AUB announces Zakhem Deanship of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture

The Zakhems, who include five brothers who are AUB alumni, have been active in supporting higher education in Lebanon for decades.

The Zakhem Deanship of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture is the only deanship to be named during AUB's Campaign for Excellence, which was launched in 2002 with the aim of enhancing the University's academic and research potential as well as improving its infrastructure and expanding its financial aid program.

"The Zakhem family's decision to affiliate their name with the Faculty through this generous contribution shows their belief in the importance of a strong AUB engineering program," said FEA Dean Ibrahim Hajj.

"This is an exciting time to be associated with FEA as we are looking forward to expanding our facilities in the new Ray R. Irani Oxy Engineering Complex, our curriculum is growing with new PhDs and in fields such as chemical and petroleum engineering, and our graduates are some of the most highly recruited at AUB."

"We believe in higher education and we are committed to extending our support whenever and where ever we can. Educating our youth- the future of Lebanon- is the key to peace and prosperity of this country and the region." said George Zakhem, on behalf of the family. "We strongly believe in the words of the great Dr. Charles Malik: 'The university is one of the greatest creations of Western civilization'".

The five Zakhem brothers all studied at AUB and then went on to establish their family business. George (AUB BME '57) and Abdallah (AUB BCE '62) Zakhem founded Zakhem Engineers S.A.L. in 1963 in Beirut. Their brothers, Antoine (AUB BA '53, MD '57), Ibrahim, who studied engineering at AUB, and Albert (AUB BBA '74) soon joined them.

In Lebanon, few can match the generosity and dedication of the Zakhem family to the advancement of higher education institutions in general and the field of engineering in particular.

They have funded major campus expansions, chaired Board of Trustees, and furthered the study of engineering in universities throughout the country.

In 1975, Zakhem Engineers was restructured as Zakhem International S.A., and today is a major international group of construction, engineering and investment companies.

From 1983 to 2004, George served as a trustee at Beirut University College (BUC), now Lebanese American University (LAU), where he also served as chairman of the Board from 1983 to 1990.

During his chairmanship, he spearheaded the establishment of two new campuses at Byblos and in Sidon, and in 1986 the Zakhem Company donated 100,000 square meters of land for the Byblos campus.

George and Abdallah have served as trustees on the Board of Balamand University (BU) since its founding in 1988.

George Zakhem suggested to His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV to open the University of Balamand (UOB) in North Lebanon and the Zakhems were among the first contributors to the new UOB Campus.

The student union building there carries the names of Salim and Hanneh Zakhem.

George is also a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Global South at American University and a patron of the Center of Lebanese Studies at Oxford.

In 2004, the AUB Faculty of Engineering and Architecture honored George Zakhem with its Distinguished Alumnus Award for his professional achievements, outstanding contributions in mechanical engineering and support of education.

Abdallah Zakhem received the same award in 2006 in recognition of his career in engineering and his contributions to the world of construction.

He serves as the chair of the External Advisory Board of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at AUB.

The number of engineering students at AUB has increased steadily in recent years, with more than 1,800 students currently enrolled at FEA.

The Faculty has recently launched a new two-year graduate program in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and offers PhDs in Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

Students go on to study at prestigious universities including the University of California at Berkley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and Harvard University.

Graduates are regularly recruited to work at leading engineering firms in Europe and the Gulf, and premier corporations including BNP Paribas, Ericsson, Petrofac, Zakhem and CCC.