It gives me great pleasure to address you for the first time through the newly redesigned website of our beloved University.

This website was developed in the spirit of reflecting the true image of UOB, and emphasizing its role as a leading institution in the Lebanese Academic Community, whereby it delivers its obligation in enhancing the crucial role of universities in protecting the moral standards of the society, hand in hand with the educational component of its mission. Our website was designed to best portray the vibrant and dynamic UOB Community, with a friendly, “non-frustrating” access to information for students, faculty, staff and visitors alike.

I take this opportunity to thank the website development team for their joint efforts in realizing this task with all the dedication and diligence needed to complete it.

In addition to our social media platforms, this website is an essential component of our online digital assets, which is one of the modalities of the evolving technologies that has forever changed the concept of communication. Social media sites have enabled each person to become a reporter who can share his/her thoughts and views with the whole world through a click of a button. As good and beneficial as it can be, social media can unfortunately be equally destructive if used with ill intentions.

In this spirit, I would like to delineate in few words our vision for the University that was established by a group of scholars whom I am honored and privileged to be following their footsteps in leading this institution. It is a tremendous responsibility indeed to be joining ranks with visionaries such as Dr. Georges Tohme, Mr. Ghassan Tueini, and Dr. Elie Salem.

To define the vision, we should understand the mission of “our” University, and we should meet the many challenges head-on. We should be pioneers in fostering innovative education and research, in protecting humanity’s heritage in ethics and moral values, and in creating a society of a “clear-conscious” generation that can spearhead the evolution of the community towards establishing a nation relieved from the culture of corruption and mediocracy, a nation of dignity and patriotism that we will all be proud to deliver to our successors.

The process of accreditation is a crucial milestone in the fundamental law of great institutions, denoting that they should never stay the same. They move forward or they fall back.

Along with that vision, and as essential as academic excellence, comes the financial aspect of the University. In my humble opinion, I believe that universities, like the University of Balamand, are not established to “make money” but to “invest money” – invest money in our students, in our staff, in our faculty members. This is the investment that we took the obligation to pursue. Accordingly, we are planning to save and recruit substantial financial support in order to decrease the financial burden on our students and their supporting families, as well as to boost our research activities as an indispensable measure to reach academic excellence, and raise the value of our diplomas as to provide our students with prospects of unlimited creativity, in a world of harsh competition and limited opportunities. We want our graduates to be leaders not followers, entrepreneurs not job-seekers.

Last but not least, I would like from each member of the Balamandian Family to carry this mission and spread the word of righteousness, to benefit from constructive criticism, and to discard destructive rumors that are meant to shatter the glorious image of our University. I hereby pledge to protect “your” University and to safeguard “your” future. This is my job, my duty, and my obligation.

I will be meeting with all of you in regular gatherings to better understand our imminent challenges and to plan subsequent solutions and strategies.

In view of the above, I would like to invite you to use the new feature of the website entitled “participation page”- http://stdparticipation.balamand.edu.lb/std/ that was created for you to voice your concerns and to present your ideas and suggestions. All submissions will be handled directly by the Office of the President.

I believe that a healthy debate among faculty members, staff, and students will materialize the vision, not that of the President, but of the UOB Community, and will help us to face the complex challenges that might arise in the future.