The Lebanese American University (LAU) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) to establish a legal framework of cooperation for the development of applied research, exchange of information and expertise and training in the Lebanese food industry. During the signing, acting dean of the school of arts and sciences, Dr. Kostantine Daher, stressed the importance of collaboration, especially that LAU boasts capacities and academic capital that qualify it to sustain the goals of the IRI and the center which supports SMEs in the food sector, in order to start a food advisory unit. Similarly, the IRI administrative director, Selim Kfoury, underlined the need to comply with the quality specifications and international certifications, as well as to cooperate with international organizations to this effect. The MoU, Kfoury said, is part of the IRI’s strategy to open up to academic institutions and achieve integration between the Institute and the LAU in the service of science, applied research, development, industry and consumer protection. (An Nahar, July 26, 2019)