BEIRUT – The President of the American
University of Technology (AUT), Dr. Ghada Hinain, has declared the
University’s decision to award an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
(Doctorate Honoris Causa) to HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global) for his lifetime achievements in the
service of humanity in the fields of knowledge and innovation. .

Dr. Hinain addressed the attendees at
the ceremony saying: “We, at the University, have successfully turned crises
into points of strength, determination and solid will for a bright life. Today,
despite the current crisis in Lebanon, and the repercussions of the coronavirus
pandemic, political and economic clashes, regionally and internationally, we
have our youth who managed to combine science and technology with national
values and ethics.”

She added that the youth of Lebanon are
the real fortune, identity, civilization and legacy, noting that Lebanon is
different from other countries, and the world is in dire need of our country,
Lebanon.

For his turn Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh expressed
his gratitude and appreciation for the honoring of the Doctorate Degree. He
addressed the graduates and briefed them on his life story since his
displacement from Palestine and his refuge in Lebanon, and the suffering he
passed through which constituted the main motive for excellence and success in
building the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global, the global organization for
professional services, education and tech product, operating in more than 100
offices around the world.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, further, called on
graduates to embrace innovation and inventions in the field of knowledge which
is considered the key to overcoming all crises, noting that innovation is not
restricted to anyone, and a single inventor could be the savior of a whole
nation.

In this context, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh cited
the examples of Google, Amazon and Facebook, saying that the budget of each one
of them equals the budgets of all Arab countries combined, explaining that
these corporations are purely knowledge inventions and computer programming
software.

“My deep belief in the importance of
invention and innovation guided me to establish the first of its kind
university in the world, the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University College for
Innovation (TAGUCI), which graduates students based on presenting an invention,
not just passing examinations.”

At the end of the ceremony, Dr.
Abu-Ghazaleh presented technological devices, manufactured by Talal
Abu-Ghazaleh for Technology, a member firm of TAG.Global, to outstanding
graduates.

A host of Lebanese dignitaries attended
the ceremony including, Eparch of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of
Byblos, Michel Aoun; representative ofMaronite Patriarch
Bechara Boutros, MP Salim Sayegh; representative of Leader of
the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Samy Gemayel, MP Ziad Hawat;
representative of leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir
Geagea, former MP Edy Maalouf; representative of the leader of
the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil and Rebecca El
Hosry; representative of the leader of the Marada Movement, Sleiman
Frangieh. That is in addition to MPs dib Abdel Massih, Walid Baarini, George
Atallah, and Taha Naji, representing MPs Strida Geagea and Ashraf
Rifi, Mufti of Byblos Sheikh Ghassan Al-Lakis, 

Head of Editors'
Syndicate Joseph Al-Kosseifi, President of North Lebanon's Bar
Association, Mary-Therese Kawwal, MENA EdTech Alliance President, Dr. Rabie
Baalbaki, and Vice-President of the Alliance for International Partnerships and
Relations Coordinator, Ms. Nora Al-Murabi, Acting Mayor of Jbeil, Ms. Natalie
Marai El Khoury, and Head of the Jubail District Mayors' Association, Mr.
Michel Gibran, as well as a host of mayors and mukhtars. That is in addition to
the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda, HE Mr. Hanna Akar, Palestinian
Ambassador to Lebanon, HE Mr. Ashraf Dabbour, represented by Mr. Mustapha Abu
Harb, Chargé d 'affaires of Iraqi Ambassador, Ms. Ban Al-Hoshi, President of
the American University of Technology (AUT), Dr. Ghada Saqer Hinain, and
members of the AUT Board of Trustees, as well as a number of high-ranking
personalities, party representatives and students' parents.