new member | american university of science and technology (AUST) (lebanon)

28.09.2025 Announcements

ICoD is pleased to welcome the American University of Science and Technology (AUST), Lebanon, as our new Educational Member. Founded in 1989, AUST is a private institution of higher education that today welcomes more than 5,000 students across its campuses in Beirut, Zahlé, and Sidon. Its Arts+Design Department, offering undergraduate programmes in Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Fashion Design, provides a vital force for advancing design education within Lebanon and the region.

ABOUT

Founded in 1989, AUST is a private institution of higher education that today welcomes more than 5,000 students across its campuses in Beirut, Zahlé, and Sidon. Since its establishment, AUST has been guided by the mission of offering accessible, high-quality education, steadily expanding its role as a comprehensive university with a strong international outlook.

AUST Design Day featuring graphic Design student work • Photo credit AUSTStudents in discussion with industry experts at the DS224 Client Product Design midterm review  

FACULTY AND PROGRAMMES

Arts+Design Department

At the core of AUST’s contribution to ICoD is its Arts+Design Department, a vital force for advancing design education within Lebanon and the region. In a context marked by social, cultural, and environmental challenges, AUST positions design as more than a professional discipline — it is a tool for innovation, resilience, and social impact.

The Department is recognised for embedding Design Thinking across its curriculum, preparing students to become critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers. It offers undergraduate programmes in Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Fashion Design, all supported by a common Foundation Year that introduces students to essential design culture, research methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

• Graphic Design (B.A.)
  The Graphic Design programme trains visual communicators capable of addressing contemporary challenges in media, culture, and business. The curriculum balances foundational design knowledge with digital innovation, covering typography, branding, packaging, UI/UX, motion graphics, and the role of AI in communication. Students are encouraged to engage with narrative and storytelling while producing socially responsible design solutions.
• Interior Design (B.A.)
  The Interior Design programme emphasises human-centered environments that balance functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability. Students explore residential, commercial, and cultural spaces, gaining technical skills in materials, lighting, furniture, and digital tools such as AutoCAD and Revit. The programme builds connections to Lebanon’s craft and architectural traditions, while addressing global concerns such as well-being, sustainability, and the integration of AI in design.
• Fashion Design (B.A.)
  The Fashion Design programme nurtures innovation in apparel and textile design, combining traditional craft knowledge with emerging technologies such as CLO3D. The curriculum integrates cultural heritage with contemporary practices, guiding students to explore identity, sustainability, and storytelling through fashion. The programme culminates in an annual Fashion Show that has become a landmark event in Lebanon’s cultural calendar.

AUST Fashion Show, Photo credit AUST

• Foundation Year in Design
  All Arts+Design students begin with a shared Foundation Year, building skills in visual perception, design principles, research, and teamwork. This year sets the stage for interdisciplinary learning and the integration of Design Thinking across specialisations.

Offering degree programs at the bachelor, master and PhD levels, the School holds high standards in education by engaging frontier research and industrial exploration. The faculty members develop co-learning with design enterprises to break down the “walls” between classrooms, labs, industry and society. Taking full advantage of the resources of the research university, the city and the Greater Bay region, the School equips the students with capabilities to study in China and across the world, to be prepared for future work environment, and be competent to build our futures.

Collaboration with Asmar Wood  Interior Design Students • Photo credit Asmar Wood

The School features “studio teaching”, committed to enhancing students’ creative thinking, critical thinking and innovative abilities. Working with the students’ own ideas and initiatives, the teaching at the School cultivates the capacities to propose, test and discuss ideas, engage in interdisciplinary cross-boundary design, enhance mind/hand integration, enrich systematic thinking and construct individual knowledge to design for the real world.

Collaboration with Asmar Wood, Interior Design Students, Photo credit Asmar Wood

SIGNATURE INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS

AUST distinguishes itself with a curriculum built around Design Thinking as a core philosophy. This approach extends from classrooms to research projects, ensuring that students apply design as a method of innovation and social engagement. The Department’s signature event, AUST Design Day, showcases final-year student projects, bringing together industry professionals, international guests, and the local community. Projects often address pressing human-centered and socially relevant issues, making the event a dialogue between academia and professional practice.

Students also gain exposure through partnerships with companies such as Asmar Wood and Bed&Bed, and through regional collaborations that integrate real-world projects into the curriculum. The Department is currently developing a Design Thinking Toolkit for both classroom and professional contexts, alongside initiatives around sustainable design, AI in design practice, and entrepreneurship.

Faculty members contribute to international design scholarship, with peer-reviewed publications on curriculum reform and design education. These contributions ensure that AUST not only prepares students but also actively shapes global conversations on the future of design learning.

Facilities at AUST further strengthen this vision, with specialised workshops for prototyping, digital labs for fabrication, and dedicated exhibition spaces that allow students to share their work with the wider public.

AUST Design Conference featuring guest speakers Prof. Melike Taşcıoğlu Vaughan (ICoD), Tatu Ahlroos (IFI) and Nicholas Ward

HISTORICAL TIES TO ICoD

AUST’s connection to ICoD is rooted in the leadership role of its current Arts+Design Department Chairperson, Dr. Halim Choueiry, who served as Vice President of the Council for six consecutive years. During this period, he contributed to advancing ICoD’s mission, strengthening international collaboration, and supporting initiatives that shaped the global design dialogue.

This ongoing relationship reflects AUST’s long-standing commitment to aligning with international standards of design education and governance. Through Dr. Choueiry’s engagement, AUST has maintained close ties to ICoD’s professional and educational networks, building on the Council’s legacy of fostering exchange, knowledge, and innovation in design.

AUST Graduation Ceremony 2025

VISION and STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

AUST’s Arts+Design Department is guided by a vision of design as a driver of innovation, sustainability, and social transformation in Lebanon and beyond. Its current strategic plan includes:

• Curriculum Renewal: deepening the integration of Design Thinking, sustainability, and digital innovation (including AI) into all programmes.
• New Programmes of Study: developing a major in Systemic Design and launching a graduate programme in Design in collaboration with international partners.
• Community Partnerships: engaging with municipalities and NGOs to address issues such as public space, environmental resilience, and heritage preservation.
• Industry Collaboration: scaling up partnerships with companies in Lebanon and abroad to establish AUST as a hub for research and innovation.
• Global Engagement: strengthening exchange and research collaborations, preparing students and faculty to participate in global design conversations.

Through these initiatives, AUST aims to act as a catalyst for the Lebanese design ecosystem, equipping graduates with future-ready skills while contributing to knowledge creation and community impact.

ICoD looks forward to collaborating with AUST as it continues to prepare the next generation of designers and to expand its role as a platform for innovation, dialogue, and cultural exchange.

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