Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) organized on October 6, 2016, at Issam Fares Hall, a prize distribution ceremony to honor the winners of the first round of the “School Student’s Competition.” The participants entered the competition to try and win the ‘Kamal Youssef el-Hage Intellectual Excellence Premium Award.’ Beyt al-Fikr–Kamal Youssef el-Hage, in collaboration with the Institute of Lebanese Thought (ILT) at NDU, sponsored this event.
April 2, 2016, marked the first round of the competition, which took place at the Jounieh Institute. Around 60 students from 24 local schools participated in this four-hour long competition themed, “Philosophy and Us.” Students were given two facultative texts written by the philosopher El-Hage on the topic of “heaven” as well as other motivational questions.
The top three students won medals in addition to a cash prize, official certificate, and copies of Kamal Youssef El-Hage’s books.
The winners are:
First Place: Hayat Ali Jaber, Collège Notre Dame des Apôtres, Kab Elias.
Cash Prize Amount: LBP 4,500,000
Second Place: Aline George Khazzaka, Collège Notre Dame des Apôtres , Kab Elias.
Cash Prize Amount: LBP 3,000,000
Third Place: Elissa Sleiman Saadeh, Official Secondary School, Ajaltoun.
Cash Prize Amount: LBP 1,500,000
14 schools in total were represented in this competition, and each participant and school delegate received a ‘Certificate of Appreciation.’
During the competition, each student was given a participant (ID) number, as the identities of competing students remained secret until the day of the prize distribution ceremony.
Following the ceremony, the organizers announced that April 2017 would witness at the Jounieh Institute the start of a new round of the competition. The organizers also discussed with university students and applicants aged over 45, this biannual competition organized by Beyt al-Fikr.