The Assistant to the President For Special Projects at the Lebanese American University chats to a&e TV shortly after the LAU’s Fouad Makhzoumi Innovation Center in Lebanon was inaugurated.
Saad El Zein chats to the a&e team about what and who inspires him in life
Sitting down with a&e, Saad El Zein excitedly talks about the incredible project he’s been working on – opening a new Innovation Centre in Lebanon with the vision to educate the future generations on how to use AI, changing technologies and robotics in their favour.
The Assistant to the President For Special Projects at the Lebanese American University explains to us that giving students the tools in life to become entrepreneurs and start their own business with the help of such advances lies very close to his heart. His motto in life is humanity and giving back to it in every way he can.
Chatting to a&e, Saad talks us through how a gift from Dr Fouad Makhzoumi himself made it all happen, his ambitions with the new institute and how AI should be shaping the education system.
Watch the full interview with Saad above, and find out what we found out when talking to the inspiring figure below.
Five Things We Learned Talking To Saad El Zein
Saad El Zein shares his words of wisdom and the story of his Innovation Centre in Lebanon
The union of AI and education is key
Saad explains that bringing the curriculum into the 21st century is key to ensuring the career paths of future generations, enabling them to be empowered rather than under threat by changing technologies. He adds that be trying to educate and encourage the youth in such a way to create their own jobs in the future creates an eco-system of people working with not against the coming innovations.
Three prerequisites that make a successful entrepreneur are…
“As an entrepreneur, perseverance is very important, tolerance is very important. Dedication and the love and the passion for what you do is key. If you have all of this – and if we’d like to start with the passion of what you want to do and achieve – this is a great start for building yourself as an entrepreneur,” Saad tells us.
Saad says ‘no’ to failure
He explained that failure, rather than deter us, should give us the strength to do better, explaining we all have our ups and downs in life.
Humanity is his personal motto
The entrepreneur explained: “Humanity and working towards the betterment of humanity [is my personal motto]. I know this isn’t related to business, but in everything I do, I feel I have to give. Maybe it’s how we’re raised, but the gift of life is about giving.”
My Story by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inspires him
After living in Dubai for 28 years, Saad tells us how he is inspired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and what changes he has brought to the city. On his 2019 book My Story, he said he felt inspired by everything he has achieved, but added: “His leadership that he has taught us every day in every act His Highness is doing – not just what’s in his book – everything this city has achieved cannot be put into a book.”
