Under the patronage of Al Maaref University, the Al Manar Annual Festival for High- Fliers took place in the Unesco Palace on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, at 9:00 pm. The festival honoured students of the five highest scorers in the official (intermediate and secondary) examinations for the academic year 2016-2017. At its 12^th session, the festival was attended by 47 students from different regions of Lebanon and its schools. The University was represented by the President Professor Ali Alaeddine and Vice President and Dean of Engineering, Professor Jalal Jomaa. 

The Al Manar media festival was presented by prime newscaster Imad Marmal with the participation of the media Howrah Houmani and in the presence of a number of ministerial figures, educational and media and notable national personalities and a large audience of parents.

Imad Marmal started the festival with the Lebanese national anthem and then toured the director of Al Manar Al Haj Ibrahim Farhat in an interview to explain the significance of this annual festival, its dimensions and outcomes in comparison to the previous ones.

 In addition to presenting a video report about his excellent progress over the disability, Mohammed Khodr Nazzal, an exceptional student with special needs, talked about the determination and persistence he has sustained to overcome his eyesight challenges and thus achieve very outstanding outcomes in the official exams for the intermediate certificate. His poetry presented had struck an everlasting chord in the heart of the audiences.  

 The Lebanese Minister Elie Al-Ferzli had been the first guest speaker who took the initiative to announce the first high-flier in the secondary Arts and Humanities section, followed by the sponsorer of the festival, the Vice President of Al-Ma'arif University and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering who announced the name of the first in General Sciences.Dr Abdul Rahman Al-Bizri released the name of the outstanding student in the branch of secondary Life Sciences. Subsequently, the Dean of the Higher Institute of Doctor of Arts, Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences at the Lebanese University, Dr Mohammed Mohsen honoured the first five students in the Secondary final year of school coming from the Social and Economics stream of study. Father Estefan Franjieh honoured a group of top scorers including the first high-flier in the intermediate certificate.

 At each round of releasing the names of outstanding students, Imad Marmal engaged with one of the guest speakers mentioned above about the meaning of excellence in achievements, lessons learnt from particular practices of study undertaken, or special dietary adopted, firm steps to be taken, any advice for other students for useful professions to study.

 The Al Manar Festival had also run a number of insider’s video reports about the winners of the first ranks in Lebanon who were prepared and produced by Mehdi Gaddar and Zainab Aqil.

 As a sponsor of the Al Manar Festival for the second year, Al Maaref University was represented by the President, Professor Ali Alaeddine and Vice President and Dean of Engineers, Professor Jomaa. The former professor had finalised the festival with a stage announcement about the readiness of Al Maaref University to grant a full scholarship to all top scorers in the Official Secondary exams for the year 2016-2017, regardless of region, sect or social background. The latter professor also had an opportunity to get engaged with Imad Marmal about the Al Maaref University’s distinguishing features in Lebanese higher education, pointing out how the newly established Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Sciences can guarantee an added value to the new generation in meeting their inflamed aspirations for a successful career path development in the job market. He also drew the attention to the pivotal role that the University invest on incorporating the latest principles and good practices of higher education that are steered to enhance the student-centric culture, creativity, scientific endeavour and socially responsible entrepreneurship. He also responded to the questions rotating around the extent that the majors provided by Al Maaref University matched with the contemporaneous needs of the job market by saying that cultivating the leadership ethos and practices with the latest and advanced technologies would be one of the primary strategies adopted by the University to create new job markets and set the future of the job markets.

On the other hand, the audience watched a video report about Abir Hoteit, an MU student with special needs, who talked about her exuberant experience she had at Al Maaref University in her first year. She emphasized the 360- degree supportive environment (students, course instructors, facilities, professional services, exam arrangements, and educational system) and how its elements have been primary means of adaptation, confidence and success.

The pioneers in Lebanon have offered special Trophies to their school principals:

1. The first in the intermediate certificate: Lynn Ridak Al Aridi.
2. The first in the branch of Life Sciences: Qasim Mohammed Sbeiti.
3. The first in the branch of Sociology and Economy: Oliana Khaled Arafat. 
4. The first in the branch of General Sciences: Nurhan Marwan Abdel Samad.
5. First in the branch of Literature and Humanities: Darren Fadi Aql.

 The festival ended with a commemorative gathering of guests and the General Manager of the channel, along with Director of the General Programs Directorate Sheikh Khodr Al Dirani and the Director of the festival Yousef Yunus, and President of Al Maaref University Professor Ali Alaeddine before the students concluded their graduation ceremony in the air on the applause of parents, colleagues and teachers.

The honoured distributions in Al Manar 12^th Festival of high-fliers were as follows:

1. Intermediate Certificate: 22 students,
2. Life Sciences Branch: 6 students,
3. Sociology and Economics Branch: 6 students,
4. General Science Branch: 8 students,
5. Arts and Humanities Branch: 5 students.