French
FSR, IEIC, ISSR, FLSH, ILO, ESTS, IESAV, ETIB, FSEDU, ILE, and AFC 2026 Graduation Ceremony
Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) celebrated the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Religious Studies (FSR), the Institute of Muslim-Christian Studies (IEIC), the Higher Institute of Religious Studies (ISSR), the Faculty of Humanities Ramez G. Chagoury (FLSH), the Institute of Oriental Studies (ILO), the School of Social Work (ESTS), the Institute of Theater, Audiovisual and Cinematic Studies (IESAV), the Faculty of Languages and Translation (FdLT), the School of Translators and Interpreters of Beirut (ETIB), the Faculty of Education (FSEDU), the Lebanese Institute of Educators (ILE), and the Training Academy for Citizenship (AFC) on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at the Science and Technology Campus, in Mar Roukoz.
Marked by commitment, transmission, and responsibility, the evening was honored by the presence of Her Excellency Ms. Rima Abdul Malak, former French Minister of Culture and executive director at L’Orient-Le Jour. A Franco-Lebanese, she has distinguished herself throughout her career through her commitment to culture, media, artistic creation, and the Francophonie, embodying an inspiring figure at the crossroads of public action, culture, and information.
Opening the ceremony, Mrs. Christine Omeira Wazen, Director of the Publications and Communication Office (SPCOM), recalled that every graduation ceremony celebrates far more than academic achievement: it marks the conclusion of journeys shaped by hard work, perseverance, friendships, challenges overcome, and dreams come true.
The Rector of USJ, Prof. François Boëdec, SJ, then addressed the graduates, their loved ones, and the entire University community. Experiencing his first series of graduation ceremonies since taking office in January 2026, he shared the emotion he felt as he presented diplomas to the first graduating classes leaving the University under his rectorship.
Recalling that “while skills build careers, values build people,” the Rector stressed the particular responsibility of USJ graduates, who are called upon to exercise sound judgment, embrace differences, and defend their convictions with discernment. He also paid tribute to the role of the humanities, which, he said, “do not only educate competent professionals; they educate women and men capable of giving meaning to their actions and contributing to a fairer, more supportive, and more humane society.”
He praised the essential role of families, professors, and staff who supported them despite the successive crises Lebanon has endured. “Our presence here this evening is the sign of a collective achievement,” he said, calling on the new graduates to remain grateful to those who had believed in them.
Prof. Boëdec also urged them to remain deeply attached to Lebanon, whether they choose to practice their profession in the country or pursue their careers abroad. He encouraged them to reflect on how each of them could contribute to the country’s recovery, invited them to maintain a lasting connection with their Alma Mater, and called on them to remain proud of their University, support it, and keep its legacy alive.
For her part, Ms. Rima Abdul Malak shared a personal testimony marked by emotion and hope. Congratulating the graduates on their perseverance, she recalled that they had pursued their studies amid successive crises that had deeply affected Lebanon.
Facing the technological upheavals and the rise of artificial intelligence, she strongly defended the place of the humanities, languages, education, culture, interreligious dialogue, and artistic creation. The more the world becomes digitalized, she explained, the more it needs empathy, ethics, memory, justice, and narratives capable of preserving its human dimension. Referring to the growing recruitment of philosophers by major artificial intelligence companies, she affirmed that “the world of tomorrow needs meaning, and you are the ones who will give it meaning.”
She spoke of her own journey, from her involvement in non-profit organizations with Clowns Without Borders to her ministerial responsibilities and then to her leadership of L’Orient-Le Jour. She encouraged the graduates to follow their intuition rather than a predetermined path. “Do not let anyone dictate your path; follow your heart,” she told them, recalling that encounters, volunteering, or the most unexpected commitments can transform a life. She concluded her speech by reading Andrée Chedid’s poem Jeunesse, dedicated to the Class of 2026.
On this occasion, the Rector presented Ms. Abdul Malak with the commemorative artwork created for USJ’s 150th anniversary.
On behalf of the Federation of USJ Alumni Associations, Ms. Safaa el-Khatib, an alumna of the Lebanese Institute of Educators, welcomed the new graduates into the alumni community. She recalled that USJ transmits far more than knowledge: it passes on a way of looking at the world, founded on commitment, excellence, service, and humanity. While a diploma certifies the knowledge acquired, she stressed, “your life will bear witness to what you choose to do with it.” Inviting the graduates to uphold and promote the values of their University, she reminded them that “the world is not only waiting for competent professionals, but for women and men capable of putting their knowledge at the service of others.”
On behalf of the graduates, Ms. Élise Gebrayel, a graduate of the Higher Institute of Religious Studies, offered a reflection on the place of the University in the age of artificial intelligence. While machines now produce instant answers, she observed, the University remains the place where one learns to ask the right questions, develop critical thinking, exercise discernment, and seek what is true, just, and good. Looking back on her recent experience at a gathering of theologians in Cairo, she explained that technological progress makes reflection on the human person, meaning, freedom, hope, and dignity more essential than ever.
The ceremony continued with the oath of the students of the School of Social Work, taken by Tania Hoyek, followed by that of the students of the Lebanese Institute of Educators, read by Stéphanie Sabra. Faten Gibai then took the Doctoral Oath of Scientific Integrity, reaffirming the values of ethics and rigor that underpin University research.
The graduates then received their diplomas, to the applause of their families and professors.
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Speech of Ms. Rima Abdul Malak, Director of L’Orient-Le Jour