Director
| Abunnasr, Yaser, PhD Planning, MLA, BArch |
Staff
| Kallab, Antoine (Associate Director); Hourani, Anna (Operations Manager); Barakat, Jill; Mouawad, Leila Rossa; Badran, Sara; Ghanem, Salma; Ghassibe, Carine; Boustany, Tatiana; Bassil, Nour; Bou Rjeily, Justine; Khodor, Rawya; Kaskas, Aya; Joubrane, Ghada.
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Executive Committee Members
Associate Professor, Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management (MSFEA)
| Abunnasr, Yaser, PhD
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| Dean, Faculty of Business- (AUB Mediterraneo) Associate Professor, Suliman S Olayan School of Business (OSB) | Daou, Alain, PhD
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Senior Lecturer, Architect and Urban Planning, Urban Planning Policy and Design (MSFEA)
| Yazigi, Serge PhD
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Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (FM)
| Darwiche, Nadine, PhD
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Associate Professor of Clinical Specialty, Family Medicine (FM)
| Romani, Maya, MD
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Assistant Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Media Studies (FAS)
| Perdigon, Sylvain Jean Daniel, PhD
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Professor, Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management Department (MSFEA)
| Talhouk, Salma, PhD
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Introduction
The AUB-NCC is a multidisciplinary academic institution focused on environmental research and advocacy, dedicated to promoting sustainable development and conservation. Through innovative research, education, and community-based initiatives, AUB-NCC addresses pressing environmental issues, including climate change. Collaborating with partners at local, regional, and global levels, the center develops effective solutions to advance environmental impact and action to support a sustainable future.
As Lebanon and the wider MENA area encounter more difficult environmental issues, AUB-NCC is stepping up its work to develop new strategies to tackle these issues and strengthen community resilience.
Furthermore, the center’s initiatives are designed to tackle key environmental challenges through a series of forward-thinking programs, listed below:
- Water and Life: Investigates critical issues surrounding water resources, including availability, quality, and governance, while exploring solutions for water-related challenges. The program addresses the nexus between water, energy, food, and ecosystems, promoting sustainable water management practices that benefit both human and environmental health.
- Earth, Society, and Wellbeing: Explores the interdependencies between environmental health and human wellbeing, advancing research on natural remedies, traditional medicine, and the role of ecosystems in supporting mental and physical health. The program aims to generate insights that contribute to sustainable healthcare solutions grounded in biodiversity.
- Eco-transition and Circularity: Focuses on pioneering sustainable waste management practices, promoting the circular economy, and advancing green transitions in industries and communities. This program addresses critical issues of resource scarcity and environmental degradation by fostering innovative solutions for recycling, reducing waste, and improving resource efficiency.
- Citizenship and Nature: Promotes environmental stewardship through place-based education, conservation initiatives, and community-led actions, fostering a deep connection between individuals and their natural surroundings. The program emphasizes local engagement and behavioral change to build resilient ecosystems and informed citizens.
- Regenerative Planning: Develops strategies for creating resilient and regenerative systems that support environmental, social, and economic sustainability. By integrating whole-system approaches, the program promotes long-term health and vitality of ecosystems, cities, and communities through landscape restoration, urban planning, and resilient infrastructure development.
Since its establishment in 2002, AUB-NCC has mobilized people and institutions throughout Lebanon to support nature conservation, improved the environment, and inspired countless individuals to appreciate and embrace sustainability. The center leverages the expertise and experience of AUB’s faculties from different fields and involved around 92 faculty members to tackle the region’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Throughout its tenure, AUB-NCC has recruited interns, worked with local and international businesses, engaged, and impacted Lebanese citizens, engaged students, enrolled volunteers, operated with municipalities, worked alongside NGOs, collaborated with universities, and cooperated with government authorities. All the actors at stake illustrate the center’s multi-disciplinarity, as they aid the center in achieving its mission.