BAABDA, Lebanon – At the Lebanese Antonine Private Catholic University (UA) 2024 class graduation ceremony, held at the University Campus in Hadat–Baabda, students from various disciplines received their certificates. The ceremony was held in the presence of Fr. Michel Saghbiny, UA’s rector, Fr. Abbot Joseph Bou Raad, superior general of the Antonine Maronite Order (OAM), HE Mr. Elias Bou Saab, deputy speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament, and HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), in addition to students and their families. 

During the ceremony and after the national anthem performance, speeches were delivered, followed by the distribution of certificates, awards, and scholarships for outstanding students. 

Fr. Saghbiny

During the ceremony, Fr. Saghbiny addressed the attendees saying: “Today, we gather to celebrate the achievements of our sturents, encouraging them to embark on a new phase in their career journey, equipping them with skills to effectively serve their society and build their future”. 

Advising the graduates to follow their ambition and create their own success stories, he continued to say that in addition to the values and morals instilled by their families and at the university, the blessing of graduation stems from the knowledge and university upbringing that overlap with their creative minds and ideas, calling them to establish their careers and to contribute to their societies.

Fr. Saghbiny urged the students to distinguish themselves for being creative, calling on them  to turn failure into success and turn obstacles, crises, and suffering into opportunities for progress, growth, and victory. This is in addition to making the right decisions, and determination to achieve the right goals, choosing the best role model in order to reach true happiness or optimal goodness.

He added that Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, the 2024 Class graduation ceremony's guest of honor, exemplifies a remarkable proof of how to turn crisis into opportunity, pointing to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s life story, as a Palestinian, who was raised in Lebanon, residing in Jordan, and yet he has been serving the world, as a unique embodiment of Arab nationalism.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh

In his keynote address as the guest of honor of the 2024 graduating Class, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh highlighted the importance of lifelong learning, saying that while at schools and universities we take lessons and then sit for tests, but in life, we are given tests that teach us lessons. 

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh continued by saying: “I received the invitation from the University, and I agreed immediately regardless of my full schedule, and I canceled an important business meeting today to be with you, not for your sake only, but for the future of this country because you are the future. You are in front of the responsibility for the future of this great country, the country in which I was made. I always declare that Talal Abu-Ghazaleh was Made in Lebanon, I am a Lebanese product."

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh further announced that he, with Prime Minister HE Najib Mikati will open the first technology factory in Lebanon, , as  a gift to Lebanon that will manufacture and produce electronic devices including smartphones, laptops, and tablets.”

He went on to say that this great celebration is only similar to a graduation ceremony that took place at Shanghai University in China, in which he addressed more than 3,000 students, expressing his gratitude for living in Lebanon, for being born in Palestine, for liveing in different Arab countries, and has the honor of defending the Arab nationalism.” 

On the other hand, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh called on the students to pursue missions rather than goals, that might or moght not be achieved.

: “If you want to stay alive, you must espouse a mission. My own message is to always outperform my enemy by arming myself with knowledge, creativity, and innovation. We have one common enemy, and we will defeat the Zionists with knowledge by succeeding with determination. I emphasize that the Zionist enemy is our only enemy and not the United States. My message in life is to outperform my enemy, and this is an endless mission”.

In conclusion, certificates and scholarships were given to the outstanding students.

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