Set against the backdrop of the year that marked the university’s rich history, LAU’s Center for Lebanese Heritage (CLH) brought its centennial celebrations to a meaningful conclusion with a poetic and musical evening reflecting the center’s steadfast commitment to preserving Lebanon’s cultural identity.

Held on December 16, the evening featured a lineup of performances, with Actor and Performer Rifaat Torbey lending his voice to evocative poetry readings, while Maestro André Hajj led a skilled orchestra through a repertoire of classic Lebanese compositions.

The program, curated by CLH Director Henri Zoghaib, wove together the works of Lebanese literary luminaries such as Said Akl, Maurice Awwad, Elias Abu Shabaki and Elia Abu Madi, alongside musical pieces by legendary composers including Walid Gholmieh, Elias Rahbani and Marcel Khalife.

This event was the latest in a series of initiatives that aimed not only to emphasize the university’s attachment to its roots, but also to make Lebanon’s heritage accessible and meaningful for generations to come. For Zoghaib, the university’s centennial offered a rare opportunity to highlight the role of the CLH as a custodian of Lebanese heritage.

In his opening remarks, Zoghaib reflected on the dual mission of CLH in honoring the past while offering inspiration for the future. “For a hundred years, LAU has been more than an educational institution,” he said. He affirmed that CLH “is ever dedicated to showing the impact of the university as a beacon of cultural and intellectual resilience and a sanctuary for heritage.”

Among the meaningful contributions that were also held throughout the year was a tribute to the Rahbani brothers and Fairouz—whose creative genius has influenced Lebanese culture—through panel discussions, poetry recitals and a concert on the Beirut campus.

Similarly, Zoghaib and musician-in-residence at LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences Joseph Khalife collaborated earlier this year to create the LAU Centennial Anthem, considered to be another step toward blending tradition and art. This anthem, combining poetry and musical composition, encapsulated LAU’s century of academic and cultural contributions to its community and the evolution of the country while looking forward to the possibilities of the next hundred years.

As LAU steps into its second century, the centennial celebrations leave a lasting mark in shaping the university’s future goals. Zoghaib expressed his hope that “by staying true to its history and welcoming innovation and international partnerships, the university will continue to uphold its dedication to education, culture and social transformation in Lebanon and beyond.”