News Highlights
Author:
Maha Al-Azar,
Media Relations Officer,
Office of Information and Public Relations,
ma110@aub.edu.lb
 WAAAUB website
Saudi ARAMCO article on WAAAUB class reunions
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WAAAUB holds activities-packed reunion; alumnus considers AUB 'bastion of civilized discourse'
Alumni from 11 classes take group picture with Jum'ah, Waterbury, and Makkawi [front, center] |
More than 700 alumni from 11 classes converged on the AUB campus on June 30 to attend an activities-packed three-day reunion organized by the Beirut-based Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut, which was established by AUB's Board of Trustees in 2006, as the only international association of AUB alumni.
Featuring two renowned alumni as speakers, a ceremony for veteran alumni, a reception at the newly-opened Charles W. Hostler Student Center, an open-air concert by Hanine y Son Cubano, and a gala dinner at the Saint Georges Yacht Club, the three-day reunion, which was held from June 30 to July 2, elicited lots of praise from alumni who came to reconnect with each other and their alma mater. |
 | Jum'ah, at launch ceremony: Helping educational institutions ... akin to investing in future leaders
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Alumni from the classes of 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003 came from different parts of the world: Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sudan, France, England, Canada, the United States, and many more...
WAAAUB President Khalil Makkawi welcomed alumni, during the reunion launch ceremony on July 1, describing them as the force that makes AUB stronger. Similarly, President John Waterbury, who recently became an AUB alumnus, by virtue of the honorary doctorate he received from AUB on June 28, also considered AUB's 55,000 alumni worldwide as "what we have going for us," in comparison to other newer universities springing up in the region. |
 | Veteran alumni were honored...
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"We have a lot going for us and when (New President) Peter Dorman takes over, I am confident he will take AUB to new heights and I count on you to help him in his mission."
The reunion launch ceremony featured, as keynote speaker, Saudi ARAMCO President and Chief Executive Office Abdallah S. Jum'ah, who invited fellow alumni to help AUB in its educational mission and keep on upholding its values of respect for diversity and dialogue.
"Monetary donations and financial gifts to AUB are always welcome, but... many of us are [also] in a position to offer internships to AUB students and jobs to well-qualified AUB graduates... Just as importantly, each and every one of us is a walking testament to the benefits of an AUB education, and we can set an example for others by demonstrating the value of education and a lifelong pursuit of knowledge in our lives," he said. |
 | Hanine y Son Cubano wowed alumni with their sensual latin beats on the Green Field
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Jum'ah also lauded the University for its liberal arts education, including the philosophy and sociology classes he had to take, because they helped him develop his critical and analytical thinking skills--"attributes that are an integral part of the foundation on which leadership is built."
He added that helping educational institutions in their mission is akin to investing in future leaders. "Given the current state of our societies, creating future leaders who act ethically and responsibly, who balance the desire for economic development and prosperity with the need to protect and preserve the natural environment, and who bring a spirit of creativity and innovation to their vocation is not a luxury we should aspire to, but a necessity we must achieve."
Jum'ah acknowledged that while he does not discuss philosophical notions at Saudi ARAMCO, he uses the analytical skills he acquired at AUB "just about every hour of every day of my career."
Jum'ah also urged his generation to act as role models to the younger generation, helping them sift through the abundance of information they have access to, by explaining to them the historical context of the information that is available as well as encouraging them to embrace cross-cultural dialogue and discourse. Not only do these latter two attributes help open up young people's minds, but they are also necessary for organizational development, noted Jum'ah. "Real progress is best achieved through mutual respect and engagement," he said.
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 | Alumni hobnobbed at Hostler Student Center reception
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In fact, it is diversity and respect for dialogue that sets AUB apart from other universities, he said. "The University stands proudly as a bastion of civilized discourse, intellectual inquiry, and of the primacy of peace over war and mind over might...And I can't help but think that this would be a much better and brighter world for all, if the spirit of AUB was encountered more often and in more places... So perhaps the biggest difference we can make as alumni of AUB is simply... to do our best to spread the University's spirit and ethos wherever our paths through life may take us."
A day earlier, WAAAUB had honored 163 alumni who were celebrating their 25th and 50th year since graduation with a 50th and 25th Old Guard Honoring Ceremony which was held in Assembly Hall.
The honored alumni were given an AUB medal engraved with an image of Main Gate. |
 | Bseeso: AUB 'helped me bridge my Arab culture with Western civilization'
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Following a rendition of the national anthem by the AUB Concert Choir, alumnus and renowned TV talk show host Ricardo Karam gave a welcome speech:
"You dear, alumni, are the creators of success," said Karam. "We are here tonight to say that Beirut will shine for ever... as long as AUB and its alumni hold onto their drive to succeed. Beirut is proud of you. AUB is proud of you."
Keynote speaker Adnan Bseeso (Class of 1958), is the chairman and CEO of the Middle East Consultancy Center, a Bahrain-based private international company that provides consultancies on management, business, and finance, as well as other topics. Bseeso has also held high-ranking positions in the Bahraini government as well as Gulf Air. |
He reminisced about his time at AUB, sharing anecdotes that depicted the "four principles" the University had taught him: liberal education, freedom of thought and expression, tolerance of others, and respect for diversity and dialogue. For instance, an American professor he had clashed with, because of his views against US policy in the region, had wanted to expel him from the program, but a faculty council had ruled otherwise, on the grounds of upholding the University's belief in freedom of thought and expression.
"What did AUB do for me?" he asked. "It helped me bridge my Arab culture with Western civilization. We will always think of AUB and Lebanon as the lung of the Arab world."
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