IdeaDay USJ Zahle and Bekaa Campuses

The USJ Entrepreneurship Center (EC²) brings its Idea Day to the Zahlé and Taanayel campuses to help students in the Bekaa turn creative concepts into real-world business and social projects. The event is aimed at students at the earliest stage of the entrepreneurial journey, when an idea exists but has yet to be tested, shaped, or put into words.

Throughout the day, students meet with professional mentors, including entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry experts, who spend time with them to discuss their ideas. In an informal and supportive setting, students present their concepts and receive honest, practical feedback. Mentors help them assess feasibility, challenge their assumptions about market need, customers, and resources, and point out risks and opportunities they may have overlooked.

By bringing this experience directly to the Bekaa, Idea Day gives students from the region access to mentors and networks that might otherwise be harder to reach. It also encourages ideas rooted in local realities, such as agriculture and agri-food, regional commerce, and community needs, while helping students think about how their projects could grow beyond the region.

Beyond feedback on individual ideas, the day is about building an entrepreneurial mindset: thinking critically, testing assumptions, and approaching problems the way founders do. Students with promising concepts can be guided toward further EC² support, such as workshops and competitions, to help them move from idea to impact.