AUB Mediterraneo Opens New Academic Year and Celebrates First Graduate Commencement
On September 2, 2025, the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) in Cyprus marked a defining moment in its journey as AUB’s first twin campus outside Lebanon, with a dual celebration: the Opening Ceremony of the new academic year and the graduation of its first 15 master’s students.
Held at the university’s campus in Pafos, the ceremony brought together trustees, senior university leadership, faculty, students, alumni, and community partners in a gathering that reflected both the legacy of AUB and the promise of its future in Cyprus and beyond.
Honoring the First Graduates
In his address, AUB President Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri celebrated the courage and pioneering spirit of the first graduate students. Quoting American poet Muriel Strode, he said: “I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path and leave a trail.”
“Whether you intended it or not, you are pioneers,” Khuri told the graduates. “You chose to walk a new path, one not yet worn by generations of students before you, and in doing so, you have left a trail for countless others to follow. But you did not walk alone. You walked with your 14 other classmates, with your teachers among the faculty and staff of AUB Mediterraneo, with your parents, with the Municipality of Pafos, and the people of Cyprus, all of whom embraced you.”
He reminded the graduates that they now join a global AUB alumni community known for producing leaders who are collaborative, communicative, and dedicated to the public good. Echoing the words of Socrates, he urged them to see themselves not only as graduates of AUB Mediterraneo, but also as citizens of the world.
The rector of AUB Mediterraneo, Dr. Wassim El Hajj, reflected on the university’s journey and its future aspirations. He highlighted the vision and courage that led to the establishment of AUB’s first twin campus outside Lebanon, recognizing the support of AUB’s leadership, the Municipality of Pafos, and founding deans Dr. Salah Sadek, Dr. Malek Tabbal, and Dr. Alain Daou, who helped weave the “AUB Mediterraneo fabric” with threads from Lebanon, Cyprus, and beyond.
“Today we are celebrating the commencement of the very first young men and women students to earn master’s degrees in business analytics and engineering management at AUB Mediterraneo,” he said. “We are proud today, enormously proud, we are excited for our graduates, but we are unsatisfied… Our impact will grow as our graduates go out into the world, as we strengthen our ties with AUB in Beirut, and as we build new partnerships and deepen existing relations in Cyprus, Europe, and beyond.”
With graduates from the Master of Science in Business Analytics and the Master of Science in Engineering Management programs, and 120 new students from 38 countries joining this fall, AUB Mediterraneo is building on the strong legacy of the American University of Beirut while contributing to Cyprus’s growing role as an international education hub.
A Lasting Commitment to Cyprus
The chair of the AUB Board of Trustees, Abdo George Kadifa, reaffirmed the university’s dedication to its Cyprus campus. “AUB is fully and deeply committed to the growth, success, and future of AUB Mediterraneo. We are investing in its faculty, its research, its partnerships and, most importantly, in you – in students and graduates,” he said. “This campus is not a satellite – it is an integral part of AUB’s expanding universe… Our mission in Beirut lives on here with equal intensity, rigor, and purpose.”
A Student Voice of Unity
Speaking on behalf of the graduating students, Marina Markarian (MSBA ’25) reflected on the unique spirit of AUB Mediterraneo. “If there is one thing that stands out at our university, it is its success at bringing together people from all parts of the world, uniting us by the transformative power of education and research,” she said. “As graduates, we carry with us not only knowledge, but also the responsibility to create and innovate for a better future.”
Looking Ahead
AUB Mediterraneo welcomed 120 new students in fall 2025, adding to the university’s growing and diverse community. There are now 250 students from 38 countries enrolled at AUB Mediterraneo, which now offers undergraduate programs in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (BA), Psychology (BS), Global Liberal Arts* (BA), Computer Science and Engineering (BS), Industrial Engineering (BS), Civil Engineering and Sustainable Design* (BS), BBA in Management, and BBA in Marketing, in addition to two MS programs in business analytics and engineering management. The university continues to expand, building on the strong legacy of the American University of Beirut while contributing to Cyprus’s role as a hub for international higher education.
The Opening Ceremony and First Graduate Commencement not only celebrated achievement but also underscored AUB Mediterraneo’s mission: to educate global citizens, foster innovation, and build bridges across cultures through the transformative power of education.
*In the final stages of approval and scheduled to launch in fall 2026.
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About The American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo
The American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) in Pafos, Cyprus, is approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) as a branch campus of the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB operates under a charter granted by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) which registers the university’s degree programs. All departments and programs at AUB Mediterraneo are accredited in Europe and Cyprus through the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Higher Education (CYQAA) and recognized globally.
