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John
Waterbury
in the News
Local News
Media
July, 2005
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The Daily Star of July 26 published an article by
Diala Shuhaiber, on the AUB plans to reform its current
alumni association and to replace it by a new, global and
unified association "chosen" by the board of trustees. It
said the BOT, which consists of 36 members, approved the
establishment of a new worldwide alumni association at its
June 17, 2005 meeting. The article included opinions by the
President of the Alumni Association Fawaz Merebi, Trustee
Farouk Jabr, vice president for Development and External
Relations Stephen Jeffrey, and President John Waterbury.
Merebi said the association must retain its independence.
Jabr said the new association, AUBAA, will harness thousands
of alumni worldwide, and that the BOT was working to cancel
the alumni association membership fee. Jeffrey said that 95%
of alumni around the world who sent in responses are in
favor of a single worldwide alumni association. Waterbury
said that by forming the AUBAA, the university is taking a
needed step in alumni relations and in providing better
services for all AUB graduates.
June 2005
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Al-Bayraq,
Ad-Diyar, Al-Liwa, Al-Mustaqbal, An-Nahar, and The Daily
Star of June 30 reported that the AUB Board
of Trustees has taken a preliminary decision to establish a
new AUB alumni association that "will work with the alumni
in creating a unified body representing alumni of all
geographical locations." The papers said that President
Waterbury launched this project and that he has several new
plans regarding
this project.
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Papers of
June 26 and 27 reported on the ceremony at AUB to
award
honorary doctorates to the Aga Khan, Richard A. Debs, Fairuz,
Ghassan Tueni and Ahmad Zewail. The papers excerpted the
address of President Waterbury, introducing the honorary
degrees program and each of the awardees.
Speeches by the five recipients were also included...
President Waterbury described the Aga Khan as a committed
philanthropist, standing at the head of a network of service
institutions focused on the "have nots" of the world, Muslim
and non-Muslim alike.
About retiring BOT Chairman, Dr. Richard
A. Debs, he said he led the BOT and the University through
the critical years of rebuilding following the civil war and
has led the University in its campaign for excellence,
enabling AUB to clear the unprecedented threshold of $100
million in gifts and pledges.
About Fairuz, Dr. Waterbury said she made her talents as a
singer known from an early age, pioneered in the wedding of
eastern Arab and western melodic forms and, in 1957, faced
an audience in the open for the first time, in the temple of
Jupiter
in Baalbeck.
He described Ghassan Tueni as someone of unparalleled
experience, deep wisdom, a memory that is not only long but
crowded with the keen observations of an unblinking
political, social and cultural eye. He said Tueni has been
an entrepreneur, a scholar, a diplomat, a politician, a
journalist, a writer, a university president, and a patron
of the arts.
About Dr. Ahmed Zewail, he said that he made strides in
scientific research that are universally recognized, but,
equally important, he has brought renewed focus on
scientific research.
The papers also excerpted what each of the five awardees
said.
The Agha Khan expressed his happiness with the honorary
doctoral he received and said he hoped too that AUB will
cooperate in the International
Center for
Diversification which he established in
Ottawa in
partnership with the Canadian Government.
Richard Debs recalled the years of tragedy that AUB
experienced during the civil war, and how it did cease
operation even during difficult times.
Dr. Najjar, read the words of Fairuz, in which she said the
award honored singing, which is the language of prayers,
worship and love.
Tueni recalled June 1945 when he received his BA from
President Dodge. He expressed his admiration to his late
teacher Charles Malek, who was one of the legislators of the
UN Charter and reminisced about Henry Kissinger.
Professor Ahmad Zewail said that AUB did him a favor by
giving him the chance to apply to the US. Despite the
troubles and the difficulties he faced there, the
US
offered him the freedom of mind and thinking, and the
capability to be creative. He said that there is no success
without the freedom of human mind.
The papers included biographical information about the
honored recipients.
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Ad-Diyar,
Al-Balad and An-Nahar of June 26 and Al-Bayraq and
Al-Liwa of June 27 reported on the dinner hosted by
caretaker PM Najib Mikati and his wife May
at the Grand Serail to honor those who were awarded honorary
doctorates. The papers said that many figures were present
in the dinner including; President Waterbury and his wife,
outgoing BOT Chairman Richard
Debs, President of the Alumni Association Fawaz Merebi.
The papers said that President Waterbury handed Mikati a
trophy from Olayan School of Business mainly for his support
to AUB. Prime Minister Mikati handed Debs the National Medal
of Merit in the name of President Emile Lahoud.
April,
2005
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The Daily Star and An-Nahar of April 22, An-Nahar,
Ash-Sharq, Al-Balad, Al-Bayraq, Al-Liwa and As-Safir of
April 23 and Al-Anwar of April 24 excerpted the proceedings
of the conference "Secularism, Religious, Nationalism and
the State: Visual practices and Public Subjects" held at
AUB. Organized by CAMES and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES,
the conference started on April 21. President Waterbury,
Dean of Arts and Sciences Khalil Bitar, Director of CAMES
Dr. John Meloy, FES representative Samir Farah, and Dr. Maha
Yehya from AUB were among the speakers in the opening
session. The Daily Star excerpted the speech of Peter Van
der Veer, a professor of Comparison Religion, at Utrecht
University in the Netherlands and a visiting professor at
AUB. He talked about democracy and the relation between
religion and politics.
March,
2005
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Al-Mustaqbal, Ad-Diyar, As-Safir, and Al-Balad of March 4
reported on the visit of President Waterbury to Qoraytem to
pay his condolences at Hariri's house where he met with
family members
February,
2005
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All papers of February 15 reported on the
assassination of AUB Trustee and former Prime Minister Rafic
Hariri in a massive car bomb explosion that killed him along
with at least 12 other people in the St George Hotel area.
Former Economy Minister and AUB Professor Basil Fuleihan,
riding in Mr. Hariri's convoy was critically wounded. All
papers published the statement made by President Waterbury
on February 14. The President described Hariri as a great
friend of AUB and called on the AUB family to remain calm.
"We will best honor him by living in the coming days the
high ideals that AUB has always espoused."
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As-Safir of February 11
reported that a lecture will be given at ESCWA-Beirut on
February 25 on the chart for polices in science, technology
and creation in Lebanon. The lecture is organized by the
National Council for Scientific Research in cooperation with
ESCWA, UNESCO and ALECSO under the patronage of Prime
Minister Omar Karami. President Waterbury will participate
in the roundtable at the end of the lecture.
December,
2004
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Papers of December 13 published the announcement by
AUB that Issam Fares Foundation will be funding the
construction of the Issam Fares Institute for International
Affairs and Public Policies at AUB. Deputy Prime Minister
Fares stressed the importance of the studies of
international relations and public policies at AUB, which
has always been an asset for knowledge in Lebanon and the
region. President Waterbury said that the Institute will
advance research into policy-making in the region.
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Papers of December 4 reported on Founders' Day
ceremony, held at Assembly Hall, and attended by students,
professors, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees.
"AUB can and must provide a forum in which all sides of the
bitter disputes (between East and West) can more or less
comfortably meet," said President John Waterbury. The winner
of this year's essay contest-held under the theme of "AUB as
a Bridge between East and West" was Randy Nahle, a sophomore
student majoring in political science and public
administration. Dr. Hutham Olayan, an AUB graduate and a
member of AUB's Board of Trustees gave a speech describing
AUB as a force for development and equality.
November, 2004
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Papers
of November 5 reported on the death of Sheikh Zayed
Al Nahyan, ruler of the UAE. It said many political,
religious and society leaders paid their condolences at the
United Arab Emirates embassy in Beirut. Among the visitors
was a delegation from AUB headed by President John
Waterbury, who described Sheikh Zayed as a defender of
knowledge.
October, 2004
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Most
papers of October 5-8 published the full speech of
President Waterbury delivered during AUB's 139th opening
ceremony at Assembly Hall on October 4. The ceremony was
attended by trustees, students, professors, alumni and
staff. In his speech entitled "Two Americas," Waterbury drew
a comparison between the "red" America which is
"conservative, deeply religious, isolationist and ironically
militaristic," and the "blue" America, that is "more urban,
industrial, and liberal." President Waterbury criticized the
current US policy following the attacks of September 11 and
denounced violations of public freedoms protected by the US
constitution, institutions and legal system. "If fear leads
us to push those procedures and institutions aside, the
terrorists have truly won" he said. The president further
acknowledged that the feelings of middle-easterners has
deepened with mistrust, anger and isolation towards the
United States, and praised Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal,
whose gift helped establish the Center for American Studies
and Research at AUB.
International
News Media
June, 2005
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The
Chronicle of Higher Education International (US) of June
10 ran a story entitled “During the Beirut War Years.
Professors Braved Bullets, Shelling, and Their Own Fears.”
In it, the writer talks about the recent weeklong “National
Unity” festival held in Beirut to commemorate the 30-year
anniversary of the start of its bloody civil war, and
discussed with several experts whether or not they thought
it was a good idea. AUB President, John Waterbury was
quoted in the article, along with Nabil H. Dajani, a
professor of mass media, and Raja I. Tannous, a professor of
food technology and nutrition. The article also talks
briefly about the kidnapping of David S. Dodge, then the
university’s acting president, and Thomas M. Sutherland,
then the dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food
Sciences and the effect this had on emptying the university
of American faculty.
March, 2005
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U.S. News & World Report of
March 4 discusses and analyzes the on going protests in
Lebanon, with John Waterbury, president of the American
University of Beirut, commenting, “there is a sense of
euphoria and accomplishment in the unity across sects, with
the important exception of the Shiite community, which is
almost unprecedented in contemporary Lebanese history."
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