Early AUB Graduates Impact in Host Countries
Since its founding in 1866, the American University of Beirut (AUB) has cultivated generations of graduates who went on to make meaningful contributions across the globe. Among the earliest were those who ventured to Latin America, carrying with them not only the knowledge and skills gained at AUB but also the university’s values of service, leadership, and community engagement.
One of the first pioneers was Nami Jafet, who arrived in Brazil as early as 1893 and became an industrialist and a respected community leader. Mulhim Hubayka settled in Argentina, where he played a vital role in education and social development, while Dr. George Tahan established his medical practice and philanthropic initiatives in Venezuela, leaving a lasting imprint on local society.
Other AUB graduates soon followed, particularly to Mexico between 1924 and 1936, including Angelique Jamal, Najib Dabaghi, Daud Hajj, Adel Himzawi, William Nimeh, and Nizha Sweid.
In Brazil, the AUB community expanded further with distinguished physicians such as Fadlo Haidar, Zakharia Haddad, and Said Abou Jamra; successful industrialists like Najib Dabaghi, George Wakim, and Ramiz Shehadeh; and pioneering journalists including Najib Jacob, Tawfik Kurban, and Sami Rasi.
Taken together, these graduates were not only among the earliest educated immigrants in their host countries but also served as vital bridges between the Middle East and Latin America. Through their professional accomplishments, cultural initiatives, and civic engagement, they helped forge lasting connections between the two regions and laid the foundation for the vibrant Arab diaspora that continues to flourish today. At the same time, they remained closely tied to their homeland and to their alma mater, AUB—nurturing bonds of identity, loyalty, and shared purpose across continents.
Their efforts were further supported by fellow immigrants eager to champion AUB, who were considered as friends of AUB, including the Jafet family and the sons of Issa Ma’luf—Fawzi, Chafic, and Iskandar. Collectively, their achievements underscore the enduring impact of an AUB education in shaping leaders and visionaries who carried the university’s mission far beyond the Middle East.