Nicolas Al Achkar

2023-2026: PhD course in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science (ciclo XXXIX), University of Catania. Research project: "Evaluation of the Mediterranean agrobiodiversity resilient to water deficit".

2023: Agricultural Manager, Consultant, AZ. AGR. TERRA DEL BARONE SRL, Agrigento. Creation and managment of Agro-touristical field in the archeological parc of the Valley of Temples, Agrigento. Collection Characterization and regeneration of Sicilian and mediteranean traditional cultivations and landraces.  

Aug 2022-Dec 2022: Research Grant, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania. Research grant: “Conservazione e valorizzazione di risorse genetiche siciliane di specie fitoalimurgiche della famiglia delle Brassicaceae”. within the project: "Programma di Sviluppo Rurale (PSR) Sicilia"

April 2022-July 2022: Postgraduate Erasmus⁺ Traineeship at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania. Traineeship title: "Characterisation of Plant Genetic Resources with emphasis on vegetables germplasms and wild relatives". Reseach activities focused mainly on Characterization, multiplication and conservation of different species of Sicilian wild plants and cultivars for sustainable utilization in addition varieties production and seed production under organic farming.

2019-2021: Master's Degree in Agricultural Science and Technology, Lebanese Univeristy, Faculty of Agronomy; suppervisor Prof.Lamis Chalak. Title of the degree thesis: "Characterization of Common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. accessions growing in Lebanon" .(Ranked 1^st).

Oct 2021-Nov2021: Traineeship at The Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI) of the Agricultural research center (ARC), Cairo Egypt. Research activities focused on the Genetic characterization of the Lebanese common bean collection with DNA extraction, SSR/ISSR molecular markers amplifications. Building the hierarchical clustering between Lebanese plant population using applied statistical analysis.   

July 2020-Dec 2021: Traineeship at The International Center of Agricultural Researches in Dry Areas (ICARDA, CGIAR) Lebanon. Research activities, part of the master's thesis; involvement in genebank core activities: Collection, characterization and conservation of plants population in the international genebank for evaluation and use. Characterization and conservation of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) landraces growing in Lebanon. Involving Collection, multiplication and genetic assessment by morphological characterization ( standard descriptors) of the collection at the open fields of ICARDA- Terbol Lebanon. Introduction of the Lebanese common bean collection to the national genebank and international seed network. 

Aug 2019 - Aug 2021: Agricultural consultant with Fondazione Giovanni  Paolo II (NGO). Project for Sustainable agricultural implementation over the Lebanese rural areas with focus on the activation of local farmers cooperatives, and business plan creation for farm managment.

2016-2019: Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science, Lebanese Univeristy, Faculty of Agronomy; Plant production and technologies section.