After a year and a half since its launch in December 2023 and the official Kick-off Meeting in Beirut in February 2024, the “Social Entrepreneurship in Time of Crises” – SE.TC project has been making significant efforts in advancing social entrepreneurship in Lebanon. The initiative is dedicated to fostering innovation, empowering youth, and driving sustainable development, particularly in remote and rural areas such as the north region and the Beeqa valley, and among vulnerable communities in Lebanon.
As part of UNIMED’s strategic priorities, employability, especially of young people and students, is among the main core working areas of the network, and the project aligns with UNIMED’s commitment to promoting inclusive economic growth and social integration in the Mediterranean region.
Building a stronger social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Lebanon: key moments
Since its inception, the SE.TC project has undertaken numerous initiatives to strengthen the Lebanese social entrepreneurship ecosystem. This Erasmus+ project, led by the Saint Joseph University of Beirut, includes an international consortium composed of 4 Lebanese universities – besides USJ, the Lebanese University,Université La Sagesse and the East International University – and 3 European partners, the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO (in Italy), the Technological University of Shannon (in Ireland) and UNIMED. The cooperation among partners, embedded in the classical framework of capacity building’s transferability of skills, led to different milestones that occurred during the last year and a half.
A key moment was the training visit to TUS in Ireland, where Lebanese partners had the opportunity to explore various figures of social entrepreneurship, from its integration into education to its broader societal impact. Through interactive sessions and exchanges with experts, participants gained valuable insights into best practices and innovative approaches that could be adapted to the Lebanese context.
In a similar effort to bridge expertise and local needs, the partners organized the “Innovate for Social Impact” event in Beirut in June 2024. This gathering brought together international experts in social entrepreneurship and Lebanese young entrepreneurs to discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions in fostering social enterprises. The event provided a platform for sharing experiences and highlighted the importance of education, policy support, and community-driven initiatives in shaping a thriving ecosystem.
The SE.TC project has also given space to inspiring individual stories, such as that of Firas Yehya, a young Lebanese entrepreneur who, through the Erasmus Days campaign of the European Union, shared his experience in establishing a social enterprise. His successful case is narrated through this video.
Partners gathered in presence again in Rome, during a training visit organised by UNIMED and hosted at the premises of UNINETTUNO. The visit in Italy allowed partners to have insights from experts on how to raise awareness and advance in the conversation around the social impact of enterprises, on funding mechanisms and sustainability of actions, and on how to make use of digital technology in education. Moreover, partners worked jointly to design an educational framework to improve the educational offer in Lebanese universities, having a first source of inspiration for the development of the SE.TC curriculum for students interested in social entrepreneurship.
Further strengthening its reach, the SE.TC project was featured in December 2024 at the webinar titled “Erasmus Session on Capacity Building in Higher Education”, organised by the National Erasmus+ Office in Lebanon. This webinar highlighted the pivotal role of higher education institutions in fostering sustainable development and inclusion, especially in crisis-affected regions.
In parallel, thanks to the outreach potential of UNIMED, the Lebanese SE.TC partners built synergies with the Palestinian partners of the EPISODE project, which focuses on fostering digital social entrepreneurship in Palestine. By creating meaningful connections and sharing expertise, both projects had the chance to learn from each others’ experiences, and continue working to contribute to enhancing economic resilience and digital readiness in the Mediterranean region.
Higher Education: the need to strengthen the role of academia for boosting entrepreneurship and social inclusion
Higher education institutions remain crucial actors in this journey, shaping future social entrepreneurs by integrating social entrepreneurship into academic curricula. The SE.TC project underscores the importance of equipping students and young professionals with the tools and knowledge to drive meaningful change, reinforcing consensus around the idea that sustainable development and inclusion can be achieved through education and innovation. As it continues its path, the project remains committed to empowering young entrepreneurs and fostering a culture of social innovation in Lebanon and beyond.
To learn more about the next steps and activities of the SE.TC project, follow the official website and the YouTube channel.
