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Academic procession at the start of the ceremony
Minister Najib Mikati at the podium |
Founders’ Day 2005
was celebrated in Assembly Hall on December 5, 2005, against the background
of the anniversary of the founding of the University on December 3, 1866,
the day it opened with its first class of 16 students. “Today we are two
days into our 140th year,” said President John Waterbury in his words of
welcome, as he noted the continuing tensions in the country and the
challenges to democracy faced by Lebanon and AUB.
Following the traditional academic processional and the singing of the
national anthem by the AUB Choir, President Waterbury introduced Michelle
Kasdano, a junior major in English literature, winner of the annual
Founders’ Day Essay Contest. Only eighteen contestants tackled this year’s
theme: “What role, if any, could AUB play in fostering and enhancing
democracy in Lebanon, and, more broadly, in the Arab world?” This was
neither an easy nor obvious question, since AUB, as an institution, must
remain neutral in the political life of Lebanon and of the region.
Reading her essay, Kasdano assumed the voice of a contest winner in the year
2015 looking back on the progress of democracy at AUB and in the region.
When she finished, President Waterbury said she had laid out a formidable
plan for the next ten years. She recommended the introduction of
“volunteering and community work” as a requirement in all majors, increased
library holdings on “liberalism and democracy,” a faculty committed to
principles of democracy, joint ventures in democracy with other local
universities, and the construction of a new building slated specifically for
classrooms and a museum dedicated to the teaching of democracy. Although
Kasdano insisted that “the concept of democracy is nothing but a human
disposition,” much of her program suggested undemocratic enforcement from
above.
The AUB Choir’s rendition of Thomas Tallis’s “If Ye Love Me” was followed by
the keynote address, delivered by Najib Mikati (BBA ’79, MBA ’80), head of
the Mikati Group, a local telecommunications company, and former interim
prime minister. In introducing him, President Waterbury referred to the
strong ties of the Mikati family to AUB and called Mikati “the right person
in the right place at the right time,” when he served as prime minister from
April 15 to July 19, 2004.
Mikati praised education, tolerance, and democratic principles in Lebanon,
but he also asked hard questions about the future of the country. What do we
give “those with skill and talent to remain in Lebanon, and to take part in
building its prosperity?” he asked. “Are we planning properly for their
bright future? Is the private sector acting as the talent magnet it’s meant
to be?” The former premier concluded sadly that Lebanon is at present
accepting “the status quo, where we wait for things to happen.” He pleaded
with everyone, “all of us, to keep alive the Lebanese dream,” to embrace
discourse over discord. “Education,” he said, “is the key, the central force
in the face of political opposites threatening true democratic dialogue.”
AUB succeeds in “polishing talent, sharpening perception, preparing for
open-minded debate and sound decision-making.”
The annual ceremony, attended by a large crowd of AUB friends, trustees,
faculty, and students, concluded with the singing of the alma mater and the
traditional recessional.
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