Beirut Arab University celebrated the launch of the ninth batch of students from Tripoli branch faculties after three years of forced stop due to the Covid pandemic. The number of graduates this year are 269 (233 undergraduate and 36 postgraduate) from the Faculties of Business Administration, Architecture-Design and the Built Environment, Engineering, Science and Health Sciences.
The Chairman of University Board of Trustees of Bir wal Ihsan , Dr. Ammar Houri, Prof. Amr Galal El Adawi, President of the University, Prof. Khaled Baghdady, Vice President for Tripoli Branch Affairs, Faculty deans, Dr. Omar Houri, Secretary General and large crowd from the political, economic, municipal, spiritual and social representatives in addition to the speaker of the ceremony Dr. Oussama Ziade, Chairman and CEO of Intellegile attended the ceremony.
The ceremony started with the procession of graduates, then the procession of the University President, deans, and academic staff. Then the Lebanese national anthem and the university anthem in addition to a recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Sheikh Muhammad Hablas.
The University President, Professor Amr Galal El Adawi, addressed the graduates, “Your university gave you a living example during these years to come out of the crisis, victorious, thanks to God, despite all the challenges and health, economic and security conditions that it faced with steadfastness driven by faith, and with determination nourished by dedication and steadfastly charged by the supreme message of knowledge. The university has provided all the technological capabilities to continue distance education with high efficiency through modern platforms and programs. The university was ranked first in Lebanon in the quality of education according to the Times Higher Education classification. It has also obtained the renewal of institutional accreditation for the next eight years until 2029.”
The President added: "The University was never late in its pioneering role in scientific research. It issued six periodicals in which academic researchers from Lebanon and abroad participated in publishing, as it was a pioneer in representing the values of social responsibility such as health and humanitarian initiatives throughout the previous crisis period."
Then the keynote speaker of the ceremony, Chairman and CEO of Intellegile, Dr. Oussama Ziade said, "I looked at life and found it a recurring pattern of circumstances, challenges and choices. They are circumstances we did not choose and external influences that we have no control over. None of us chose where he was born and in which year, neither the place nor time and nor his social conditions. For this reason, we will face many challenges, and whenever we face a challenge, a bigger challenge comes, and in front of each challenge, we will have choices. We do not choose our challenges but they are the result of our previous choices. Therefore, make a good choice in facing challenges. Embrace your challenges and enjoy the journey of your life."
Ms. Nala Makouk, hosted the ceremony and addressed the graduates, “We know that you will face extraordinary circumstances. The country is in crisis. But we are sure that you have gained strength, flexibility, steadfastness and resistance through your university experience, with the skills that make you stand with pride and dignity and face difficulties to reach your desired goals."
The student Tala Fawaz from the Faculty of Science, Biochemistry major read the speech of graduates. She said, "During my university years, I was exposed to many situations and challenges that helped in shaping my personality outside the traditional educational experience. One of these experiences is that I was selected as a host for the Google International Developers Conference on Entrepreneurship.”
She added, "The experience taught me a lot because it was the first of its kind in my life. I represented my country and my university for the first time on a global level. From here, I realized that the university is not limited to providing academic programs to obtain degrees, but is also a journey of acquiring knowledge, opening horizons, building capabilities, developing relationships and acquiring competencies, which is the actual beginning of practical life that will continue with us for life.”
At the end of the ceremony, Professor El Adawi, President of the University, presented the university's honorary shield to the keynote speaker, Dr. Ziade, and distributed the certificates to the graduates.