AUB alumnus and president of Saudi ARAMCO considers AUB ‘bastion of civilized discourse’
The Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut held a reunion for 11 classes spanning the years between 1953 and 2003, over three activities-packed days, thus allowing its alumni to reconnect with each other and their alma mater.
Held between June 30 and July 3, the reunion activities for the classes of 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003, included a reception, a concert by Hanine y Son Cubano, and a gala dinner and attracted more than 600 alumni who 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, 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 last Saturday, 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.
"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 three-day reunion was officially launched in West Hall on July 1 at 6pm, with a launch ceremony featuring, 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.
Juma'h 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 Jumaah. "Real progress is best achieved through mutual respect and engagement," he said.
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."
