Elias Baydoun was educated at the University of Jordan, Amman (BSc, 1971), ‎ the American University of Beirut (AUB) (MSc, 1977) and the ‎University of Cambridge (MPhil, 1978 and PhD, 1980). ‎ At present Professor of Biology at AUB and secretary general of the ‎Arab Academy of Sciences.‎ Previous positions include: Chairman of the Biology Department at AUB ‎and Assistant president and Director of Planning and Development at ‎Yarmouk University, Jordan. ‎ Awards include: The Award,of the Federation of Arab Scientific ‎Research Councils, Abdul Hamid Shoman Prize for Young Arab Scientists ‎for Biology, Distinguished Scholar Award of the Arab Fund for ‎Economic and Social Development, and the Developing World Study ‎Award of the Royal Society, UK.‎ Membership in Societies: Cambridge Philosophical Society; Biochemical ‎Society, London; American Society for Plant Biologists,USA;Institute ‎of Biology, London; the Arab Academy of Sciences and TWAS.‎ Publications: Over 50 articles in refereed international journals in ‎addition to proceedings of international conferences and books ‎ Research Interests include: plant cell wall biosynthesis, membrane ‎fusion, nanotechnology and medicinal plants.