02 July 2008
BEIRUT: The Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut held a special ceremony to honor alumni who are celebrating their 25th and 50th years since graduation with a 50th and 25th Old Guard Honoring Ceremony on Tuesday in Assembly Hall.
Some 163 alumni were honored during the ceremony which attracted over 500 alumni from across the world, including Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sudan, the UK, France, Canada, the US, and many others. The honored alumni were given an AUB medal engraved with an image of Main Gate.
WAAAUB president Khalil Makkawi welcomed alumni back to their "home," briefing them on the achievements of the young alumni association, including reaching out to chapters worldwide and bridging communications among them and the alma mater. Moreover, the association has conducted elections in six regions and has developed a number of programs for its 55,000 alumni members.
The Beirut-based WAAAUB, which was established by AUB's Board of Trustees in 2006, is the only International Association acknowledged by AUB, and includes all alumni chapters in Lebanon, North America and the rest of the world. In addition to the 15-member board of directors, the association also includes an international Alumni Council of over 130 members representing the entire AUB alumni network worldwide.
AUB president John Waterbury also welcomed guests, telling them that he too had become an AUB alumnus when he was awarded a surprise honorary doctorate this year.
Keynote speaker Adnan Bseeso (Class of 1958), chairman and CEO of the Middle East Consultancy Center, recalled 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 lungs of the Arab world." - The Daily Star
Copyright The Daily Star 2008.