial world.
"These themed activities are sometimes co-organized with local cultural and professional entities, such as a book launch, a conference on the city of Tripoli, an entrepreneurial competition, or a meeting with success stories," explains Gemayel.
While the CLN director acknowledges that the greatest challenge today "is to produce quality graduates with a high academic standard, who are themselves valuable human resources for the development of North Lebanon," she especially emphasizes the importance for USJ of training young people "worthy of carrying the university's name and embodying its Jesuit values — not just in principle, but in their actions: Giving their time, participating in social activities, listening, and being of service to others." In short, "building coexistence for a better Lebanon," she concludes.
