Australian Ambassador Visits the LAU Industrial Hub

Australian Ambassador Andrew Barnes visited the LAU Industrial Hub to review progress on a local manufacturing initiative focused on addressing period poverty in Lebanon. The project, supported by Australian Aid in collaboration with UN Women and ACTED, aims to manufacture affordable and hygienic menstrual care products while supporting job creation and local production capacity. The visit brought together representatives from LAU, LAUIH, the Arab Institute for Women, Australian Aid, ACTED, UN Women, faculty members, and the student team working on the initiative. The students, known as the Padvocates, presented their work on designing and assembling a machine that manufactures hygienic menstrual care products. The project reflects LAUIH’s role in connecting partner needs with applied engineering, student capacity, and professional supervision. By developing the machine locally, the initiative supports more practical deployment, easier maintenance, and improved access to affordable products for communities in need. Ambassador Barnes expressed pride in the project’s progress and reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to gender equality and supporting women in need. The visit highlighted how LAUIH’s Industry Pod model can support both technical delivery and social impact through structured collaboration with local and international partners.