UOB is Now Reviving Dead Batteries Thanks to a Donation from the University of Paris Saclay.

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, Prof. Rami Abboud at the Faculty of Engineering received Dr. Pascal Vareille from the University of Paris Saclay. This visit comes in the context of a long history of collaboration between the two universities.

Dr. Vareille brought with her a generous donation consisting of innovative open-source educational materials that are based on innovative approaches to retro-tech and low-tech. This donation was co-financed by the Erasmus+ program and the student association, Développement Energie Emploi (D2E), to raise awareness on sustainable development and the circular economy among the younger generation.

The donation consists of a Regencase and 15 Regenboxes manufactured by the Association Atelier 21. With Regenboxes, traditional alkaline batteries can be renewed by current pulses that conserve their components rendering them reusable. In fact, batteries can contain rare resources and extremely polluting extractions which is exactly why this matter should be tackled in a sustainable way to help protect the environment. In this respect, research has shown that it takes 50 times more energy to make a disposable alkaline battery than it can provide in its lifetime.
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Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Rami Abboud emphasized the importance of adopting sustainable methods and shifting towards renewable energy strategies as he highlighted the importance of spreading awareness among students and integrating sustainability as part of their lifestyle as well as coursework and research. Prof Abboud thanked the efforts of Dr. Vareille for the generous donation to the University of Balamand and assured that this is will a valued contribution to our efforts in promoting sustainability and sustainable practices in Higher Education. He also commended the efforts of the Faculty of Engineering’s latest faculty member Dr. Rodrigue Imad who will be entrusted with sustaining and advancing this academic collaboration. ​