From the Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Dear Friends:

AUB has endured more in its 137 years of history than many institutions much older. Through each succeeding decade AUB has experienced the rise and fall of empires, the contesting of boundaries, civil war, and invasion. Some might expect such a tumultuous history to break the spirit of a place, and produce in its people a downtrodden world-weariness. Yet since its founding AUB has inspired a thirst for the future and a belief in the promise of humankind that has been its essential driving force. In fact, in defiance of the political turmoil and economic uncertainty that has marked the past year, AUB has celebrated several major accomplishments.

Developments over the past year have demonstrated just how vigorous AUB truly is. This spring, a generous gift from Trustee Dr. Ray R. Irani and Occidental Petroleum allowed for the endowment of a new engineering complex that will equip the growing number of AUB engineering students with the tools to stay at the cutting edge of their discipline. In June, AUB announced the establishment of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR), closing a long-standing gap in the University’s curriculum and becoming the second center of its kind in the Middle East. Our Business School was recently restructured and named, and is now known as the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business in honor of the University’s late friend and Trustee. Mr. Olayan had a reputation as one of the world’s most astute and trusted private investors, and set an enduring standard of business leadership to which AUB’s future professionals will proudly aspire.

All of this occurred against the backdrop of an overall revitalization of the campus. A winning design was selected for the Charles Hostler Student Center, the largest single construction project of our Master Plan, which is sure to become the keystone of student life on campus. New academic programs such as the Anis K. Makdisi Program in Literature were also launched this past year, and West Hall was refurbished and rededicated in February. This year also marked the continuation of AUB’s laudable record of service to Lebanon and the region, with programs like those which examine urban public health issues in Beirut.

As donors to AUB, you can take exceptional pride in these ongoing accomplishments, knowing that your gifts helped make them happen. With your help, we have made excellent progress towards our campaign goal of $140 million for AUB’s 140th anniversary in 2006–07. But our continued strength depends on your continuing support. I hope that you will accept my invitation to join us in the years ahead as we strive toward giving each succeeding generation of AUB students the finest education available.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Richard A. Debs
Chairman, Board of Trustees