Beirut, 30 September 2026– The Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) organized, on 29 and 30 September in Beirut, a regional symposium within the framework of the project « Integration pedagogic and prospective of AI in higher education in the Middle East » financed by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE, France).
For two days, some 60 university officials, experts and representatives of the socio-economic world discussed the transformations induced by artificial intelligence in universities and the conditions for its sustainable integration.
The opening session brought together Jean-Noël Baléo, Regional Director of AUF Middle East, Laurence Cossart, Scientific and Academic Cooperation Officer at the Embassy of France in Lebanon representing MEAE, Amin Nawahda, Director General of Development and Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Palestine, Mazen el Khatib, Director General of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Lebanon, and Sherif Kishk, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, responsible for intelligent governance.
The first day’s work included the development of teaching practices and teacher training at the AI, as well as ethical issues, data protection and the need to ensure fair and inclusive use of artificial intelligence tools in higher education. Participants also shared their experiences around Learning Labs, considered as spaces for experimentation, educational innovation and collaboration between institutions.
The second day was devoted to emerging skills and the adaptation of curricula in the face of changes in jobs and labour market needs. In particular, the exchanges discussed the AI skills to be developed among future graduates, micro-certifications and the modalities of collaboration between universities and socio-economic actors.
A round table of officials from Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine, at the level of the relevant Directors-General, finally allowed us to reflect on the modalities for a concerted adaptation of university curricula, involving ministries, higher education institutions, quality assurance actors and the professional world.
The colloquium closed with the presentation of recommendations and perspectives, as well as the presentation of certificates issued by CY Cergy Paris Université following a training organized within the framework of the project.
About the project – key figures
The ambition of the project « Integration of AI into Higher Education in the Middle East » is to train more than 100 digital references to the teaching uses of artificial intelligence and to build the capacity of nearly 2,700 teachers to integrate AI into their teaching practices.
It aims to produce over 500 educational scenarios using AI in various disciplines.
A total of 13 universities benefit from the project in 3 countries (Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine).
