Center of Excellence in Research, Education and Cultural Studies

What Center of Excellence in Research, Education and Cultural Studies does

The Center of Excellence in Research, Education and Cultural Studies (CEREC) is an independent non-profit center registered in Lebanon, Italy, and the United States, with primary operations headquartered at Ramez Sarkis Street in the Badaro district of Beirut. It is dedicated to advancing scientific research, knowledge production, and dissemination in education, learning sciences, cultural studies, and cross-cultural communication, with an explicit mission to support sustainable development and capacity building for marginalized communities. Its service portfolio combines physical research infrastructure — a Science Communication Studio for instructional video production, the CEREC-Net database aggregating community health and wellness research, a Computer Lab, Office Space, Co-workspace and Lounge, Auditorium access, a team of mentors and experts, and a CEREC Café — with named programs such as the YES Program (150-hour vocational training across Digital Marketing, Food Safety, Education, NGO Management, IT, and Design for over 100 unemployed Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian youth per cycle), YALA 2.0 (democracy and human rights education for Rashaya and Hasbaya youth), and strategic program axes in Global Health, Education Technology, Citizenship & Statehood, Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Cultural Studies. CEREC also produces a podcast featuring thought-leader interviews and maintains a newsletter and LinkedIn presence for outreach.

The organization employs 8 people and is funded through grants from international foundations (Al-Madad Foundation, UK) and democratic-development organizations (National Democratic Institute), with program delivery partners including the National Wellness Network (NWN-Impact), Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS), MTV Lebanon, and the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education. CEREC's go-to-market is community-led: it delivers services directly through its Beirut facility to scholars and youth, and indirectly through partner-hosted cohorts and job fairs that culminate YES Program cycles. Revenue mechanics are grant-driven and not publicly disclosed, with programs offered at no direct cost to beneficiaries. Reported outcomes to date include over 100 youth trained through YES and a 17-participant Cohort 4 introductory workshop for YALA 2.0.

Name

Center of Excellence in Research, Education and Cultural Studies

Legal name

Center of Excellence in Research, Education, and Cultural Studies

Website

https://thecerec.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CEREC is a Lebanon-based non-profit independent center of excellence that delivers research infrastructure, vocational training, and democracy education programs to youth, scholars, and marginalized communities in Lebanon, funded by international grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Research Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAE

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Research and education
• Vocational training programs
• Community capacity building
• Cultural studies research
• Youth empowerment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: CEREC operates as a non-profit organization supported by international foundations and development organizations. Funding sources include Al-Madad Foundation (UK) for youth empowerment programs, and partnerships with organizations like NDI for democratic development initiatives.
2. Program Fees: CEREC offers vocational training and educational programs. The YES Program provides 150 hours of training across six disciplines (Digital Marketing, Food Safety, Education, NGO Management, IT, Design) plus Business English and Employability Skills to unemployed youth.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CEREC is an independent non-profit center of excellence that advances scientific research, education, and cultural studies in Lebanon. It operates a physical facility in Badaro, Beirut offering research infrastructure (Science Communication Studio, CEREC-Net database, Computer Lab, Co-workspace, Auditorium, expert mentors) and delivers targeted programs including vocational training for marginalized youth (YES Program) and democracy and human rights education (YALA 2.0), funded primarily through grants from international foundations and partners.

Product overview

CEREC is a center of excellence providing research, education, and cultural studies services through a combination of physical facilities and programs. The organization offers infrastructure services including a Science Communication Studio for producing educational content, a CEREC-Net database for health and wellness research data, a Computer Lab, Office Space, Co-workspace, Auditorium, and Expert Mentors. It also delivers vocational and educational programs such as the YES Program (vocational training for youth in IT, marketing, design, food safety, education, and NGO management) and thematic programs in Global Health, Education Technology, Citizenship, Behavioral Sciences, and Cultural Studies. Additionally, CEREC operates a Podcast featuring interviews with thought leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YES Program: Youth Empowerment for Success Program - vocational training and job opportunities for unemployed Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian youth
• YALA 2.0

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 youth trained in vocational disciplines (Digital Marketing, Food Safety, Education, NGO Management, IT, Design) through YES Program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Wellness Network (NWN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWN is a key organizational partner. CEREC is linked through NWN-Impact initiative. NWN with funding from Al Madad launched the YES program which CEREC supports, providing unemployed Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian youth with vocational training and job opportunities. The relationship is operational and programmatic.
• Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMUBS hosts the YALA 2.0 program at its campus. The university and CEREC collaborate on sustainable development goals initiatives. MUBS provides venue and academic framework for democracy and human rights training programs.
• MTV (MarTv Television)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMTV television network provides media support for accountability training projects. The partnership includes media coverage and visibility for program events.
• Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Lebanon)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Ministry sponsors the job fair and exhibit culminating the YES Program. Provides official endorsement and recognition for program graduates.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nahnoo: Lebanese NGO focused on civic engagement, youth participation, and democratic culture. Comparable as a Lebanon-based, small-team nonprofit delivering youth civic and capacity-building programming with similar donor profile.
• Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (AUB): Research and policy center at the American University of Beirut focused on public-policy research, civic education, and cross-cultural understanding. Comparable as a Lebanon-based research center producing educational content and convening scholars.
• Lebanese Center for Policy Studies: Independent Lebanese non-profit conducting policy research and civic education. Comparable as a Beirut-based research-and-education center that produces white papers and engages marginalized communities on governance issues.
• Questscope: Nonprofit working with marginalized youth (including refugees) in the Middle East on education, employability, and social inclusion. Comparable on youth vocational training for Syrian/Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and similar donor ecosystem.
• Alfanar Organization: UK-registered nonprofit that invests in social enterprises and civil society across the Arab region, including education and youth programs. Highly comparable in mission scope, regional focus, and small-team grant-funded delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• International Youth Foundation: Global nonprofit working on youth employability, education, and leadership across MENA and other regions. Comparable youth-vocational-training focus but with substantially larger funding base and country footprint.
• Queen Rania Foundation: Jordan-based foundation operating across the MENA region on education, learning, and youth empowerment. Comparable mission and beneficiary profile but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic remit.
• World Learning: US-headquartered nonprofit delivering education, exchange, and capacity-building programs globally, including in MENA. Comparable in capacity-building and education-services mission but operates globally with much larger institutional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecerec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center of Excellence in Research, Education and Cultural Studies