Two HIAST-CIE Incubated Startups Selected for Startup Syria’s Pitch Day

TwinWin and Arabi Mubeen, two startups incubated at HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE), have been selected to participate in Startup Syria’s Pitch Day on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week Syria (GEW Syria 2026).

TwinWin is a subscription app offering buy-one-get-one-free deals, helping local businesses in Aleppo attract new customers while delivering greater value to users. Arabi Mubeen provides online Arabic lessons for children living in non-Arabic-speaking countries.

Their selection marks an important milestone for both ventures and an opportunity to showcase their solutions on a national entrepreneurship platform. It also highlights the presence of HIAST-CIE’s incubated startups in Syria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

From Idea to Prototype: An AI-Powered Workshop at HIAST’s Aleppo Branch

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) held an interactive, practical workshop titled “From Idea to Prototype” at HIAST’s Aleppo branch on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week Syria 2026. The workshop was delivered by Eng. Hasan Alhasan, Head of the Startups Department at HIAST.

The workshop explored how to turn real-world problems into digital solutions that can be tested, from understanding users and validating their needs to defining a core function, designing a user journey, and building, testing, and refining a prototype with AI tools.

A Local Supporting Partner for Entrepreneurship Week in Syria

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) is pleased to be a local supporting partner for Entrepreneurship Week in Syria.

Stay tuned for the activities the Center will launch during the week.

Projects Advancing to the Second Stage of the Incubation Program Announced

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) is pleased to announce the projects selected for the second stage of its Startup and Idea Incubation Program.

The program received applications from 159 teams, with 22 advancing to the first stage. A dedicated page presents the eight teams selected by the Center for the final stage, based on its capacity to provide support and allocate resources effectively.

“Start First: The Magic Formula for Entrepreneurs” with Moe Ghashim

As part of its AI Launch Lab Startup and Idea Incubation Program, HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) organized an interactive online session titled “Start First: The Magic Formula for Entrepreneurs,” featuring Syrian technology entrepreneur Moe Ghashim and attended by the program’s teams.

Ghashim shared practical insights and lessons from his experience founding, building, and developing digital ventures, drawing on his work in e-commerce and entrepreneur enablement, including ShopGo and MyJam. The session explored the experience of launching ventures and the challenges of developing them, helping participating teams learn from an entrepreneur’s journey.

“Start Where You Left Off: Lessons in Building Yourself and Your Venture” with Sakhr Sawan

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) hosted entrepreneur and technology expert Sakhr Sawan for an online discussion titled “Start Where You Left Off: Lessons in Building Yourself and Your Venture,” as part of the AI Launch Lab Startup and Idea Incubation Program, with the participation of the program’s teams.

The session drew on more than twenty years of experience in systems engineering, technical leadership, and building technology products and companies. Topics included founding companies, bringing products to market, managing teams and projects, navigating decisions and challenges in entrepreneurship, and translating professional experience into practical steps for personal and venture development.

Applying AI in Administrative Work

Dr. Fadi Amroush, Director of HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE), delivered a three-day online training program titled “Applying AI at Work,” attended by members of HIAST’s administrative staff.

The program offered a practical introduction to generative AI and the use of ChatGPT and Gemini, with exercises in prompting, file analysis, and working with text, images, and documents. Participants also identified real challenges in their work environment and analyzed the associated workflows to explore how these tools could support administrative tasks and improve working methods.

Building Prototypes with Artificial Intelligence

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE), in cooperation with Digit incubator, organized a practical lecture titled “Building Prototypes with Artificial Intelligence” at Digit’s center in Damascus, as part of the AI Launch Lab incubation program.

Delivered by Dr. Fadi Amroush, Director of the Center, the lecture covered practical topics including prompt engineering, building Skills, and using generative AI tools to develop prototypes, helping the program’s teams turn their ideas into solutions that can be tested and refined more quickly and effectively.

AI Launch Lab Team Mentoring Sessions Begin

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) launched the first mentoring and guidance sessions for project teams accepted into the AI Launch Lab incubation program at HIAST’s headquarters in Damascus, following the evaluation and selection of eligible teams.

The opening session marked the start of the program’s first phase. The Center’s team began working directly with entrepreneurs to assess technical needs, review business plans, and provide specialist guidance on prototype development, accelerating the transformation of innovative solutions into practical applications that can be further developed.

Using AI Tools in Education

The Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology, in cooperation with its Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE), organized a scientific lecture titled “Using AI Tools in Education.”

The lecture reviewed key AI applications and tools for teaching and learning, and discussed how to use them responsibly and effectively to support faculty members and students and improve the quality of education.

Applying AI in Teaching and Learning

Dr. Fadi Amroush, Director of HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE), delivered a scientific discussion workshop titled “Applying AI in Teaching and Learning” at HIAST’s Aleppo branch.

The workshop covered prompt engineering for large language models (LLMs) and ways to formulate clear instructions for more accurate outputs. It presented practical uses of AI tools in content preparation, learning support, and improving productivity for teachers and students.

Lecture on Innovation in Teaching and Learning Using AI

The Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology, in cooperation with Idlib University, organized a scientific lecture titled “Innovation in Teaching and Learning Using AI.” Dr. Fadi Amroush, Director of HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, delivered the lecture at the Faculty of Science auditorium at Idlib University.

The lecture explored the impact of AI on higher education and ways to use it to support the educational process, with practical applications to help faculty members and students use these technologies for learning and innovation.

Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI Agents

Dr. Fadi Amroush, Director of HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE), delivered a lecture titled “Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI Agents” as part of the first phase of Scale Up Damascus 2026.

The lecture was held in partnership with Sanad Al-Shabab and Together with Youth, with representatives from 25 startups in essential service sectors attending. Dr. Amroush reviewed the changes AI agents have brought to entrepreneurship and offered practical guidance to help entrepreneurs use these technologies to develop their ventures and improve opportunities for growth and innovation.

Cooperation to Support Engineering Innovation and Technical Projects

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) signed a memorandum of understanding with Field Ready Syria to strengthen cooperation in practical training, engineering innovation, and support for technical and entrepreneurial projects, particularly among students and young innovators in Aleppo.

The memorandum focuses on connecting academic knowledge with practical application, enabling students to develop implementable innovative projects, and preparing for participation in upcoming technology exhibitions and events in Syria, supporting the innovation and startup ecosystem.

Cooperation Between HIAST-CIE and Jadyl AI Studio in Artificial Intelligence

HIAST’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIAST-CIE) and Jadyl AI Studio signed an executive memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, innovation support, and the development of joint initiatives and projects.

The Center was represented by its Director, Dr. Fadi Amroush, and Jadyl AI Studio by its President, Dr. Maan Al-Tounji. The memorandum opens a path for joint programs and projects with practical impact, supporting the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Syria.