Dear friends,
Early in the summer of 1979, my parents received a telegram from London sent by Joan Ibish, the mother of my oldest friend, Hussein. It read: “Got Led Zep. Stop. Send Fadlo." This set the stage for a critical decision. Not yet sixteen, but already an old head, I had grown used to accepting responsibility for myself and for others. But this presented a quandary. On the one hand, Led Zeppelin, a favorite band of mine, had not played live in two years. In this case, the Ibish family, who summered in London, had somehow gotten tickets to Zeppelin's much anticipated comeback concert at Knebworth Park. On the other hand, my parents had long planned an extended family trip to Tunisia, where my maternal great uncle Cecil Hourani was being feted by none other than his old friend, Tunisian President AlHabib Bourguiba, a legendary figure and sitting president of one of the African Arab republics with the closest ties to Lebanon. I made my choice, informing my parents I would be heading to London to watch Led Zeppelin, who might not ever again put on a live show of this magnitude.
I WAS SOON IN LONDON PREPARING TO WATCH ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD PERFORM ONE OF THEIR FINAL CONCERTS
My stunned parents accepted my choice. With their blessing, I was soon in London preparing to watch arguably the biggest band in the world perform one of their final concerts before the untimely death of their unparalleled drummer John Bonham, which led to their breakup. I reasoned that I would visit Tunisia (and Bourguiba) another time.
That decision has stayed with me, not only because of the music, but because it reminds me that our lives are shaped by the choices we make: sometimes bold, sometimes risky, often uncertain. More than four decades later, leading AUB has been about similar choices: when to hold firm, when to adapt, when to step onto the less traveled path.
IN A CELEBRATION OF MY CLINICAL AND SCIENTIFIC CAREER CONTRIBUTIONS, A GROUP OF FORMER PROTÉGÉS ORGANIZED A FESTSCHRIFT ON AUGUST 30
The end of my tenth year leading AUB and the early days of my eleventh have been full of momentous occasions. To cap the tenth, in a celebration of my clinical and scientific career contributions, a group of former protégés organized a
Festschrift on August 30. The occasion brought my closest friends and colleagues and family members from near and far to Beirut for what became a world-class scientific symposium showcasing the extent to which cancer research and care have progressed in the last quarter century or so. Several speakers reflected on the choices I had made along the way (some of which they tried to talk me out of). Friends from MD Anderson Cancer Center and Emory University speculated on what might have been achieved had I stayed in the US but also emphasized what has been built here because I chose AUB. That juxtaposition of paths not taken and achievements realized was both humbling and affirming.
THE END OF MY TENTH YEAR LEADING AUB AND THE EARLY DAYS OF MY ELEVENTH HAVE BEEN FULL OF MOMENTOUS OCCASIONS
Among the many poignant moments, two stood out: the stellar caliber of the presentations from AUB faculty members, on par with those given by leading global authorities in the field, and the strong sense of unity among our community that extended well beyond the departures of our guests.
Two days later,
Opening Ceremony for the 2025-26 academic year found Assembly Hall as packed and positive as on any occasion I have witnessed. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and friends were brimming with confidence, purpose, and commitment to a better future for all. Despite the war on Lebanon last fall coinciding with peak recruitment season, we welcomed new cadres of students and faculty whose quality was indisputable.
OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE 2025-26 ACADEMIC YEAR FOUND ASSEMBLY HALL AS PACKED AND POSITIVE AS ON ANY OCCASION I HAVE WITNESSED
Soon after, we traveled to Pafos, Cyprus, for the annual
AUB Mediterraneo Board of Trustees meetings and the first-ever student graduation at our twin campus. This was followed by a magnificent concert by the traveling
AUB Classical Music Club. Some critics have argued that expanding beyond Beirut might dilute AUB's uniqueness. But I believe it was the right choice: to extend AUB's qualities to a wider audience of learners, to broaden research networks and partnerships, and to prove that excellence can travel. The remarkable progress at AUB Mediterraneo, the beautiful campus, the quality of the faculty, students, and staff there, all underscored the wisdom of that decision.
THE REMARKABLE PROGRESS AT AUB MEDITERRANEO, THE BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS, THE QUALITY OF THE FACULTY, STUDENTS, AND STAFF THERE, ALL UNDERSCORED THE WISDOM OF THAT DECISION
Back in Lebanon, I had the great privilege of joining a memorial for my dear friend and
AUB alumnus Basil Fuleihan (BA Economics 1984). Basil, who once had a clear path to a brilliant career at the International Monetary Fund, instead chose to return to Lebanon in 1993 and serve his country. He paid a heavy price for that choice, but his legacy reminds us of the nobility of putting service above self-interest.
A few days later, I gave Internal Medicine Grand Rounds at AUBMC for the first time since September 2001. Soon after came an exceptional
TransformED summit, celebrating five years of collaboration with the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF), via the
Abdulla Al Ghurair Hub for Digital Teaching and Learning at the
Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. This partnership, like the
establishment of our School of Computing and Data Sciences, reflects another deliberate choice: to stay relevant by investing in digital education and regional youth, ensuring AUB continues to serve as a bridge to the future.
AUB CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE
Each of these occasions, the Festschrift, AUB Mediterraneo's graduation, Basil's memorial, and TransformED, illustrates how choices define individuals
and institutions. Choices to stay, to expand, to adapt, to serve.
This reflection led me back to my
Opening Ceremony remarks, titled “In the Moment." Through them, I sought to remind our community of the need to embrace pressure, enjoy the moment, and try not to look back in anger. Life gives us choices, opportunities, and obstacles, often in equal measure, and all of them matter. While we occasionally choose to take “the road less traveled," those choices should be learned from, savored, and celebrated. They are not always the right choices, but they are ours, and they shape our lives in ways measurable and otherwise.
I HAVE ONLY GRATITUDE, AND NO REGRETS
I made the choice to go to England to watch Led Zeppelin 46 years ago, one I have never regretted. Even though I never did get to meet AlHabib Bourguiba, among the 20th century leaders I most admired. We all make decisions and live with the consequences. Among the songs which my friend Hussein Ibish and I cheered, along with around 200,000 newly acquired friends, was
Ten Years Gone, a poignant ballad where the singer recalls a long-lost lover, embracing the passage of time. Those lyrics continue to speak to me:
“Then as it was, then again it will be
And though the course may change sometimes
Rivers always reach the sea
Blind stars of fortune, each have several rays
On the wings of maybe, downing birds of prey"
It is now slightly more than ten years since I assumed the leadership of the American University of Beirut. Looking back while looking forward, I think of the myriad meetings with students, faculty, trustees, alumni, and staff across the globe, the celebrations and the setbacks, and the words of my and Lamya's three adult children at the Festschrift, thanking friends for sharing this adventure. Like that long-ago night at Knebworth, these ten years have been filled with unforgettable moments, with choices and challenges. And while the course may change, I have only gratitude, and no regrets.
