The American University of Beirut (AUB) celebrated the 2025 Legacy Ceremony on Monday, September 22, 2025. Assembly Hall was witness to yet another heartfelt ceremony with Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president; senior AUB administrators, deans, and faculty; families, alumni, and students bound by one institution in attendance. The event welcomed the newest generation of legacy students–422 sons, daughters, and grandchildren of alumni–to the university’s ever-growing global community.
Associate Vice President for Development, Alumni Relations, and University Events, Salma Oueida, set the tone for the evening with a heartfelt speech that touched all attending. In her remarks, Oueida asked the incoming class to carry their legacy “as a foundation. Let it inspire you to create your own stories, ask your own questions, leave your own mark. The legacy you carry is strongest when you live with curiosity, kindness, and courage.” Oueida also thanked the parents and grandparents in attendance. “Thank you for the stories, the encouragement, the sacrifices, and the trust you place in this university. Your presence honors your memories of AUB and your faith in the next generations,” she noted.
Offering a different perspective, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Antoine Sabbagh noted that “422 legacy students have confirmed their admissions to AUB this year with many of those students receiving some form of financial support.” Additionally, and with a message to legacy students, Sabbagh said, “legacy is not just about what is accomplished–it is about what we leave behind for the future. May you continue to champion education, innovation, and progress–to impact the world around you, and to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
Associate Dean of Student Affairs Samer Kharoubi encouraged students to embrace both the joys and struggles ahead. “Be proud of the legacy you inherit, but also be bold in creating your own,” he said. “Because one day, years from now, you may find yourself sitting where your parents are today–watching your own children take their first steps onto this beautiful campus.”
The evening’s keynote address was delivered by Yasmine Barbir (BBA ’99, MBA ’02), who is an alumna and a proud mother. She described AUB as her “oasis in Beirut–a place where ambition met obsession, where friendships became family, where debates spilled from classrooms, and dreams felt within reach.” She spoke of the sacrifices her family made to support her education and recalled how a full scholarship from the Rafic Hariri Foundation assured her that “your dreams matter.” Her daughter Celine, she said, continues not just her own legacy but also that of her father. “We are not just alumni, we are guardians of a legacy that spans generations,” she concluded.
In his remarks, Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president, reflected on the meaning of legacy at AUB. “Legacy means being part of a story of an institution that has endured famines, economic collapses, wars, and two global pandemics – and still presses forward,” he said. He also highlighted recent milestones at the university, including the launch of the School of Computing and Data Sciences, scheduled to start offering classes in fall 2026. To the legacy students, he offered a charge both simple and profound, “Live fully. Learn deeply. Serve generously. And commit yourselves, in all that you do, to building a better world for all.”
As the evening drew to a close, Assembly Hall felt less like a hall and more like a family gathering where past, present, and future converged. Those feelings and the celebration continued with a memorable group photo on the stairs of Main Gate, followed by a warm reception, which gave attendees a chance to make new connections and forge even more memories.
About AUB
Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has more than 790 full-time faculty members and a student body of over 9000 students. AUB currently offers more than 140 programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, MD, and PhD degrees. It provides medical education and training to students from throughout the region at its Medical Center that includes a full-service 365-bed hospital.
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