Dear friends and colleagues of the AUB community,
Celebrating a culture of philanthropy
Who was born as Robert Zimmerman? Who is the youngest ever goal scorer in a
World Cup Final match? Two personal favorites that came up as questions during the
raucous inter-faculty quiz held during Philanthropy Week, March 18-23. We also
enjoyed an open-air concert, an exhibition and competition focusing on philanthropy,
branding and tagging of buildings, and a frenetic faculty-student futsal match. At the
core was a fascinating symposium showcasing the impact of scholarships, our
international award-winning Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service,
outreach and service-learning opportunities in our schools and faculties, and the
humanitarian work done by student clubs and societies. It is the first time AUB has
embarked on such an ambitious initiative to celebrate the role of philanthropy in our
emergence as a world-class academic community and it was a great success, engaging
everyone who took part and underlining the 360-degree relevance of giving, altruism,
and volunteering in all our lives.
We all know this university is founded on philanthropy, but we felt it necessary to
highlight that fact, especially since so many of our community take it for granted and
need a reminder that AUB would not be AUB without its donors. This is not a
criticism—but understandable, as students and their families already pay fees; faculty
and staff give willingly of their free time and energy; and alumni are among our most
generous and loyal supporters. But none of what we do would be possible without a
durable culture of philanthropy, helping to build and equip our buildings, fund our
programs and research, and educate students who would not otherwise be able to
afford the high cost of tuition. Thank you for the dozens of people involved in staging
this vital awareness raising initiative, and especially Annual Fund Officer Nadia Hassan
whose brainchild it was and whose tireless organization was key to its success
On the subject of providing for those most in need, AUB was proud to host the ninth
Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance (LPHA) conference at the same time as Philanthropy
Week. This initiative, co-led by the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB, the Institute ofCommunity and Public Health at Birzeit University, and an alliance of scholars under
the Lancet umbrella, brings together Palestinian researchers from Gaza, the West
Bank, and Jerusalem, with their peers from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and the Arab
world, as well as Europe and the United States, making it among the most
comprehensive scientific gatherings that exist to look at
the wellbeing of the Palestinian people. Although the
background is inevitably political, the LPHA is a staunchly
scientific and evidence-based alliance that exerts its
influence and can articulate its advocacy on the health of
the Palestinian population based on the most robust and
rigorous academic standards. We were especially delighted
to be able to host my counterpart Abdul Latif Abu Hijleh
and his colleagues from Birzeit University at the event, as
well as the Lancet’s courageous editor-in-chief, Richard Horton. The ties between our
three institutions are strong—indeed US-educated Dr. Abu Hijleh is the first Birzeit
president not to be an AUB alumnus.
Big games
Sport is experiencing a renaissance at AUB, I am delighted to say, with a packed
athletic agenda and varsity teams tasting success in national university competitions in
the widest range of disciplines, from basketball to tennis, soccer, running, swimming,
and more. Approximately 1,200 students took part in this year’s varsity tryouts in
September, and 530 were selected in 30 team or individual sports. Hundreds more are
involved in sports and fitness activities at the non-varsity level, and our dedicated
team led by Ghaleb Halimi strives to add more disciplines and grow the numbers of
participants every year.
In two weeks, we host our own brand of sporting bonanza—the Big Games—with
contests in futsal, basketball, volleyball, and rugby league, culminating in the finales of
MSFEA versus the United Faculties on the football field. If you have not tried out for
teams before, now is a good chance to see if you can make the grade in what is a great
celebration of athleticism and collegial competition at AUB. It is wonderful to see the
passions running so high—among students, but also among faculty, staff, and alumni,
at these events—although I still advocate more support for our varsity teams
competing at the national collegiate level. I certainly make a point of spectating when I
can. Our students’ sporting prowess is impressive and the excitement and enthusiasm
the games generate is irresistible. You can get fixtures information from the AUBSports Facebook page.
In the words of Kofi Annan, “sport is a universal language that can bring people
together, no matter what their origin, background, religious beliefs, or economic
status.” One can add physical ability/disability to that list, and
the Charles Hostler Center and many of its facilities are
accessible for all abilities, including the gyms and swimming
pool, and staff are trained to assist if necessary. The
professional athlete and social activist Michael Haddad, 75%
of whose body is paralyzed, is currently training with us for
his 100km walk to the North Pole to prove his motto that
disability is a state of mind.
In all respects sport matters and—although AUB does not offer places for athletes at
the expense of academic grades—we are happy the Office of Student Affairs sees fit to
maintain a $1 million-plus endowment that supports up to 10 scholarships a year for
our outstanding sportswomen and men, who must have a minimum percentage
average of 77 in their academic work. Next year’s recipients will be announced at
Athlete’s Night in May. Time and again we see good grades and great sport go
together, but there are not many to match Ramzi Yehia, the A-grade engineering
student featured in the latest MainGate magazine, who most recently took the gold
medal at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship for Juniors in Abu Dhabi. I cannot think of a
better place to mix the liberal arts and mixed martial arts than AUB!
Confidential student counseling for better mental health
A recent article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education recognized AUB’s
regional leadership in providing access for students to mental health support and
counseling, while highlighting some challenges that exist in resources and some
cultural barriers. The fact is our student counseling center
has been breaking the mold for 15 years under the
directorship of co-founder Dr. Antoine Khabbaz and its
caring and dedicated team of five counselors has helped
countless students cope with the emotional and
psychological trials inherent to entering a demanding
university environment. The most common issues our
counselors encounter are anxiety and depression and
other mood disorders—so their appointment books tend
to fill up especially around exam times, when the team is happy to stretch their
schedules to make sure every student is seen in a timely manner.
Happily, the social stigma around mental health is disappearing in many sectors of our
society, but the counselors are very aware of the sensitivities that linger. Any student
might be in need of help if they find themselves feeling unusually distracted, alienated
from friends, anxious, irritable, hopeless, sad, and/or experiencing major changes in
sleeping or eating patterns. In addition, the center helps individuals with difficulties
pertaining to family systems and history of traumas. Our counsellors guarantee
complete anonymity and confidentiality to anyone who comes to their inconspicuous
offices located in a quiet corner of West Hall in need of help and no records are shared
with other parties. Confidentiality may only be breached in cases of harm to self and
others.
Many students also receive confidential support on issues related to sex and sexuality,
whether from an LGTBQ+ or a heterosexual perspective. This is a difficult subject for
many of our students given the taboos and cultural barriers that exist but they are
guaranteed an empathetic and constructive series of discussions with our counsellors
to help to come to terms with these normal, biological functions of everyone’s nature.
Please contact the center if you wish to know more, or if you are experiencing severe
symptoms, you can visit the counsellors in the West Hall to set up an urgent
appointment.
Best regards,
Fadlo R. Khuri, MD
President