The Lebanese American University (LAU) celebrated the inauguration of its tenth president, Dr. Chaouki Tanios Abdallah, in a long-standing tradition as it enters its second century having graduated more than 54,000 students over the decades.
The new president, who hails from the town of Rachana in Batroun, returned to Lebanon from the United States where he had held several high-ranking positions in education and research. He emphasized the importance of universities leading the Lebanese nation towards a better tomorrow and overcoming challenges to ensure a more secure, healthy, and prosperous future.
The ceremony was attended by the representative of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Minister of the Displaced and State Minister for Technology Affairs Kamal Shehadeh, the representative of the Speaker of Parliament, MP Ashraf Beydoun, the representative of the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Adnan El-Amine; the representative of the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Joseph Helou, and current and former deputies.
The foreign delegation included the Ambassador of the United States of America Lisa Johnson, the Turkish Ambassador Murat Lutem, the Swiss Ambassador Marion Weichelt, the Australian Ambassador Andrew Barnes; and a representative of the Embassy of Cyprus Andreas Georgiadis.
Also present were representatives of the leaders of the army and security services, university presidents, Dr. Abdallah’s family, the current and former chairman and members of the Board of Trustees (LAU), vice presidents and their assistants, faculty, alumni, staff, students, friends of the university and guests.
The ceremony began with the invocation, led by Secretary General of the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon Rev. Joseph Kassab, followed by a welcoming note from alumni representative and emcee Nermine Mufti Hage.
Chairman of the LAU Board of Trustees, Mr. Philip Stoltzfus, explained that “Dr. Abdallah’s appointment came in the wake of a meticulous international search undertaken by the Board of Trustees, a rigorous, inclusive and transparent process that I believe set a gold standard for recruitment in higher education.”
In Dr. Abdallah, he said, “we have a consummate researcher, a world-class academic administrator, someone who brings to LAU and to Lebanon a rich network of universities, research institutes, businesses, and governments, an engineer, a problem solver, a plain dealer, a collaborator, a natural leader.”
He added: “Dr. Abdallah arrives at a time of tremendous change in Lebanon itself, a time of reconstruction, a time of national renewal.”
Speeches were delivered by the Chair of the LAU Faculty Senate, Dr. Abdul-Nasser Kassar, the Chair of the Staff Advisory Council, Mayssam Ezzeddine, and the students’ representative, Rita Nassif. A musical interlude was performed by soprano Dr. Reem Deeb, a lecturer at the university, accompanied on the piano by Dr. Michele Chemaly.
President Emeritus and Regents Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Dr. George Paul Peterson, congratulated Dr. Abdallah, who had served as Executive Vice President for Research at Georgia Tech. Given his experience, passion for education and deep commitment to creativity and innovation, he said, Dr. Abdallah will lead LAU into a new phase of academic excellence, creativity and global impact,
Dr. Peterson described Dr. Abdallah’s leadership in academia as “nothing short of transformative.” His experience and oversight of major research initiatives “has given him a strategic vision for how higher education institutions can not only adapt to the challenges of the 21st century but thrive in an increasingly competitive and interconnected world,” he said.
He added: “His global perspective positions him perfectly to help LAU expand its influence beyond Lebanon and the Middle East. His ability to forge international partnerships and engage with the global academic community will elevate the university’s reputation and open new doors for collaboration and research opportunities.”
After Mr. Stoltzfus bestowed the university’s medallion and seal on the new president, Dr. Abdallah took to the podium to deliver his speech.
The New President
In an emotional speech, Dr. Abdallah, recalled his parents’ devotion and determination to provide their children with the education they did not have. “Neither of our parents was educated beyond the first grade. But admirably, they ensured that all their sons and their daughters earned college and advanced degrees. In doing so, they not only changed their children’s lives but also the lives of many who encounter the children of Tanios and Milani,” he said.
Dr. Abdallah described universities as lighthouses that guide nations to a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future. He said: “From Byblos, the birthplace of the alphabet, to Beirut, the mother of laws; from the first school in Ain Warqa to Université Saint Joseph, to AUB, LAU, NDU, Balamand, Lebanese University, and to all other Lebanese universities—this ancient land and its people have kept the light on for humanity in the darkest moments of history, and today, we’re called upon to again lead our own nation towards a better tomorrow.”
Speaking about LAU, he added: “Those values, etched in our institutional history and lived by those who came before us, are being reaffirmed today and we embody them by creating entrepreneurship opportunities for our graduates—so they don’t have to leave their families and their country to realize their potential. We live them together as we renew our pledge to serve humanity, and through our graduates—who research, heal, design, build, lead, write, paint, create, and sculpt—and keep the light shining from this university on the hill…And we model them by creating a global university that educates not only students in Lebanon, but those in New York and other global cities.”
The new president saluted the Lebanese mothers and fathers who, for decades, have nurtured global citizens and made Lebanon a factory of minds and talents.
“Today, as I am invested as the tenth president of LAU, I also take this moment to honor the sacrifices and quiet heroism of Lebanese mothers and fathers—who, for generations, have raised global citizens and made Lebanon the world’s brain and talent factory.”
The ceremony concluded with a performance by LAU students choreographed by LAU Professor Volodymyr Panzhev.
