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Keynote Speakers
(In alphabetical order)
 

Elie Barbour

 Professor at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon

Education
BS and MS:  From American University of Beirut
PhD:  From School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

Experience
Former Technical Director for Innovation of Biologics, Brinton Co.,Willmar, Minnesota, USA
Former Professor at American University of Beirut
Currently, Adjunct Prof. at King Abdulaziz University, KSA
Currently Head of R & D at Opticon, Switzerland

Publications
186 manuscripts in refereed scientific journals
4 US Patents and one International Patent
Two books at Barns and Noble

 Inventions
Vaccines for MG, velogenic NDV, Salmonella Enteritidis
Antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and Anti-coccidial pharmaceuticals

Silvia Cerolini.

Professor. at the University of Milan, Department of Veterinary Medicine
Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy.

Education
• 1978-1982 Graduation in Animal Production, University of Milan, Italy. Thesis title: Cage design and foot pad dermatitis in laying hens.
• 1983-1986 PhD in Animal Science, University of Milan, Italy. Thesis title: Intensive husbandry system and reproduction in laying hens: productive and physiological functions.
• 1987-1998 Researcher at the ‘Institute for the safeguard and valorisation of animal germplasm’ (Unit of Animal Reproduction), National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy.
• 1995-1998 Secondment in post-doc position at the Biochemical Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Ayr, UK.
• 1998-Present Associate professor in Poultry Science, SSD AGR20 Zoocolture, at the University of Milan, Italy.

Research interests and current research activity
• Management and reproductive function during ageing in laying hens.
• In vitro assessment of sperm quality, semen storage and sperm changes related to ageing in domestic animals (bulls, chickens, pheasants).
• Lipid and antioxidant components of semen in domestic birds (chickens and turkeys) and mammals (boars and rabbits). Relation between lipids, quality parameters and fertility in sperm.
• Dietary manipulation of sperm fatty acids to improve male fertility and semen storage in poultry.
Current research activity is related to the conservation of local avian breeds: genetic and phenotypic characterization, management guidelines for free range rearing systems, semen cryopreservation technology.

Publications
Author and co-author of 56 full papers in scientific journals, 49 of which in peer-reviewed journals with IF, and 13 chapters in books.

Nuhad Daghir

Dean Emeritus
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
President of the 6th Mediterranean Poultry Summit

Dr N.J. Daghir received his BSc from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1957 and was immediately appointed by AUB to provide agricultural extension services to the central and northern Beqa'a region in Lebanon, to where he introduced commercial poultry production. He earned both his MSc and PhD degrees from Iowa State University in 1959 and 1962, respectively. In 1962, he helped establish the Lebanese branch of the World Poultry Science Association and became president of that branch until 1984. During the same year, he started his teaching and research career at the AUB. In 1967, he was promoted to associate professor and in 1975 to full professor. He has served as adviser for over 50 MSc graduate students, many of whom have later received PhD degrees from US universities and are now occupying key positions all over the world.

Dr Daghir is a member of several professional and honorary organizations and has served as a consultant to poultry companies in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Kuwait, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. He has participated in lecture tours on poultry production in countries all over the World and has served on special assignments for several organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, American Soybean Association, and the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research. He also served on many international, regional and national committees such as the International Standing committee of WPSA on Nutrient Requirements and the committee of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (commission VI, committee 8) on Nutrition of Poultry.

Dr Daghir has had over 100 articles published in scientific journals and the proceedings of international meetings as well as several chapters in books and compendia. The second edition of his book "Poultry Production in Hot Climates" was published by CABI in 2008.  His research has covered a wide range of subjects, such as factors affecting vitamin requirements of poultry, utilization of agricultural by-products in poultry feeds, nutrient requirements of poultry at high-temperature conditions, seeds of desert plants as potential sources of feed and food, and plant protein supplements of importance to hot regions. His research has received funding from the US National Institutes of Health, the International Development Research Centre of Canada and the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research. He has served as Chairman of the Animal Science Department, Associate Dean and Dean of his Faculty at AUB. From  1986 to 1992, he served as Director of Technical Services at the Shaver Poultry Breeding Company in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University, AI-Ain, UAE, from 1992 to 1996, and as Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at AUB, from 1996 to 2006. In 2012, he was inducted into the International Poultry Hall of Fame.

Musa Freiji

CEO
Wadi Group / Tanmia Co.
Cairo, Egypt / Beirut, Lebanon

Eng. Musa Freiji may easily be described as the father of commercial poultry production in Lebanon and the Arab World. Upon his graduation from AUB in 1957 up to the present time he got involved in establishing production companies and in promoting the latest technologies in poultry husbandry in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan.
He also extended the free service principle to growers of egg or poultry meat production in 20 Arab and African countries in order to improve their efficiency, productivity, bio-security, food safety and profitability.
  Born in Zahleh- Lebanon November 1937
  Education: Primary School – Zahle 1949, Evangelical High School – Zahle 1953, AUB – Faculty of Agriculture, B.Sc. - 1957
Work Career
  Green Leaf; Lebanon; 1957–1958
  Established The White Farm; Bekaa, Lebanon; 1958-1980
  Established and managed Wardi & Co.; Lebanon; 1959-1972
  Established and co-managed the Bekaa Fresh Eggs Producing and Marketing Cooperative (FREGCO); Bekaa, Lebanon; 1964–1990
  Established and managed Tanmia - The Agricultural Development Co.; Lebanon; 1972-2013
  Established and managed The Arab Poultry Co.
Lebanon; 1973-1980
  Established and managed The Modern Feed Co.; Lebanon; 1973-1996
  Established and managed Syria Poultry Co.; Syria; 1973-1982
  Co-established and technically managed Homs Poultry; Syria; 1976-1998
  Established and managed Saudi Poultry Co.; Saudi Arabia; 1976-1990
  Co-established and technically managed Jordan Poultry Breeding Co; Jordan; 1976 to date
  Established and managed The Saudi Agricultural Development Co.; Saudi Arabia; 1977-1990
  Co-established and technically managed the Arab Poultry Parents Co.; Saudi Arabia; 1991-2001
  Co-established and held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of the following companies in Egypt; (1984 To date): Wadi Poultry, Rula for land Reclamation, Wadi Hatcheries, Wadi Feed, Wadi Holdings, Wadi Poultry Grandparents, Wadi Food Processing, Wadi Farms, Wadi Poultry Parents, Wadi Glass, Haditha for import, export and production

Hafez M Hafez

Professor Veterinarian
Institute of Poultry Diseases
Free University Berlin
Berlin, Germany

Prof. Dr. Dr. Hafez was head of the Institute of Poultry Diseases of the Free University in Berlin from October 1st 1997 until 31st March 2016. He is currently Gust “Senior” Professor at the same Institute. Dr Hafez gained his Master of Veterinary Science (MVSc) at the department of Poultry Diseases from Cairo University in 1975, and in 1981 completed his Dr. medicinae veterinariae (Dr. med. vet) at the department of Poultry Diseases, Giessen University, Germany and in 1994 he finished the Dr. habilitatus (Dr. med. vet. habil.) thesis at the department of Poultry Diseases, Munich University, Germany.

Hafez is Veterinary Poultry Specialist since 1982; Veterinary Microbiology Specialist since 1989, Veterinary Animal Hygiene Specialist since 1996 and since 2005 Diplomate of European College of Veterinary Public health (Dipl. ECVPH) and since 2009 Diplomate of European College of Poultry Veterinary Science (Dipl. ECPVS).

He is currently the Honorary Life President of the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA), He is Past-President of the WVPA, Past-President of European College of Poultry Veterinary Science (ECPVS), Chairman of Poultry Scientific Committee of the German Veterinary Chamber, Chairman of the German Branch of the World Veterinary Poultry Association and Chairman Working group 10 (Turkey) European Branch of World Poultry Science Association (WPSA).

In addition, he is an honorary Professor at the University of Hohenheim since 1996 as well as honorary Professor at the Alexandria University, Egypt since 2009. Dr. Hafez is a member of several other scientific committees related to veterinary medicine. Since 2015 he is advisor of the Arab Federation for Food Industries (AFFI).
Dr. Hafez research interest focused on poultry diseases diagnosis and control in general and on respiratory and food borne diseases, management, and hygiene.

Dr. Hafez has published 241 articles in peere reviewed journals, 50 books and chapters in books, and made over 570 presentations in scientific meetings. He has also supervised 80 Masters, doctor thesis, Ph.D and Habilitation students..

Nadim Khouri

Independent Researcher
World Bank
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Khouri is an independent researcher on food security.  He presently advises The World Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on evidence-based policies and investments in agriculture and global food security, the adaptation of African agriculture to climate change, and food security in the Middle-East and North Africa Region.  Khouri’s professional experience started in consulting for natural resources development (Dar-Al-Handasah, Beirut, 1979-1984).  Later, he had a 20-year career at the World Bank (Washington, 1988-2008), operational and leadership position, leading the design and implementation of evidence-supported strategies and investments in rural development in South Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.  From 2008 to 2011, as Regional Director, he led the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Europe, Near East and North Africa Division based in Rome, developing and managing a portfolio of $100 million per year in researching, piloting and large-scale investing in agriculture and food security.  Between 2011 and 2015, Khouri joined the United Nations Secretariat, as the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) based in Beirut.  His responsibilities at UN-ESCWA included management of a 400+ workforce and planning and supervising its work for the promotion of regional economic integration—with food security as one key priority.  He has a PhD in agriculture from the University of Massachusetts in the US, an MSc in agriculture development from the University of London, UK, and a BSc and MSc in agriculture engineering and soils and irrigation from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Laura Rossi

Large experiences in nutrition activities in developing and developed countries. Evaluation of nutritional status in individuals and populations: field studies using anthropometric and biochemical techniques; use of nutrition indicators for projects’ evaluation; design of nutritional surveillance systems; clinical trials. Extensive institutional activities for public health nutrition consensus document preparation. Member of Management Editorial Board for revision of Italian Recommended Intake of Energy and Nutrient (LARN) and Co-coordinator of Editorial Board for National Food Based Dietary Guidelines revision. Italian Technical Focal point (FAO) for INC+21 preparation. Management of complex national and international research projects. Member of Italian governmental committees and scientific societies. Consultant for UN bodies, EU, NGOs for nutritional programmes in low and medium income countries (LMICs). Bibliographical activity, peer reviews papers, consensus documents and technical reports.
Maturity and initiative to establish effective working relationships with people of different cultural backgrounds. Strong leadership skills and supportive management. Diplomatic ability.

Key words: Public health nutrition, nutrient recommendations, evaluation of nutritional status
 

Samuele Trestini

Professor
University of Padova - Italy
Vice Director
Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry
Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova (Italy)

Main activities:
Master degree in Agricultural Science (2002) and Ph.D. in Agri-food Economics and Policy (2006) at the University of Padova (Italy). Visiting PhD scholar (2005) at University College of Dublin, Dept. of Agribusiness Extension and Rural Development, Dublin (Ireland). From 2015, Associate Professor and chair in Agri-food Economics and Policy at the University of Padova. Vice-director of the Dept. of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (Unipd). Authors of peer reviewed papers and conference papers, anonymous referee for international peer reviewed journals: EIP, National and local project coordinator. Member of the European Association of Agricultural Economics (EAAE), Società Italiana di Economia Agraria (SIDEA), Società Italiana di Economia Agroalimentare (SIEA).

Main scientific interest:
EU Common Agricultural Policy reforms (both I and II Pillar). Agricultural risk management policy analysis. Marketing and consumer behavior analysis. Analysis of food market and trade dynamics (among others, specific focus on livestock, fishery, vegetables, fruits, wine sectors and functional food). EU policy on food quality. Analysis of supply chain management and dynamics related to the most relevant agri-food sectors. Environmental economics and policy.