Rest in Peace Dr. Mikati

The Azm University community has suffered an irreparable loss with the passing away of the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Abdul Ilah Mikati, a man loved and respected by all who knew him. His reassuring and uplifting character will be very much missed in these troubled times by the University and our entire community.

Dr. Mikati was a founding member of Azm University, joining the Board of Trustees as its chairman from day one. With a long career in academia, he was instrumental in helping map the strategy for the development of the institution. During the past five years, he worked closely with its administration, providing guidance and offering support. His writings on education, particularly his book, in Arabic, on the state of higher education in the Arab World, have had a direct impact on the thinking of the University.

Dr. Mikati obtained his doctorate degree from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute in 1979, and after a number of years working in the industry, he joined the Faculty of Engineering at the Lebanese University in 1984, retiring after 30 years. His colleague and fellow Azm University Trustee, Dr. Mohamad Badawi Shahal, remembers him as a professor much respected by his students and peers for his intellect, openness, and open-mindedness. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Mikati contributed extensively to the field of electronics and industrial engineering in Lebanon and the Arab World.

However, to those who worked with him at Azm University, what Dr. Mikati will be most remembered for is his sure-footed, serene, and resolute leadership, helping to carry us wisely through turbulent times.

In what have been difficult times for the whole country, difficult times that have impacted on all of us, and on all institutions, including our own, Dr. Mikati’s wise and positive presence on campus was a breath of fresh air. He has left us when we very much need him. We will miss him, miss his affability, and his periodic spirited visits to our campus. We must work to respect his legacy.

On behalf of Azm University, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to his wife, son and daughters for the loss of a man so loved by all.

Rest in peace Dr. Abdul Ilah Mikati.

Ramez Maluf
President
Azm University