Trust signs agreement with Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) in Lebanon

Beirut, 1 May 2013 – The Alexandria Trust has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) in Lebanon, under which the UK-based charity will provide education consulting services.

The MOU, signed by Alexandria Trust Executive Director David French, Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Education and Higher Education Hassan Diab and CERDs’ President Leila Fayad, sets out the basis of co-operation between the parties with the objective of accelerating the pace of change in improving quality standards in the education system in Lebanon.

The Trust will work closely with CERD, their partner in the program, to provide expert support and technical assistance for projects that need to be implemented in K-12 education, higher education and vocational and technical education.

Diab hailed the agreement as a “great achievement” for schools in Lebanon. “It helps us solve several problems we face in education and sets a model for other countries in solving educational problems,” he said. He added “Lebanon and the region face educational problems due to a shortage of employment opportunities and the lack of integration of learning outcomes with the labor market”. “We are proud to cooperate with the Alexandria Trust on this educational workshop,” Diab said.

“The agreement paves the way to providing solutions and combining expertise and knowledge between the Alexandria Trust and the Lebanese Ministry of Education," said French. “We look forward to providing the best expertise to our counterparts in Lebanon and are excited to move forward and to encourage other countries in the region to follow in the steps of Lebanon in adopting this model to improve the quality of education,” he said.