USJ inaugurates eco-citizenship initiative Saint-Joseph University (USJ) inaugurated the Chair in Education for Eco-Citizenship Saint-Joseph University (USJ) inaugurated the "Chair in Education for Eco-Citizenship and Sustainable Development", at the Campus of Innovation and Sports in Beirut. A number of seminars and round tables were held with the participation of academics and experts. They revolved around eco-citizenship, sustainable development and their implications on society while also tackling how they can be brought to life through individual efforts. A lecture was given by the President of the Fondation Nicolas-Hulot for Nature and Mankind, Nicolas Hulot. Former Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh said: "Educating people about citizenship is not a luxury, but rather a duty that we have so long ignored in order to serve personal interests. The truth however is that there is a real urgency that we can no longer ignore because it is largely affecting our devastating situation today as well as the future of our children." USJ Rector Salim Daccache said: "This will allow young generations to be nurtured around this idea of citizenship as a way to establish the concept of coexistence and to emphasize the idea of the State." The Chair in Education for Eco-Citizenship and Sustainable Development was created in order to raise awareness about the importance of dealing with environmental issues sustainably and responsibly. The Chair operates through its activities and programs to provide and deepen knowledge about social and environmental risks and challenges. It also makes room to reconsider the existing models of development in order to achieve better harmony between citizens and nature. The Chair also aims to serve as a multidisciplinary scientific platform that includes Environmental Science, Economics and Social Sciences, and to become the cornerstone for all national initiatives that deal with issues of eco-citizenship and sustainable development that are launched by local universities, NGOs, municipalities, as well as public and private institutions. Fadi El-Hage, Holder of the Chair, said he has been working on spreading knowledge since the initiative's inception in September 2015 through the establishment of training courses in schools, universities, companies, public institutions and NGOs. The Chair also supports and motivates researches and studies while providing the needed financial and logistical support to do so, as well as organizing scientific and awareness activities.