A word from the Project Manager

Oussama Chafic Jadayel
Professor
Director , Balamand Institute of Aeronautics

Welcome to SF-HEAT project; an EU funded project under the TEMPUS IV Programme.

SF-HEAT seeks to set up a Sustainable Framework for Higher Education in Aeronautical Technologies. Such a framework is rooted at the University of Balamand in Lebanon and projects towards Europe and the Arab World, thus creating a network that supports an ever-growing, ever-advancing, ever-demanding air-transport sector. This is a very serious and challenging task that has long been overdue; Lebanese and Arab Aviation is impatiently longing for suitably qualified, skilled and competent young men and women who not only are well rounded and understand the aeronautical system, but are also capable of coping with its advancements and innovations. At the same time, and equally by design, SF-HEAT also seeks to answer the ambitions of those very youth who aspire to have a career in aviation, but never found a suitable academic structure that caters for their ambitions.

As such, and in recognition that aviation is multi-faceted and highly inter-disciplinary field to which international boundaries are never limiting, SF-HEAT was built around a consortium of Lebanese and European organizations comprising universities, regulatory bodies, maintenance providers, training establishments, as well as aeronautical schools. Collectively, they strive to provide a sustainable solution to the problem of aeronautical technology education.

Starting with a firm understanding that both Aeronautics and Education are very dynamic yet highly regulated environments, all SF-HEAT activities are contemplated and conducted in compliance with modern Euro-Lebanese standards.

SF-HEAT is a project which supports the efforts for harmonization and convergence between Lebanon, the Middle East and Europe. It is to provide the regional aeronautical system with right people who are capable of sustaining its safe operation.