“That’s it, we’re finally engineers,” said the students of the Campus of Science and Technology with a smile on their faces, their eyes sparkling with joy.

The 374 graduates of the Higher Institute for Engineering in Beirut (ESIB), the National Institute of Communication and Information (INCI), the Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ESIA), the Institute for Agricultural Engineering for Mediterranean Countries (ESIAM), and the Faculty of Science (FS) celebrated the end of a major phase in their lives at their graduation ceremony on July 16^th, 2018, at the Mar Roukoz Campus of Science and Technology. The list of attendees also included the guest of honor, Mr. Jacques Biot, president of the École Polytechnique, as well as university officials and parents and friends of students.

“Dear graduates, it is alongside you that I wish to deeply thank our guest speaker, Mr. Jacques Biot, president of the École Polytechnique, for being here with us tonight and for speaking at this very special ceremony, thinking of our twelve students who succeeded in becoming students of the famous École Polytechnique through their own efforts and with the help of ESIB officials and professors,” said R.F. Salim Daccache, s.j., Rector of Saint-Joseph University in Beirut.

“Don’t be afraid to dream big,” he continued, “as you build your families and your professional and social futures. Your university, your respective schools and faculties have equipped you with the means to achieve your goals. Let us remember the advice given to us by one of our greatest national thinkers, Gibran Kahlil Gibran: Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.”

For his part, Mr. Jacques Biot congratulated the parents in attendance for having sent their children to USJ and for trusting to put them in his hands.

“Some of you may feel bad that Lebanese youth is going abroad, but the world needs them. We must watch them leave without regret, for they will become the ambassadors of your country. The planet is in great need of their knowledge, their know-how, their boldness,” he insisted, adding that Lebanon may be worried due to geopolitical regional reasons, but that the whole world is in danger today, seeing as there are four challenges that our children will have to answer to: the economy, the climate, health, and security (terrorism, cybersecurity).

“Our École Polytechnique was founded in 1794, based on the idea that the scientific knowledge accumulated during the Enlightenment would help save the homeland was a matter of public safety. That joins the Jesuits’ line of thought when they founded USJ: they knew that science would be the engine of prosperity. I am happy to have developed a relationship, one I could describe as almost carnal, between ESIB and the École Polytechnique, with the arrival of 4 students last year during the contest we initiated in Beirut. We had the privilege of meeting the President of the Republic to honor the 8 candidates who passed the exams this year, which reflects the excellent level of teaching at USJ.”

He added that our universities have an extremely important role to play in contributing to development, prosperity, and peace, which our world is in dire need of, before concluding, “We live in a world that will change very quickly, and we must thus be daring. Our highly selective system focused on excellence and work could sometimes blur out the value of boldness and zoom in on work values and on being a good student, but do not content yourselves with merely being good students – even if that is what you have learned. Tomorrow, become daring scientists, daring engineers, and do not be afraid of failure because success can only stem from boldness and the ability to bounce back from failure.”

Mr. Armand Assaf, representative of the USJ Federation of Alumni Associations, pointed out to the graduates that he “is very moved and honored to have the opportunity to speak at our graduation ceremony. These formative years helped me shape my personality, assert my values, and keep up good relationships with people, thanks to the different topics tackled in class, the team work we did, and the experience gathered during our internships, but also thanks to the joint projects we undertook. The diplomas we will receive in a few minutes will challenge us as Lebanese citizens: we will be challenged to live up to our identity and our sense of belonging to our country. Lebanon needs each and every one of us, engineers and scientists in all domains. Never forget how important the role you play is in maintaining the balance of our society, as engineers, scientists, citizens, and economic actors. You help maintain the balance of our country, at once so beautiful and so fragile.”

Finally, the following awards were distributed:

Institution Valedictorian Award

ESIB Valedictorian Award, handed by the Dean Fadi Geara:

• Civil Engineering program: Mr. Jad Abou Nader
• Electrical Engineering program: Mr. Antoine Hachem
• Computer and Communications Engineering program: Mr. Chedid Faddoul Dagher
• Biomedical Engineering program: Mr. Marc Chammas

ESIA Valedictorian Award, handed by Mrs. Maya Kharrat Sarkis:

Miss Eliane Mouawad

ESIAM Valedictorian Award, handed by Mrs. Maya Kharrat Sarkis:

Mr. Roland Abou Khater

INCI Valedictorian Award, handed by the Dean Fadi Geara:

• Bachelor’s degree: Miss Nathalie Saad
• Master’s degree: Mr. Jean-Pierre Kaylé

Faculty of Science Valedictorian Award

Faculty of Science Alumni Association Award, handed by Mrs. Martine Abi Khalil Afif, president of the Association, for the Bachelor’s Valedictorian in:

• Math: Miss Amal Mawass
• Phsyics: Miss Yara el-Drouby
• Chemistry: Miss Nagham el-Hasbani
• Life and Earth Sciences – Biochemistry: Miss Marie Rose Khoury Samia

BANKERS Prize, awarded by Mr. Raymond Cham to the Valedictorian of the Master’s degree in Actuarial and Financial Sciences: Miss Jihane Bou Kaddaha

PHILKA Prize, awarded by Mr. Philippe Kamel to the Valedictorian of the Master’s degree in Science and Environmental Management: Miss Diane Fargialla

Al Kazzi Prize, awarded by Miss Mona al-Kazzi: Miss Nadia Tahtah

LORASEV Prize, awarded by Mr. Sevag Berdoyan to the Valedictorian of the Master’s degree in Industrial Technology: Mr. Marc Fadel

OMNIPHARMA Prize, awarded by Mr. Fadi Chaoui to the Valedictorian of the Master’s degree in Biomarketing: Miss Stephanie Abdel Nour

Valedictorian Award, handed by Dean Richard:

• Master’s in Analysis and Probability of Partial and Differential Equations: Miss Maria el-Ghaoui
• Master’s in Functional Genomics and Proteomics: Miss Nadine Serhane

Prizes and certificates awarded by the private and public sectors:

• Mr. Raymond Najjar Prize, awarded by Mr. Raymond Najjar or Mr. Karim Najjar, to the Valedictorian of the Civil Engineering program: Jad Abou Nader
• MATTA and Associates company prize, awarded by Mrs. Chantal Iskandar, Building and Engineering: Miss Valerie Issa
• MATTA and Associates company prize, awarded by Mrs. Chantal Iskandar, Public Works and Transport: Miss Judith el-Khoury
• ABDELAAL Foundation prize, awarded by Mr. Antoine Salameh, Water and Environment: Mr. Mathieu Aouad
• ESIB Alumni award, handed by Mr. Armand Assaf, to the Valedictorian of the Electrical Engineering program: Mr. Antoine Hachem
• ESIB Alumni award, handed by Mr. Armand Assaf, to the Valedictorian of the Computer and Communications Engineering program: Mr. Chedid Faddoul Dagher
• MUREX Excellence Award, handed by Mr. Salim Edde, Software Engineering: Mr. Jules-César el-Asmar
• MUREX Excellence Award, handed by Mr. Salim Edde, best innovative project: Miss Romy Karam
• MUREX Excellence Award, handed by Mr. Salim Edde, best collaborative project: Mr. Andrew Eid and Mr. Georges Riachy
• Mr. Michel Afram Prize for the ESIAM Valedictorian, handed by Mr. Antonio Afram: Mr. Roland Abou Khater
• Mr. Michel Afram Prize for the best ESIAM thesis, handed by Miss Micha Afram: Mr. Roland Abou Khater and Mr. Roland Bouchi
• CLOS ST-THOMAS Prize for the ESIA Valedictorian, handed by Mr. Joe Touma: Miss Eliane Mouawad
• CLOS ST-THOMAS Prize for the best ESIA thesis, handed by Mr. Joe Touma: Miss Michelle Chawi
• Mr. Naji Bouhabib MT2morrow Prize, handed by Mr. Naji Bouhabib to the INCI Bachelor’s degree Valedictorian: Miss Nathalie Saad
• Mr. Antoine Feghaly Potech Consulting Prize, awarded by Mr. Antoine Feghaly to the INCI Master’s degree Valedictorian: Mr. Jean-Pierre Kaylé