Lamis Jomaa

Food and nutrition security of refugees and host communities at the intersection of sustainability and internationalization

The talk will discuss why food and nutrition security (FNS) remain and will continue to be imminent challenges that face the world’s population. A particular focus will be on addressing the FNS of vulnerable groups, including refugees, women, and children within the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda and what are the main determinants, trends, and consequences of FNS in conflict and displacement-affected settings. The case of the Syrian crisis and its implications on the FNS of neighboring countries in the MENA region will be considered closely to highlight promising interventions, initiatives, and solutions currently being considered within this context, while addressing what role do higher education institutions currently play through research, teaching and outreach. We will be exploring what are the barriers and facilitators to the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives and what can we do within and outside the classroom to promote internationalization while also bringing meaning and value to the experience of students and beneficiaries.

Bio

Lamis Jomaa is an assistant professor in community nutrition at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon and an affiliate assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the US. She serves as the co-director of the Refugee Health Program within the Global Health Institute at AUB and as a member of the Food Security and Rural and Community Development graduate programs at AUB.

As a Fulbright scholar, Jomaa earned her masters and doctoral degrees in Nutritional Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University (USA). Her main research interests include the assessment of food and nutrition security status of vulnerable population groups, including women and children from refugee and impoverished host communities. In addition, she is interested in exploring the dietary intake and nutritional status of youth and young adults and in developing and evaluating community-based interventions to alleviate food insecurity, obesity and malnutrition. Jomaa has published more than a dozen of her most recent research articles in high impact factor journals, including Nutrition Reviews, PLOS One, Nutrients, and Public Health Nutrition.  She also received several awards in recognition of her academic, research, and outreach excellence, including her most recent achievement as one of the top World Economic Forum young scientists (under the age of 40) who are involved in the advancement of science, engineering, and technology.