American University of Beirut Celebrates 158th Founders Day with Visionary Ceremony.

Beirut: The American University of Beirut (AUB) celebrated its 158th Founders Day on December 2, 2024, in a ceremony held at the university's historic Assembly Hall. This event underscored AUB's long-standing dedication to education, service, and tackling regional challenges. The keynote address was delivered by AUB Trustee Emerita Carol Bellamy, a renowned advocate for education and public service leader, while winners of the annual student essay contest shared their insights on how AUB can enhance pre-university education in Lebanon and the surrounding region. According to National News Agency - Lebanon, AUB President Fadlo Khuri opened the ceremony by addressing the recent difficulties faced by Lebanon, its communities, and the university over the past five years, particularly during the last 14 months of conflict. He emphasized that despite these challenges, "We never put our mission on hold. We all have a sacred duty to serve, lead, educate, innovate, and heal." President Khuri highlighted AUB's initiat ives to aid those in need through its medical and community programs, and its plans to support Lebanon's recovery, with a focus on revamping the education sector. He stated, "A major aspect of what we need to rebuild is the battered state of primary and secondary education, not only in Lebanon but the world over." Khuri also mentioned the university's global outreach and the support it has garnered during this period, stressing the importance of collective action to sustain AUB's mission. The Founders Day celebration was also marked by the university's fifth Giving Day. "Today, I call on all our friends around the globe to rise up and proclaim that the people of Lebanon and the region deserve to live abundantly, and that donating to AUB is one of the best ways to make that a reality," he urged. This year's student essay contest encouraged participants to explore how AUB could further enhance the quality of elementary and secondary education to better serve communities and foster more inclusive societies. Th e first-place essay, titled From Stairs to Stars: How AUB Amplifies the Voices of the Forgotten, was authored by Sara Kalloumeh, a senior with a double major in biology and business administration. Her essay recounted her personal journey and the pivotal role AUB played in her educational aspirations, proposing initiatives like mentorship and teacher training to extend AUB's influence. The second prize was awarded to Roy El Badawi, a senior in mechanical engineering with a minor in economics and business administration. His essay, A Journey Through Education's Chapters, celebrated AUB's resilience and its legacy as a beacon of hope. The third prize went to Bissane Izrafil, a sophomore at the Hariri School of Nursing, for her essay AUB Beyond the Walls, which proposed the creation of an education innovation lab at AUB. Prior to the main speeches, engineering student Najla Sadek performed a rendition of "The Prayer" as a musical interlude. In her keynote, Carol Bellamy, in her address Time to Rethink, Re-boot , and Re-energize Education, highlighted the critical importance of education for the future of nations and the inequities in access and quality faced globally. She emphasized that "Education cannot wait for wars to be over... or for the 'right time.'" Bellamy's illustrious career includes leadership positions as the executive director of UNICEF and director of the United States Peace Corps. She has been honored for her contributions to education and development with accolades such as France's Legion of Honour and Japan's Order of the Rising Sun. The ceremony concluded with the alma mater and a recessional to AUB's College Hall plaza.