Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship

Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship The Samih Darwazah Center of the Olayan School of Business aims to document and enhance innovative practices in the business community

The OSB “Samih Darwazah Center for Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship” was made possible through a generous gift from the Darwazah Family; a pioneering group in the pharmaceutical industry on a global scale. The Darwazah Center for the study of innovation and entrepreneurship was inaugurated on January 14, 2011 in OSB's Maamari Auditorium. The center aims to document and enhance innovative practices in the business community. It seeks to generate reliable information to guide evidence-based decision-making in this key sector that holds strategic importance in a knowledge economy. Its scope includes research, field studies, benchmarking, seminars and workshops as well as conferences all focused on the pivotal domain of organizational renewal and wealth creation through creative enterprise. “Innovate or die” is a serious risk facing businesses today and the new center hopes to become a major asset and a strategic resource for facing this challenge. Samih Darwazah, founder and chairman of Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2005, was employed at Eli Lilly from 1964 to 1976 before establishing Hikma Pharmaceuticals in Jordan in 1977. Between 1995 and 1996 he served as minister of energy and mineral resources in Jordan. He also founded the Jordan Trade Association and was a member of the Advisory Economic Council to His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan. A Fulbright scholar, Darwazah holds a master's degree in industrial pharmacy from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Missouri which he obtained in 1964, and a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the American University of Beirut in 1954. Darwazah was elected Middle East Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007 by Ernst and Young. In 2009, Darwazah was elected chairman of Capital Bank of Jordan and he also served as a Member of the Senate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Darwazah was granted an honorary doctorate from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in May 2010. Vision
Achieving and sustaining globally recognized thought leadership in the areas of Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship with a focus on the Middle East Region.

12/11/2025

First step to solving a problem: Understand it!

In partnership with 180 Degrees Consulting Club at , Dr. Bijan Azad, Director of the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship at Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB, American University of Beirut (AUB), delivered a workshop titled “Process Analysis Deep-Dive".

Through techniques like and , students learned to reframe complex business cases, develop structured approaches to analysis, and apply practical frameworks to tackle real-world business challenges.

To bring the concepts to life, Dr. Azad engaged students in consulting-style case discussions and exercises. Constructive feedback helped them sharpen their analytical and problem-solving skills.

07/11/2025

Can a social business preserve culture and still scale sustainably?

Nathalie Kordahi, General Manager of L'artisan du Liban, explains how purpose and profit can thrive together, blending cultural preservation with financial resilience to drive lasting impact!

Full story here: https://bit.ly/3V9VC3D

podcast series is produced by the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB, American University of Beirut (AUB), in partnership with SPARK Middle East's "From Innovation to Creation" programme, funded by the European Union.

Bijan Azad Mahmoud Ayoub Bokja Kids Airline Pediatric Clinic Go Baladi Moodfit - Design and Furniture Sarah's Bag TAQA Wakilni eddress Yayy

05/11/2025

“What do you know about Cost Structure and Revenue Streams?” With that question, the expert Ms. Lina Tannir, Senior Finance Lecturer at Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB, American University of Beirut (AUB), set the tone for 's second bootcamp on 1 November 2025.

Selected candidates practiced developing realistic , revisited their assumptions, and took part in structured exercises aimed at enhancing their understanding of .

Participants also benefited from insightful inputs from the renowned mentors who supported the teams in strengthening their financial decision-making.

Proud of our teams! As the advances, they continue to refine, grow, and move closer to building ventures that create real-world impact.

Bijan Azad Mahmoud Ayoub

03/11/2025

Inspiring insights from the International Forum 2025!

During the panel “Cybersecurity and FinTech: Skills for Establishing and Growing Startups”, Dr. Jinane Sayah, a first-rate moderator, kicked things off by asking Dr. Bijan Azad, Director of the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship, about essential startup skills.

Dr. Azad urged entrepreneurs, who are building innovative ventures in today’s digital economy, to strengthen their skills, highlighting the fundamental role of as a critical area where most founders fall short.

To drive the point home, he implored founders to adopt the “Physics of Sales” mindset - meaning that their sales approach should follow the principles of what naturally attracts customers to their products. He emphasized that successful founders don’t “push” products onto customers. Instead, they focus on how their offering fits naturally into the customer’s workflow and jobs-to-be-done.

Fellow panelists Dr. Wissam Sammouri, Mr. Tony Feghali, and Mr. George Salloum also delivered insightful contributions that resonated with the audience.

A big thank you to Dr. Jihad El Hokayem and Rethinking Lebanon Lebanon for making this impactful forum possible!

Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth - USJ Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB American University of Beirut (AUB)

31/10/2025

officially kicked off!

For the 12th year in a row, a group of passionate students were selected to join , 's flagship annual student competition, to turn their bold ideas into real ventures.

The first bootcamp, held on Saturday 25 October 2025, began with an inspiring session on "Value Proposition Design and Development", delivered by Dr. Bijan Azad, Director of Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship and Professor of Strategy and Innovation at Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB, American University of Beirut (AUB).

Students then put their learnings into practice via an in-class exercise, followed by one-on-one mentoring sessions with our dedicated experts.

The energy was incredible - participants were eager to learn, refine their ideas, and gain valuable insights, while mentors generously shared their expertise and support.

Mahmoud Ayoub

Mark your calendar!Dr. Bijan Azad, Director of the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship at the...
27/10/2025

Mark your calendar!

Dr. Bijan Azad, Director of the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB, American University of Beirut (AUB) will be speaking at the International Forum 2025 on October 31 at 12:15 pm, at Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth - USJ – CST Campus.

Join to learn more about "Cybersecurity and FinTech: Skills for Establishing and Growing Startups". Dr. Azad will be sharing insights on the key skills startup founders and managers need to build and grow their ventures successfully.

21/10/2025

Every failure is a level up!

Yayy's "Fail Cheap, Fail Fast" isn't just a motto, it's a mindset that fuels bold thinking and smart adaptation, turning every challenge into an opportunity for growth!

Full story here: https://bit.ly/3JXDYO9

podcast series is produced by the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management And Entrepreneurship the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB, American University of Beirut (AUB), in partnership with SPARK Middle East's "From Innovation to Creation" programme, funded by the European Union.

Bijan Azad Mahmoud Ayoub Bokja Kids Airline Pediatric Clinic Go Baladi L'artisan du Liban Moodfit - Design and Furniture Sarah's Bag TAQA Wakilni eddress

25/09/2025

Future founders start here.

Are you ready?

Apply to now for a chance to win $10,000.

Application Link: https://dsa.aub.edu.lb/

Deadline: October 5, 2025

Bijan Azad Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB American University of Beirut (AUB)

17/09/2025

Last year’s winners turned their ideas into reality.

It’s your turn now!

Apply before October 5 for a chance to win $10,000.

Application Link: https://dsa.aub.edu.lb/

Bijan Azad Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB American University of Beirut (AUB)

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