On Monday, May 15, Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) signed a named scholarship agreement with Dr. Amal Abou Zeid, a long-term commitment dedicated to providing students from the Jezzine district across all three NDU Campuses with financial aid to cover their tuition fees as the country navigates the ongoing economic crisis. Fr. Bechara Khoury, NDU President, greeted Abou Zeid and Mr. Georges Ghanem, the Scholarship’s Office Manager, at the Main Campus. Convening in the Office of the President for the signing, key attendees included Abbott Semaan Abou Abdou, Vice President for Administration and Finance, Dr. Michel El Hayek, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Antoine Farhat, Vice President for University Advancement, Dr. Ghazi Asmar, Assistant Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Simon Abou Jaoude, Assistant Vice President for Academic Support, Dr. Charbel Zgheib, Dean of Students, Ms. Eliane Harfouche, Assistant Director of the Department of Financial Aid, and Ms. Nesrine Sfeir, Director of the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
The meeting began with a word from the Father President, who spoke of the students as a microcosm of the wider society: “A country in crisis is no country at all. Instead, we need to support the youth both materially and spiritually so that they may persevere and rebuild the nation of tomorrow.” The intersection of education and society has always been a point of pursuit for Abou Zeid, who expanded upon the purpose of the Scholarship as a “step forward in accelerating the cooperation and collaboration between the educational and public and private sectors.”
Abou Zeid has previously provided other universities and schools with financial support, as his principal mission is to uplift and build up the individual. He is specifically looking forward to this collaboration with NDU because of their shared values and goals, appreciating how the University has integrated in its approach the teachings of the Church and the Maronite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron order of NDU and the tradition from which it derives its mission.
El Hayek spoke next, underlining the importance of the University’s outreach and partnerships for financial support, particularly since “[NDU is] an accredited Catholic university and achieved such accreditation because we have always placed our students first, serving them equally to help meet their needs as they pursue higher education.”
The Dr. Abou Zeid Scholarship is in effect as of Spring 2023 and will continue to provide long-term support to students from Jezzine. The signing ceremony concluded with a final word from Fr. Khoury: “We are determined to walk beside our students on their path to success and fulfillment. They are our children and our future.” All who were present communicated their sincere gratitude for the partnership with the Scholarship, as aiding the students is the sum purpose of all the University’s work and efforts.