Mr. Michel Ghazal

President - Ghazal Foundation
Naming

I created a foundation called the “Ghazal Foundation for Education, Research and Peace in Lebanon” and it has two main objectives:

• - The first: rewarding, supporting and encouraging Lebanese NGOs and associations that work for a better community life and a better coexistence between the different Lebanese communities.
• - The second objective is obviously education. Supporting education is a must because it is extremely dangerous when young people have no other choice than leaving and emigrating, when they see that they have no future in Lebanon and that the only way out is leaving.

As a result, we have to support education, we have to support it in Lebanon more precisely, otherwise it would be absolutely sad to see that in order to have the level required to enter the job market, one must go abroad. I speak from personal experience. I left in 1973 and I still live in France. It is true that I could have come back; it is true that in the time of Father Ducruet - thanks to whom I got this scholarship - a teaching position, here, at USJ was waiting for me. However, once they leave, how many young people will come back?

USJ’s mission is unique: that’s what I realized when I listened to Carmel as this Foundation was being created; USJ realized that there were many alumni and people who would be willing to give to USJ and who were ready to commit themselves to USJ’s social and educational missions.

As a result, there is the foundation along with other initiatives such as the “Opération 7e jour” which is a great initiative and which I supported two years ago because there was a particular mission that was closely related to peace and I agreed to support it. Today, USJ can be proud to be on the right track. I understood that when one receives, they have to know how to give back.

This room that bears my name symbolizes a reciprocal attachment. I admit that when the Rector, Father Daccache, told me about it, I felt a certain pride and a lot of emotion. Every time I meet the recipients of my scholarship and every time, they express their gratitude towards me, I tell them that the best way to say thank you is for them to do as I did! That is, to give back and encourage other students, that’s the best way to say thank you.