In an initiative aimed at promoting hands-on education and empowering high school students to engage in technological innovation, the IEEE Lebanon Joint Chapter IE/PE/CAS/PES, in collaboration with the Tripoli Robotics Educational Foundation and under the patronage of the Municipality of Tripoli and the Al-Fayhaa Union of Municipalities, organized a distinguished event at City University.

The event was attended by City University President Dr. Walid Dagher; Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology and Chair of the IEEE Lebanon Joint Chapter IE/PE/CAS/PEL, Dr. Hiba Al-Sheikh; Mayor of Tripoli Dr. Abdel Hamid Karimeh; and Head of the Al-Fayhaa Union of Municipalities Dr. Wael Al-Zmerly. Also present were engineer Shadi Maassarani, founder of Tripoli Robotics; Professor Abdullah Qassem, representing Professor Nazih Mobayed, President of IEEE Lebanon; along with a number of teachers, supervisors, IEEE members, and the families of participating students.

During the ceremony, Dr. Hiba Al-Sheikh praised the students’ outstanding efforts, stating:
“Today, we celebrate the creativity of our talented students and their achievements through this unique initiative, which was not merely a training program but a genuine learning journey that strengthened their technical and scientific skills while opening new horizons for innovation and teamwork.”
She added, “We are proud of their smart projects, which reflect their great potential, and we look forward to seeing these ideas evolve into practical solutions that contribute to serving our community.”

The event was held as part of the “ECO Smart City Training and Competition” program and brought together students from ten high schools in Tripoli: Rawdat Al-Fayhaa School, Tripoli Evangelical School, Al-Iman School, Al-Azm School, Saba Zreik Secondary School, International Curricula Secondary School, Al-Islah Secondary School, Adnan Al-Jisr Secondary School, George Sarraf Secondary School, and Tripoli Official Girls’ High School. The students underwent an intensive six-week training program at the Genius House Center, where they learned the fundamentals of interactive programming using Arduino and transformed their ideas into innovative smart projects.

The ceremony featured engaging presentations of the students’ projects in a dynamic and interactive atmosphere. These projects were evaluated live by a judging panel, and all participants were honored with certificates of participation, along with special recognition for key partners and supporters.

In conclusion, this initiative stands as a successful model of collaboration and integration between universities, educational institutions, municipalities, and civil society. It aims to foster innovation and empower a new generation of creators capable of delivering smart engineering solutions that serve their communities and contribute to advancing technological development in Lebanon.