Digital Youth Leaders

Digital Youth Leaders is an international forum co-organized by Saint Joseph University of Beirut and Rethinking Lebanon, dedicated to highlighting the pivotal role of young digital leaders in reimagining and shaping the future of Lebanon and the global community.

Previous editions have brought together thousands of participants both in-person and virtually via Zoom and Metaverse.

The previous editions were a tremendous success, attracting thousands of participants both in-person and online. You can relive the energy and impact of past events through the recap videos of DYL23 and DYL24.

For its 2025 edition (DYL25), The Cedar Reboots, the forum will host national and international experts in dynamic discussions on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybersecurity, and their accelerating impact across sectors such as healthcare, media and beyond. The forum will examine the infrastructural, educational, and economic challenges facing the adoption of these technologies in Lebanon, while emphasizing the transformative role of youth in turning technological advancement into a thriving and sustainable industry.

Digital Youth Leaders International Forum will bring together all the stakeholders such as technology providers, industries, academia, and most importantly students.

It will be held at Jean Ducruet Auditorium, USJ, CST campus, Mar Roukos - Dekwaneh on October 31, 2025. However, you can tune in to our live stream on Zoom or dive into our immersive metaverse experience.

Program

9:00 am - 9:30 am

Registration

9:30 am - 10:00 am

Inauguration Session

Master of Ceremony: Rahaf Abdallah, Former Miss Lebanon, TV Anchor and Actor

Jihad El Hokayem, President of Rethinking Lebanon
Wassim Raphael, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Architechture at USJ
Salim Daccache, s.j - Rector of Saint Joseph University of Beirut, USJ

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Keynote Speaker: Leading Through Disruption in Media and Beyond

Joe Kawkabani, Former Group CEO at OSN and Former Group CIO at KIPCO

10:30 am - 11:30 am

Panel 1: The Future in Motion: Robotics and Innovation

Session Chair: Imad Elhajj, Professor and Associate Dean, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at AUB

Samer Abdallah, Global Lead Partner, Boar Member, Head of ICT Sector at KPMG
Anthony Rizk, Innovation Manager and Founder at Idealworks, BMW Group
Amal Abdallah, Intellectual Property Expert and Strategy Consultant, Partner at SABA IP
Fadi Daou, CEO at Multilane

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Networking Break

12:00 pm - 12:15 pm

Keynote Speaker: From Technology Users to Technology Builders: Empowering the Digital Generation

Adel Afiouni, CEO at CME GCC, Former Minister for Investments and Technology

12:15 pm - 01:15 pm

Panel 2: Cybersecurity and Fintech: Skills for Establishing and Growing Startups

Session Chair: Jinane Sayah, Associate Professor, Issam Fares Faculty of Technology at University of Balamand

Tony Feghali, CEO at Potech
Georges Salloum, CEO at I-Stay
Bijan Azad, Professor of Innovation and Strategy at American University of Beirut (AUB)
Wissam Sammouri, Director of 42 Beirut & Adjunct Professor of Analytics at the Lebanese American University (LAU)

01:15 pm - 01:30 pm

Break

01:30 pm - 02:30 pm

Panel 3: The AI Revolution in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities

Session Chair: Georges S. Juvelekian, Deputy CMO for Medical Affairs and Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care and Sleep Divisions at AUB-KMC

Bakhos Tannous, Executive Director, Head of Rare Cancer Discovery at AstraZeneca, Former Full Professor at Harvard Medical School
Joy Elian El Hayek, Assistant Professor in the Department of Digital Dentistry, AI and Evolving Technologies at USJ
Zeenat Patrawala, Former Head of Partnerships/Business Development at Google AI/Health
Anthony Sfeir, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Mersaco

02:30 pm - 02:45 pm

Keynote Speaker: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Armies

Georges Saker, Brigadier General, Deputy Chief of Staff of Plans in the Lebanese Army

02:45 pm - 03:00 pm

Break

03:00 pm - 04:00 pm

Panel 4: AI and the Future of Work: Rethinking Pathways from Learning to Earning

Session Chair: Ursula El Hage, Director of the Career Services and Entrepreneurship Center at Saint Joseph University of Beirut

Frederico Lima, Economist and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative in Lebanon
Ibrahim Jamali, Associate Professor and Director of the EMBA Program at the American University of Beirut (AUB)
Joe Tekli, Professor and Associate Provost at the Lebanese American University (LAU), Director of InMind Academy
Jamil Gaith, Co-founder and CEO of MobileArts Group

04:00 pm - 04:15 pm

Keynote Speaker: AI in Art: Shaping Creativity

Waleed Nassif, Founder of WP Production, Senior Filmmaker and AI Media Innovator

04:15 pm - 04:30 pm

Break

04:30 pm - 05:30 pm

Technical Workshops in Breakout Rooms (6 Parallel Workshops)

From Ideas to Assets: Protecting Your Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Era
By Amal Ambdallah

Ai-Driven Healthcare Solutions:
From Data to Patient Impact
By Anthony Sfeir

Ai-Powered Time Series Forecasting:
By Thomas Abd Al Karim
Machine Learning Engineer at CME

Ai and Me: Imagining Tomorrow's Work

By Zeenat Patrawala

Mental Health in the AI Era
Nada Koussa
Miss Lebanon 2024-Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Ambassador of Mental Health at the Ministry of Public Health

AI Media Innovation
By Waleed Nassif