MU Holds Its Seventh Commencement Ceremony Amid Challenges
Beirut, August 27, 2026
Al Maaref University (MU) celebrated the graduation of a new cohort of students from seven faculties for the 2025–2026 academic year, reaffirming its commitment to advancing its educational mission despite significant challenges. The ceremony was held on Thursday evening, August 27, 2026, on the university's Beirut campus, in the presence of prominent political, educational, religious, professional, municipal, social, and cultural figures.
Among the attendees were Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Hijazi, representing the Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council; Sayyed Ali Reza Esmaeili, Political Counselor at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon; former MP Dr. Abdullah Kassir; Dr. Ibrahim Al-Moussawi, Chair of the Parliamentary Information and Communications Committee; MPs Engineer Hussein Gashi, Dr. Ihab Hamadeh, and Mr. Raed Berro; representatives of the Ministers of Labor and Public Health; representatives of the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Internal Security Forces, and General Security; and Dr. Shadi Abdallah, Secretary General of the National Council for Scientific Research.
The ceremony was also attended by the deans of the Lebanese University’s Higher Institutes of Doctoral Studies in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and in Science and Technology; representatives of universities and educational institutions; municipal mayors and council members; representatives of professional syndicates and their councils; heads of units, associations, institutions, and hospitals; and prominent figures from the educational, cultural, social, and professional sectors. The gathering also included members of Al Maaref University’s Board of Trustees and University Council, academic and administrative staff, as well as the families and graduating students.
The ceremony opened with the procession of graduates from the Faculties of Engineering, Mass Communication and Fine Arts, Sciences, Business Administration, Religions and Human Sciences, Education, and Health Sciences. This was followed by the procession of the University Council and faculty members, accompanied by ceremonial music and applause, as they took their designated seats in the stands.
University President Ali Alaeddine
Following the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an and the Lebanese national anthem, Dr. Talih Hamdan opened the ceremony by welcoming the guests. University President Professor Ali Alaeddine then delivered his address, beginning by congratulating the graduates and their families on the occasion of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday and the graduation ceremony. He commended the students for their success and achievements despite the successive crises that have affected the country and the difficult years marked by hardship and adversity.
Alaeddine thanked the graduates’ families, the Board of Trustees, and the entire MU community for their dedication, commitment, and role in shaping a strong generation capable of confronting challenges. He also paid tribute to members of the university's academic and administrative staff who were martyred, including Osama Mohsen Yassine and Ali Al-Mortada Ali Shmeis, and remembered the late University Secretary-General Dr. Fadl Bdeir. He further honored the memory of the university's students who were martyred in Israeli attacks, particularly this year’s two graduating students, Ali Hassan Yassine and Sulaima Jamal Mohammad. During his address, the university president paused to honor their memory and presented their graduation certificates to their families.
Alaeddine noted that, through the determination of its students and the commitment of its faculty and staff, MU had successfully completed a challenging academic year. Despite the difficulties, he said, the university remains committed to pursuing excellence and progress, keeping pace with technological developments and the applications of artificial intelligence, and strengthening cooperation with civil society organizations, universities, and scientific and research institutions.
He also announced the university's transition into a new phase with the launch of graduate programs, stating, "In the 2026–2027 academic year, we will begin teaching four of the 15 master’s programs for which the university has obtained licenses. This marks the beginning of an advanced and qualitative phase in developing our research and scientific output and putting it at the service of society and its empowerment.”
Addressing the ongoing aggression against Lebanon, Alaeddine said, "The massacres and destruction carried out by the Zionist enemy under the umbrella of what is called the free world violate all international and humanitarian laws and conventions and are driving the region toward further wars, killing, destruction, and instability.” He stressed that “the free people of Lebanon, Palestine, and the region as a whole are presenting a civilizational model grounded in the promotion of human and ethical values, drawing their strength from sacrifice and the honorable defense of the land and human dignity.”
A few days ahead of August 31, Alaeddine also recalled Imam of the Resistance Sayyed Moussa Al-Sadr (May God return him and his two companions), who, he said, had instilled in the people of this land the values of dignity and resistance. He added, "We bow before the sacrifices of the martyrs of the army, the people, and the Resistance. We remember with the utmost reverence the martyred Imam Khamenei, the Supreme Martyr Sayyed, the Hashimi Martyr Sayyed, and all those who gave their lives in defense of the land and dignity, including the martyrs of our university."
Addressing the graduates, Alaeddine said, "You now carry the trust and responsibility of this stage. Your country needs your knowledge and initiatives. Contribute to its defense and rebuilding, create your own opportunities through determination and perseverance, go forth and spread goodness and giving, and hold fast to your principles and values. Raise the name of your university high and be its bright image in the fields of life and work.”
In closing, the MU president thanked everyone who contributed to organizing the ceremony, as well as the media institutions for their coverage, media support, and live broadcasting.
Class of 2026 Address
During the ceremony, Ahmad Dhaini, the top graduate of the Faculty of Engineering, delivered the Class of 2026 address. He said, "Watching our homes and villages being destroyed before our eyes did not deter us from continuing on our path and remaining committed to our studies until we reached this moment of graduation.”
In a heartfelt address, Dhaini expressed his appreciation, thanks, and gratitude to the university, its faculty members, families, and martyrs for their efforts and sacrifices. He also paid tribute to all those who have sacrificed for the dignity, sovereignty, and advancement of the nation. On behalf of himself and his fellow graduates, he pledged: “We will do everything in our power to help our country rise again and build a safer and more dignified future for our families.”
Closing Ceremony
The university president then took the stage, accompanied by the deans of the respective faculties, and began presenting the graduates with their certificates. Graduation caps were tossed into the air as applause filled the venue, followed by commemorative photographs.