Beirut Arab University celebrated the launch of its 61st batch at the University's campus in Debbieh. The total number of graduates were 1309 graduates from its ten faculties holding bachelors, master's and doctoral degrees. The prominent event in this year batch was the keynote speaker of the ceremony, Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah.
The Speaker of the Parliament, H.E Nabih Berri, represented by Deputy Ghazi Zeaiter, Prime Minister H.E Najib Mikati represented by the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Firas Abiad, Former Prime Minister H.E Fouad Siniora, Minister of Finance H.E Youssef Khalil, Minister of Social Affairs H.E Héctor Hajjar, represented by Ms. Nada Fayed, Deputies H.E Ibrahim Mneimneh, H.E Dr. Bilal Abdallah, H.E Nabil Badr and Deputy H.E Fouad Makhzoumi represented by H.E Samer Safah, Former Minister of Education and Higher Education, H.E. Dr. Khaled Kabbani, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Lebanon, H.E Alaa Moussa, Chargé d 'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Lebanon, H.E Amin Abdel Ilah Nasrawi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, H.E Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Said Al Saidi, represented by the Delegate Minister Salem Bin Al Abrak, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Lebanon, H.E Ashraf Dabbur represented by Mr. Nazih Shamma, Director of the Embassy of Kingdom of Bahrain in Lebanon, Mr. Fadi Nassar, Ambassador H.E Abdel Rahman Al-Soloh, President of the University of Alexandria Professor Abdel Aziz Konsowa, President of the Board of Trustees of Bir Wal Ihsan and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University, Dr. Ammar Houry, BAU Secretary-General Dr. Omar Houri, Presidents of Orders and Syndicates, Presidents of Universities, Chairmen of Hospital Boards, Military Commanders, Heads of Institutions and Associations, and a large number of educational, economic, municipal, spiritual and social activists and families of graduates attended the ceremony.
The ceremony started with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Mr Nizar Ahmad Eido, the Lebanese national anthem and the university anthem. Then, Mrs Zina Ariss, Director of Public Relations and Communications, delivered a speech in which she said, "Today, from this ancient edifice, from Beirut Arab University, we tell you a dream that turned out to be a true story. The story was an idea and then turned to be a noble mission. This mission is now a pressing force that spread in Lebanon and the Arab world. A positive message and a youthful message that yielded enlightened minds, unbeatable brains, and relentless solid fortitude. This generation will research in education to fight in logic ".
Mrs. Ariss continued: "Be the revolution, be the leaders, be the honest, be the powerful, be the logic, be the loyal, be the conscience and the sword of righteousness. The most important is be yourself, be the ones whom we are proud of and remember that we are in this university a strong barrier for anyone who treats you badly. This University is a warm cuddle. Do not forget it. It shall not and will not forget you.
A documentary about Gaza was screened then the graduates carried the Lebanese and Palestinian flags, greeting these heroes, these martyrs, and these children. Then the hero, activist and resistant Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, the Rector of Glasgow University said “What makes a difference is a day like today, a day I look at the promising cohorts of Beirut Arab University graduates, which makes me full of hope that we are making our tools with our own hands. The tools we need to make a future for us, a future in which we realize our dreams and aspirations, a future that will heal our wounds and treats our suffering that we are living in our present, a future that reflects our culture, heritage and aspirations.
Dr. Abu-Sittah said: “Over the past seven months, we have been asking ourselves this question, why are international institutions are failing to fulfil their mandated tasks? Why institutions such as WHO, the International Red Cross, Médecins sans Frontières or any other similar organization fail? Why they fail in Palestine, Syria, Sudan or anywhere else in our region where we need them?
I think the wrong question always leads to the wrong answer. The real question and perhaps the only question that would give us the right answer is why don't we have an Arab or Islamic health organization? Why don't we have a committee for the Arab or Islamic Red Crescent? Also, why don't we have an Arab or Islamic Médecins sans Frontières. Why don't we have organizations from our people and from the mercy of our reality, that care for our lives and our affairs, that put our needs at the centre of their priorities and that strive to implement our goals?
Unfortunately, we have learned a lot from this genocide about the means and objectives of each genocide. One of the most important things we have learned is that if you want to wipe out people, you must first destroy their schools and universities, and if you to wipe out a nation, you must stop its educational process.
Then the President of the University, Professor Wael Nabil Abdel Salam, said “Since it was established in 1960 until now, Beirut Arab University has been a beacon of science and scientists, and always be the leader. Over the past few months, we have continued to achieve our goals and future visions, including opening new programs in the Faculty of Engineering “Renewable Energy Program” in the university year 2024-2025, as well as opening the pharmacy program, the marketing program, and reopening the computer engineering program at the university’s branch in Al-Fayhaa city Tripoli.”
Professor Abdel Salam continued: "The university is preparing now its branch in Bekaa to open at the beginning of the university year 2024-2025 where it includes programs from the Faculty of Business Administration (Management, Marketing, MBA) and the Computer Science Program. We have also reformulated the specialization program at the Faculty of Medicine in all disciplines to become world-class specialty physicians, as well as faculty members at all faculties have published over two hundred researches in international journals as well as whether Q1, Q2, Q3.
Finally, but not least, Professor Abdel Salam noted, “Some university faculties have received international accreditation for their programs such as the Faculty of Medicine and renewal of accreditation such as the Faculties of Pharmacy, Science, Health Sciences, and Business Administration, and other faculties are in the process of working on the renewal of international accreditation such as the Faculties of Architecture, Engineering, Human Sciences and Law. The University also continued to be ranked first for the second consecutive year among Lebanese universities in THE World University Ranking.
Then, the graduate Tala Al Dorra from the Faculty of Dentistry addressed the students in Gaza: “They are students who had dreams like ours, hopes like ours, prospects like ours. They are students who will not walk on a stage like ours, they will not hold a degree as ours, they and four thousand other children shall not see the colors we see.”
Ms. Tala continued: "They are people who spared no effort. They are people who gave everything, but alas they have left this graduate alone gathers the sundries of his body. Celebration without acknowledging this would be an injustice to people whose lives have been lost to the altar of separation, forcefulness and racism, Yes. We and all the universities of the entire world, will turn this graduation into a celebration, a celebration of support and humanity that says: We will only be satisfied with peace... We will only be satisfied with the right, we will only be satisfied with stopping war.”
At the end of the ceremony, the President awarded Dr. Abu-Sittah the University shield as an award of recognition and loyalty. Afterwards, the university certificates were distributed to graduates and the outstanding students who obtained Jamal Abdel Nasser and Issam Houri awards. Then the ceremony ended with fireworks.