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3. USJ Hosts Grand Dinner Celebrating 150 Years of Educational Commitment

Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) marked its 150th anniversary on August 21 with a grand dinner titled "An Evening of Hope". The event took place on the Bakiche plateau and brought together more than 600 guests, including Lebanon’s First Lady Neemat Aoun, diplomats, government ministers, former officials, and long-standing friends of the university.

The evening concluded with a charity auction that raised $250,000 in support of USJ’s scholarship fund. These contributions will help hundreds of students from diverse backgrounds continue their education despite the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

Guest of honor Raymond François Debbané paid tribute to USJ’s core values of integrity, competence, and service to the common good. During the event, USJ Rector Father Salim Daccache announced that the university’s historic campus on Rue Huvelin will be renamed the François Debbané Campus, in honor of Debbané’s father, a former professor at the Faculty of Law.

The dinner also served as the official launch of the “USJ, Always More!” campaign, a ten-year fundraising initiative aiming to raise $150 million. Led by the USJ Foundation, the campaign seeks to ensure the university’s long-term sustainability and academic independence.

In his address, Father Daccache reaffirmed USJ’s founding mission, stating that no student has ever been turned away for financial reasons.