Alumni & Friends News
Dubai Gala Dinner 2007
The Dubai Chapter of the Lebanese American University Alumni Association held its annual Dinner at “Al Bustan Rotana Hotel”, where over 800 invitees attended the event.
The big ceremony was held in association with “City of Arabia”, was sponsored by “Bank of Beirut” and “Al Tayar Motors” and co-sponsored by Al Sada Magazine, Alfa tours, Y& R, Wunderman and Green Line Interiors, and was attended by the President of the University, Dr. Joseph Jabbra, as well as the Director of Alumni Relations Abdallah Al Khal, Director of Development Samir Kadi, and Director of Relations Christian Oussi.
The speakers of the ceremony were the Honorary Head of the Chapter Adala Audi Naccache, the newly elected Head of the Chapter Saad El Zein, and President Jabbra, who presented a speech that was constantly interrupted with applause.
Jabbra said: “The University has an outlook to the future, guided by an ever motivating and innovative spirit. A spirit which led us to launch a modern and specialized School of Medecine, in corporation with “Harvard Medical International”, and also to launch a School of Nursing in corporation with “North Eastern University” and “Harvard Medical International”, and finally to sign an agreement with “Clemenceau Medical Center” and Johnes Hopkins.
The LAU spirit is ever committed to service and excellence, when serving an ultimately noble cause which is education. Our students are the future leaders, and we are not to have a prosperous future if we did not provide them with excellent education. This explains the path we chose to take to gain accreditation from the “New England Association of Schools and Colleges.”
Jabbra further thanked the United Arab Emirates’ people and government, for opening up and hosting the Lebanese, who proudly take part in the evolution of this country. He also thanked the Dubai Chapter of the Alumni Association for its activism, as well as other alumni of fellow universities for attending the event, which are the American University of Beirut, the University of Saint Joseph, and Notre Dame University. He addressed the alumni, saying:
“I urge you all, wherever you go and whatever you do to never forget the Lebanese American University. Keep it on your minds, show it in your smiles, in your eyes, and most importantly, in your hearts. Finally, may God bless the Emirates’ leaders and people, and watch over our graduates in it. I further plead to God to inspire the Lebanese leaders to find a solution and put an end to the Lebanese people’s suffering and fears for their children’s future.”
Marked with great applause, the Dubai Chapter of the Alumni Association presented an honorary trophy to Mrs. Adala Audi Naccache, to pay tribute for her commitment to her work for the Chapter.
Then, a fund raising campaign was issued to collect funding for scholarships of 10 thousand dollars each, where the audience enthusiasm raised the number of scholarships to 22. The eight pastel paintings which were donated by the university students in Beirut were all sold to support the Chapter.
