Alumni Center groups together like minded people to become agents of change and contribute to society.
In 1937, Napoleon Hill, the author of the bestselling book “Think and Grow Rich” outlined 17 principles for personal achievement, including the concept of masterminds which he described as: “an alliance of two or more minds working in perfect harmony for the attainment of a common definite objective. Success does not come without the cooperation of others.”
Founded in 2011 by nine Lebanese alumni of leading global universities and following the Mastermind Principle, Alumni Central is a collective that aims to bring together like-minded Lebanese graduates to become catalysts and agents for change in Lebanon.
Five years after it was founded, Alumni Central has succeeded in developing a strong professional network consisting of leading global alumni and achievers who meet and organize regular events to spread their ideas, work on their goals, and invite other masterminds to join them, and thus be able to ‘give back to the society’, which they view as their ultimate goal.
Today, Alumni Central consists of three circles:
- The Inner Circle which is defined by 70 members who are graduates from top elite international universities such as McGill, Cambridge and Oxford among others.
- The Friends is a circle consisting of local graduates from American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University and others.
- The partners, sponsors, NGOs and other groups supporting them.
On Thursday December 17th, Alumni Central hosted “Growing Circles” at the MIM museum, a professional networking event that aimed to bring together high- caliber working professionals from across Lebanese businesses and industries.
The first task you were assigned as you stepped into the event’s main room was to pin your business card on the big board of fame which featured the business cards of all the attendees. Jocelyne Gerges, Alumni Central’s treasurer and the event host, later gave the welcome speech, briefing everyone about the event and its activities.
The first activity required each of the attendees to walk around the room and introduce themselves to two people they had never met before. In the second exercise, numbers were randomly distributed to the attendees who were then asked to locate and stand next to the corresponding number on the floor. Once the participants reach their destination, they had to express their passion in life to their fellow colleague. Similarly, in the last activity, number-holders were encouraged to share their success stories. Keshli, Alumni Central’s vice president, participated in this activity, and shared the story of how he turned his father’s small electronics business into the number one satellite and security store in Lebanon.
Throughout the event, engagement and interest was clearly notable among the attendees who began exchanging businesscards while discussing careers and possibilities. This is a clear indication of the success of “Growing Circles” as an event and a step forward to achieving Alumni Central’s goal which was asserted by the president Wael Abdel Rahman in his closing speech: “We aim to give back to society by spreading knowledge. Everyone can bring the positive change needed in Lebanon. In essence, this is a vision and a belief in a better society.”
In its previous years, Alumni Central provided considerable support by co-hosting events with Nawaya Network, a youth empowerment project. Alumni Central’s current efforts see it joining forces with Fulbright Alumni Association of Lebanon to tackle the issue of climate change and its hidden implications.
To follow up on their work, you may visit them on the Facebook page at Alumni Central
You can also contact and join them at their website at www.alumni-central.com
