1992-2015
Our Main Gate continues to serve the functions it has always served: ensuring the safety of the campus, operating as a main entry point to the University, as a celebration spot, a place to protest and voice one's opinion, a place to take a photo souvenir, or simply a place to meet, have a quick snack, or a coffee, a palce to stop for a moment, ponder about one's place in this city and university, and on the mission and state of our dear Unievrsity, a place to always come back to, even after many years: Main Gate remains, once again, our dear Main Gate, a reminder of the need for us to "speak at the Gate", so that we reach the biggest number, and never forget to speak to the "Other", a place where we may, if lucky, open and wise enough, meet Wisdom itself, since she "takes to the Gates".
The Main Gate magazine, established in 2002 and named after our famous Main Gate, writes in its first issue:
"Your Passage to AUB[...]. On the occasion of the Main Gate's centennial, it seems appropriate to name this, AUB's new worldwide quarterly magazine for alumni and friends, after this highly symbolic passageway. Like the historic gate, the magazine will be your entry to today's AUB, regardless of where you are around the world."
American University of Beirut. (2002). Main gate: American University of Beirut quarterly magazine. Beirut, Lebanon: American University of Beirut, Office of Information and Public Relations, p:6
![Ph_AUB_2010-7-2_2_1-15_87c[1].jpg](https://online-exhibit.aub.edu.lb/files/fullsize/5a4a997441bb37abd75e1a41cac32200.jpg "Ph_AUB_2010-7-2_2_1-15_87c[1].jpg")
The Worldwide Alumni Association at AUB held, in 2010, a special graduation ceremony for members of the classes of 1975 and 1985 who had missed out on their big day due to the particularly unstable period in the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War.--The ceremony was part of a fun-filled reunion weekend held on July 2-4, 2010, for 11 classes that graduated between 1955 and 2005.
The tradition of awarding honorary degrees at AUB was resumed in 2003 after a hiatus of more than 30 years (the last honorary degrees having been awarded in 1966). The honorary doctorates were chosen in five major areas: Academia,Arts and Letters, Business, Media, and Public Affairs.The 2003 Honorary Degrees were awarded to the following recipients: Dr. Edward Said (Humane Letters-Academia), Amin Maalouf (Humane Letters-arts and letter), Carlos Ghosn (Humane Letters-Business), Hasib Sabbagh (Humane Letters-Business), Helen Thomas (Humane Letters-Media), and Lakhdar Brahimi (Humane Letters-Public Affairs).
Honorary Degrees at AUB: A Brief History. http://www.aub.edu.lb/DOCTORATES/Pages/history.aspx
The Visitor's Bureau, established in 1999 and located in the basement of the Main Gate building, with a beautiful space around the vault archway, continues its mission of receiving visitors, guiding them through AUB, and upholding the University's outreach efforts, embodying its hospitality, openness and engagement with the wider community.
AUB President John Waterbury, AUB Chairman of the Board of Trustees Thomas Morris and former AUB president David Dodge celebrated the University's almost century and a half of academic and medical service to the local and regional communities by cutting the 140-year-anniversary cake, during the first week of May. The cake-cutting ceremony was held at the Visitors' Bureau and Campus Tours Office, which was, itself, celebrating its eighth anniversary.