CEE Participating in 8th FEA Student Conference
Participation in the 8th FEA
Student Conference [May 20-21, 2009] by the CEE Department included the
presentation of two keynote lectures and four student papers published in the
conference proceedings.
Keynote Lectures
[1]
“Professional
Life Journey of a Successful FEA Alumnus”
By Mr. Taha A. Mikati (on behalf of CEE)
Founder and Chairman of M1 Group, Beirut, Lebanon
Invited to the Conference and presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award
Abstract:
This is the story of a successful FEA alumnus which exemplifies that FEA
graduates are problem solvers, life-long learners, leaders in their profession,
able to excel in additional professions, contribute effectively to the
societies in which they live and work, have civic responsibilities, and are
dedicated to helping others.
[2]
“How to be a Successful Contractor”
By Mr. Ghassan Merehbi (on behalf of CEE)
Chairman and Founder of Arabian Construction Co, UAE
Invited to the Conference and presented with the Distinguished Alumnus
Award
Abstract:
Contracting is one engineering practice that has never been
appropriately valued as it should, although it constitutes approximately ten
percent of the world’s GDP. Contractors have always been the scapegoats; if
something goes wrong, the contractor is the one to blame. However if a project
is successful, the genius behind it is rarely attributed to the contractor.
Being an engineer by profession and a contractor by practice, I will briefly
point out some of the basic requirements of a successful contractor.
Challenges
faced in the construction industry are great. When we think of contracting we
may think of it as a business like any other, but contracting is a tricky and
difficult business. Your technical engineering background will not carry you
very far. To be a successful contractor you have to know people and understand
cultures, and you have to be able to make yourself understood. You have to be
familiar with finance, accounting, procurement, and banking. You have to know
how to assess risks and how to mitigate them. You have to be aware of all the
logistical elements of a project: what is needed and when; how to move people
from one location to another, from one country to another; how to shuffle
equipment from one place to another and when; and you have to do all this while
avoiding unnecessary cost. And you have to know how to gain and retain the
confidence of clients and bankers.
Student Papers by CEE
Undergraduates
The Janna Dam
By Ragheb Al Halabi, Marwan Dagher, Assil Hachem, and Ayman Makarem
The
AUB Sea Campus: Star Fish
By Raja Atoui, Louay Kadri, Ramzi Maalouf, and Jean Sfeir
Bus Rapid Transit
for Greater Beirut
By Sami Alami, Mira Mourad, and Nabil Nakkash
Sustainable
Development of the AUB - AREC Farm
By Narine Boulghourdjian, Mayssa Dabaghi, and Roula Rbeiz
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