Semi-Annual Progress Report: Higher Education Capacity Development Activity

The program was implemented by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in coordination with Florida State University (FSU) and 10 partner HEIs. During the reporting period of April 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021, HECD and its partner HEIs faced increased operational challenges due to the debilitating fuel crisis, electricity blackouts, and ongoing political and social strife. Despite these challenges, HECD redoubled its efforts to deliver consistent, high-quality virtual HEI capacity-building training activities and head-to-head coaching from international experts. The program's key results at a glance include 2,091 students receiving job readiness or entrepreneurship trainings, with 60% of participants being female. The top participating schools were American University of Science & Technology, Islamic University of Lebanon, and Saint Joseph University of Beirut. Additionally, 850 faculty and staff from partner HEIs attended at least one capacity-building activity, with 512 participating in the past six months. HECD also facilitated a webinar with representatives from Amazon Web Services Academy to orient HEI partners on how to access free training digital programs. The program developed strategic partnerships with international organizations interested in supporting higher education in Lebanon, including LebPass, HOPES-Leb, and UNHCR. The program's progress towards objective I focused on strengthening HEI capacity to design effective online courses. HECD launched a five-part training in partnership with FSU, which included four sessions between May 31 and September 10 for three HEI partners. The program also delivered a six-part webinar series led by FSU, which provided HEIs with an overview of key university systems and practices essential for supporting sponsored programs with successful grant efforts. Progress towards objective II focused on expanding job readiness programs and tools. HECD facilitated a webinar with representatives from LebPass to orient HEI partners on how to access the EU-funded program that aims to unite universities, graduates, employers to deliver a Diploma Supplement for students and refugees. The program also participated in roundtable discussions organized by UNHCR with other HEI support agencies in Lebanon. Institution-level data integration was a key area of focus, with 48 participants attending a session delivered by Dr. Jay Pfeiffer. Employer engagement was also a key area, with 70 participants attending a session delivered by Ms. Jana Kooi. The program also delivered online instruction design modules, grant writing six-part webinar series, and effective online learning webinars. Monitoring, evaluation, and learning were critical components of the program. During the past six months, HECD MEL Specialist attended five workshops delivered by Social Impact promoting CLA sessions on best practices on different topics related to positive youth development. The program also facilitated a kick-off of Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) workshops, which were organized by two HEI partners, Centre MINE at Lebanese University and American University of Science and Technology.