CEC graduates new batch of 'lifelong learners'

Graduates came from 12 countries, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. They were a diverse group from the business, health, education, and public sectors.

"Your presence here today is proof that learning is not limited to a certain age group and an attestation of the saying, 'Where there is a will, there is a way',"

said Hassan Diab, vice-president of Regional External Programs at AUB (REP), which manages CEC.

"As you move ahead, more confident of your abilities and certainly more accomplished, your performance at the workplace will carry the stamp of excellence that CEC provides to its graduates," he added.

The event, which took place at Bathish Auditorium, West Hall, was introduced by George Farag, CEC director, who welcomed guests and speakers, commending graduates on their achievement.

AUB President Peter Dorman also congratulated graduates for their "motivation and sense of determination," but also for their families who have given them support "during the months and years of your study."

Dorman shared with the graduating class the trials and tribulations he went through when he was completing his PhD while also holding down a full-time job as a curator in the Department of Egyptian Art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

"I hope your certification will open new doors and opportunities for the future," he added.

Formerly known as the "Extension Program," CEC has been providing training to people from Beirut and beyond since its inception in 1982. Its motto is "lifelong learning."

Among its clients are individuals seeking to enhance their education, multi-national corporations interested in offering their employees professional workshops, higher education institutions looking to expand their programs, government and non-government organizations that want more effective employees.

Graduating student Nathalie Bekai, who graduated with a certificate in human resources management, thanked CEC staff and professors for coaching them to become better leaders and managers. "These [CEC] learning programs are a big step towards better opportunities, career wise, a consistent and practical way for working people to learn, evolve and share experience with others," Bekai said, adding that the program was also an ideal opportunity for networking and making valuable professional contacts.

Encouraging other professionals to keep learning, Bekai added: "Personally, I have always enjoyed Einstein's quote: 'Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death'," she said.