President of Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut, Professor François Boëdec (Jesuit) and Chairman and CEO of Alfa, Rafic El Haddad signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) at the university’s headquarters. The MoC between Alfa and USJ’s School of Engineering in Beirut (ESIB) Alfa aims to strengthen collaboration between the academic and telecom sectors and both institutions. The signing ceremony was attended by officials from Alfa and USJ.
Dean of ESIB, Professor Wassim Raphael, highlighted the strategic importance of this MoC for the institute and its students. He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to providing education aligned with labor market needs by enabling students to gain hands-on experience through actual technical and business expertise.
He stated: “We firmly believe that strengthening cooperation between academia and the professional world is essential to our students’ success and to driving innovation”. He also emphasized the mutual benefits of this partnership, both for the students and for the company, through joint projects and the research outcomes that may emerge from this collaboration.
El Haddad
In his speech, El Haddad reflected on his academic journey at Saint Joseph University of Beirut following his studies at Notre-Dame de Jamhour school, underscoring the deep and longstanding partnership between Alfa and the university since the company’s establishment in 1994. He said: “Returning here today as CEO of Alfa is a source of pride for me and a testament to the strong foundations that Saint Joseph University helped shape in my personal and professional journey”.
He noted that approximately 60 graduates of the university are part of Alfa’s team, emphasizing that this collaboration is reflected in the expertise of ESIB engineers who directly contribute to the company’s success.
He also highlighted the “Building the Future” initiative, which provides students with the opportunity to gain real-world professional experience while enabling Alfa to identify promising talent at an early stage. He added that the program will also be extended to other programs, including Business Administration and Economics.
Boëdec
For his part, Professor François Boëdec emphasized the long-standing relationship between Alfa and Saint Joseph University of Beirut, describing the collaboration as “a partnership built on trust, stability, and reliability”. He stressed that universities today are more than ever required to work hand in hand with the business sector to prepare young people and respond to the country’s evolving needs.
He also welcomed “Alfa’s intention to expand the scope of cooperation to include additional faculties beyond engineering”, noting that “this step opens promising horizons for enhancing students’ education and developing their skills in a way that serves the Lebanese economy”.
At the end of the signing ceremony, Professor Boëdec and El Haddad exchanged commemorative gifts.
