Antonine University (UA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Antoine El Samrani as Vice Rector for Research (VRR). With an impressive academic and research background, Prof. El Samrani brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of geology and environmental sciences, making him a valuable addition to our University’s leadership team.

Prof. El Samrani completed his Bachelor’s degree in Geology at the Faculty of Science of the Lebanese University (LU) in 1996. He further pursued his academic journey and obtained a Master’s degree in Earth Physics and Chemistry from the prestigious École nationale supérieure de géologie (ENSG), Institut national polytechnique de Lorraine in Nancy, France, in 1998. His outstanding academic performance earned him a PhD fellowship from the Lorraine Institute, where he conducted research on heavy metal speciation in stormwater and runoff sludge. This work contributed to the development of a pilot plant for stormwater treatment in Boudonville city, implemented by Degremont-Vivendi.

Returning to Lebanon in 2003, Prof. El Samrani served as an associated researcher at the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission of the Lebanese Council for Scientific Research (LAEC-CNRS-L). He also held a part-time professorship at the Faculty of Science at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK). In 2008, he joined LU’s Faculty of Science, where he made significant contributions to the Scientific Research Committee and the Platform for Research and Analysis in Environmental Sciences. In 2014, he was appointed as a member of LU’s Council of Higher Research Committee and as a member of its Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) Committee at the Doctoral School for Science and Technology and the Faculty of Science. He served as the coordinator of the Field Geology School for 4 years, which was developed in cooperation between LU, the Cyprus Institute, and the Cyprus Geological Survey.

Throughout his career, Prof. El Samrani has supervised over 50 Master’s degree students and 16 PhD students. He has successfully led more than 20 research projects co-financed by esteemed institutions such as CNRS-L, LU, AUF, and CEDRE programs. His research has resulted in 55 peer-reviewed papers and approximately 42 participations in national and international conferences.

In recognition of his expertise and leadership, Prof. El Samrani was elected as the President of the Research Committee in the Universities Association of Lebanon (UAOLB) in 2021. He was also appointed as a representative of the LU in the Executive Board of Industrial Research Achievements-Lebanon-Iraleb, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry.

In 2022, Prof. El Samrani was nominated by the Minister of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) to serve as a member of the technical committee of the Council of Higher Education for the evaluation of educational programs. Furthermore, he holds the position of Environmental Expert and Evaluator for the management of the Greater Beirut sanitary landfill site at the Ministry of Environment. Lastly, he is a researcher in the PRIMA Mara-Mediterra international consortium, an EU-funded project focused on safeguarding rural communities through nature-based solutions.

UA is confident that Prof. Antoine El Samrani’s leadership and expertise will greatly contribute to advancing research and innovation at our institution. We extend our warmest congratulations to him on his appointment as VRR and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make in this new role.