Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) celebrated the Class of 20-21 by organizing two graduation ceremonies that took place in the Bechara El-Rai Theater on Wednesday, August 11 for the Ramez G. Chagoury Faculty of Architecture Arts and Design (FAAD), Faculty of Business Administration and Economics (FBAE) and Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FNHS) and on Thursday, August 12, 2021 for the Faculty of Engineering (FE), Faculty of Humanities (FH), Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLPS) and the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences (FNAS).
The ceremonies were streamed live on Facebook allowing the family members and loved ones to virtually attend and share the graduates’ joy. All the necessary safety precautions were taken to ensure everyone’s safety.
An opening speech by the master of ceremony, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Elie Badr, reflected on NDU’s status as a unique and committed university, “from its founding, it has been unique in its commitment to excellence, its emphasis on both discovery and application, and the value placed on the role our graduates play in society.”
He went on to introduce NDU President, Fr. Bechara Khoury, “Behind NDU today, is a leader who accepted an enormous challenge. Our president today is a visionary, full of devotion, assertion, and a decision maker.”
In an inspiring speech to the graduating students, Fr. Khoury said, “Know that NDU, your academic home, is not just any university; it is an institution that upholds respect for human dignity and rights, moral integrity, customs and values; a university that safeguards the cultural and spiritual heritage of our beloved country.”
Fr. Khoury also expressed how proud he was by saying that graduates have become ambassadors of the university wherever they go, and that their achievements, successes and unquenchable spirit to make Lebanon grow stronger will prevail: “Today, you are receiving a prestigious and competitive university degree with which you will fight corruption, nihilism, poverty, ignorance, misery, and inequity.”
This year’s Valedictorian, Advertising and Marketing student, Jad Ibry, from the Faculty of Humanities, reflected on the unprecedented circumstances the student body had experienced during the past year, saying: “With a revolution, a pandemic, an explosion, and an economic crisis, we found ourselves struggling to overcome all hardships.” He then thanked NDU for empowering him to pursue his dreams. “I have a goal and I will give all my power to access it, and you should too,” said Ibry.
The University Registrar, Ms. Mirna Nehme, proceeded by reading the names of the graduating students where each faculty dean presented the candidates for degrees from their respective faculties. The unique moment of moving the tassel and cap tossing was preceded by the concluding tunes of the NDU anthem.