PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
01-349230/1
Haigazian University’s 49th Commencement Exercises
On Saturday, July the 4th, 2008, Haigazian University graduated 141
students, in the First Armenian Evangelical Church courtyard, Beirut.
The ceremony honored 133 students from the faculties of Business
Administration and Economics, Humanities, Sciences, and Social and
Behavioral Sciences with the BA and BS degrees, and 8 students with the
Masters degree.
Among the 1200 invitees were Minister Jean Oghasabian, representing the
President of the Republic, MP Hagop Pakradounian representing the
Speaker of the Parliament, and MP Dr. Bassem Shabb, representing the
appointed Prime Minister, in addition to the President of the Supreme
Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, Rev. Salim
Sahyouni, the Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon, H.E. Roupen Kharazian,
previous members of parliament and ministers, university
representatives, diplomats, clergy, members of the Board of Trustees,
parents, relatives, and fellow students.
The ceremony started as Faculty and Graduates marched through the crowd
of parents, relatives and friends to the celebratory processional march
"Pomp and Circumstance" by Sir Edward Elgar, followed by the Lebanese
National Anthem, and the Invocation by the Campus Minister, Rev. W.
Gregory Lee-Parker.
In his trilingual speech, University President Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian
talked about Beirut, as it carries the title of Book Capital of the
World, and stressed on its role to be one of the capitals of education
in the world. "While books and schools, universities and homes, web
space and portals act as agents and media of education in general, good
education is where values, relationships, ideas, needs, and technique
will meet. Some of these independently lead to wider knowledge, but
all of these together lead into deeper knowledge. All university
education, therefore, is a challenge to balance these ingredients of
good education," Haidostian said.
The keynote speaker of the ceremony, Minister of Interior and
Municipalities, Me. Ziyad Baroud talked about the knowledge and skills
acquired at Haigazian University. He explained that the first type of
knowledge will enhance graduates’ career choices, whereas the second
type of knowledge relates to the general skills acquired through the
liberal education; this will make graduates open to new ideas, have
critical thinking, respect the differences in community, and initiate
them to art and foreign cultures.
Baroud reiterated the fact that the education provided by Haigazian
University will give the graduates the sense of how they, as Lebanese,
relate to the rest of the world and the planet. "Your concern for human
rights, the environment, health, justice, world heritage, democracy and
peace are no longer limited to Lebanon but to all corners of the world
and to the many issues that affect our lives and will likely shape our
future and your children’s future’, Baroud noted. Afterwards, Registrar
Roubina Artinian and Deans Fadi Asrawi and Arda Ekmekji presented the
graduates who received their degrees from President Haidostian.
In their valedictorian addresses, Kamal Al Itani, speaking in English,
considered the commencement day as the beginning of a new phase in life.
The beginning of countless decisions to make, to build bridges instead
of walls, and to realize that diversity is to be cherished and
respected. On this most anticipated of days, Al Itani invited his
fellow graduates to create a goal for themselves, and said, "Let us take
inspiration where we find it and in return use our education to inspire
other generations of respectful, grateful, and charitable individual."
Whereas valedictorian Araz Ladayan, speaking in Arabic, asked her fellow
graduates to implement all of the values learned at Haigazian
University, and always be advocates of truth freedom and service.
After singing the Alma Mater, the ceremony concluded with the
Benediction given by the President of the Union of the Armenian
Evangelical Churches in the Near East, Rev. Meguerdich Karageozian.
The class of 2009, threw their caps and walked with their heads held
high while the recessional, "Trumpet Tune in C", by Henry Purcell,
played and celebratory balloons flew high into the skies.