In cooperation with the Lebanese University and the Council of Arab Economic Unity, the Lebanese office of the Arab Academics and Scientists Union organized on May 3 and 4 a conference entitled: "University Education - A National Strategy for Building a Knowledge Economy in the Arab World".

The conference, which was held at the Rafic Hariri University Compound - Hadath was attended by participants from Lebanon and a number of Arab countries (Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, and Palestine).

The speech of the President of the Lebanese University, Professor Fouad Ayoub, was delivered by the Dean of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Professor Ahmad Rabah, in which he considered that this event constitutes a Lebanese-Arab scientific demonstration.

He added: "We all want to invest in research and to create and participate in specialized research centers, and we all call and seek to establish programs in the specializations imposed by scientific developments and future needs of society. The time has come to establish concerted efforts between universities and academic institutions at the level of scientific research, network lines of research to address the problems facing Arab societies, and carry out partnerships and research that serve the economy and graduates in terms of global competition. Here, I take this opportunity to extend an invitation to Arab universities to cooperate in this context at all levels".

Professor Rabah concluded: "There are great efforts to be made, with many axes and approaches, and the search for feasibility is necessary and essential, and it all starts with raising the level of investment in human capital away from any quotas or narrow circles".