And the representatives of WAAAUB are…

Left to right: Mohammad matar, Mohammad Baalbaki

The results of the first elections of the Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut (WAAAUB) were announced during a press conference held by the Press Federation on July 5.

The association, which had been unanimously approved by AUB's Board of Trustees on November 17, 2006, is based in Beirut and includes all Alumni Association chapters in Lebanon, North America, and elsewhere. There are currently about 60 AUB alumni chapters worldwide.

Press Federation President Mohammad Baalbaki, who made the opening remarks, commended AUB's move to create a worldwide alumni association, saying: "Everywhere you go, you meet AUB alumni, so it was inevitable to establish a worldwide association for all AUB alumni so they could hold free elections to select their representatives."

Mohammad Matar, chair of the WAAAUB Implementation Task Force, announced the choices made for the WAAAUB Board of Directors, the Alumni Council, and for the nominations to the AUB Board of Trustees. "For the last two years the American University of Beirut has been in the process of establishing a governance structure for the Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut. The results of the worldwide election give proof to the interest in and support of this organization," he said. "The mission of WAAAUB is to strengthen the ties between the University and all its alumni and to engage all alumni in advancing and supporting the goals and educational, research, and service mission of the University. WAAAUB shall foster the educational, career, and social interests of the University's alumni and shall work to preserve and promote the rich heritage and values of the University."

While the WAAAUB will be a part of the University, it will have its own governance and administrative structure, which will include a 15-member Board of Directors and an Alumni Council of more than 130 members, who will all act as representatives of the AUB alumni network all around the world. The tasks of the council will include recommending policies to the WAAAUB Board, working with it and its committees, and assisting in facilitating the work of the chapters. In addition to the chapter presidents, the council's members will include about 70 at-large members, who were also voted in by this election and will generally run for two-year terms.

The council will report to the WAAAUB Board of Directors, whose main responsibilities will be to manage the business and affairs of the organization. The board will work in close collaboration with the AUB Board of Trustees Alumni Affairs Committee.

Three alumni were also voted in as nominees to the AUB Board of Trustees. Abdulsalam Haykal (BA '01 Political Studies) from Syria was voted in as Young Trustee Candidate; while Yusef Abu Khadra (BBA '69) from the United Kingdom and Raja Trad (BA '77 Political Studies) from the United Arab Emirates won as trustee candidates.