Recall of the participation of Antonine University (UA) in the launching of the new Francophone Research Network on Artificial Intelligence (ReFIA) and the network of the Francophone Student Leaders Clubs (CLEF) by the Francophone University Agency (AUF)

Today more than ever, artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually making its way into our everyday lives to such an extent that it may invade almost every corner of society. Its omnipresence is both fascinating and worrisome, always provoking the most heated debates. This was the reason behind officially creating the Francophone Research Network on Artificial Intelligence (ReFIA) during the Constitutive General Assembly (AGC) of the Francophone University Agency (AUF) network, which was held on October 27, 2022, in the presence of Mr. Slim Khalbous, AUF Rector, Mr. Jean-François Lancelot, director of AUF networks, and representatives of 25 institutions from 15 countries around the world, among whom was Prof. Rony Darazi, Vice Rector for Cooperation and Internationalization (VRCI) at Antonine University (UA). The AGC approved the proposed statute and elected the members of the ReFIA.

The ReFIA is the 27th network of the AUF, whose main mission is to achieve scientific excellence in the field of AI. To this end, it endeavors to contribute to strengthening relations between French-speaking research actors, institutional actors, and economic actors in the field of AI; consolidating relations between researchers from different fields who are preoccupied with AI; promoting Francophone research in the field of AI; developing innovative initiatives in the field of AI; and increasing scientific co-production while encouraging the sharing of experiences.

In addition to this large-scale initiative launched by the AUF, the active participation of UA in the 2nd Edition of the International Week of Scientific Francophonie held in Cairo, Egypt, from October 25 to 28, 2022, enabled the Green Club to translate its strong commitment to the environment into concrete actions. Indeed, in order to enrich the student life on campus by cultivating eco-citizenship and encouraging young people to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors, the UA Green Club has submitted an ecological project in response to the call for applications launched by the AUF in July 2022.

Among the 300 applications submitted from 50 countries, 130 were accepted. As for the Green Club, which puts intensive efforts into raising awareness about the need to respect nature and reconnect with the environment, it was selected to join the network of Francophone Student Leaders Clubs (CLEF). The first gathering of presidents and representatives of the CLEF network brought together 100 students from 50 different countries and from 25 member universities of the AUF. Among the participants in the 1st Francophone Student Youth Congress (CJEF 2022-Egypt) to officially launch the CLEF was Ms. Sandra Naccour, a graduate student in the Antonine School of Business, digital marketing concentration, and president of the UA Green Club, the only attendee coming from a Lebanese university.

The AUF and its member institutions have designed a rich program of entertaining and educational activities intended to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of youth, educate them on the values of commitment, sharing, and mutual support, and encourage them to engage in volunteer opportunities that can benefit the whole community.