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Dr. Fawaz Zu’bi graduated with honors from IC in 1975 and
traveled to the United States where he completed his
Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in Mechanical
Engineering and Physics (1982) at Duke University. “He has
excellent leadership ability in very constructive ways,” predict-
ed his IC records in March 1975. In June 2000 Dr. Zu’bi was
appointed Minister of Information and Communications
Technology and, recently, was given responsibility for the
Ministry of Administrative Development in Jordan.
Dr. Zu’bi has lived up to the high expectations of his teachers
and school. His English teacher, Thomas Weaver, recommend-
ed him as “intellectually honest and independent…he reacts
positively to opportunities for independent intellectual growth.”
As for his character, his teachers wrote: “Fawaz is a very fine
student, with an excellent character and upbringing, he is
extremely well liked and respected by his fellow students.”
In the following letter Dr. Fawaz relates his incredible jour-
ney through IC, and shares his inspirational days at IC:
I still recall very clearly my first days at IC when I joined as
a boarding student in Thomson Hall. As a young boy, it was
as if there was this immediate clash of cultures, having come
from more conservative Jordan to a more open and relatively
carefree Lebanon in the 60’s, where boys and girls shared
classes, activities and whatever campus life had to offer to the
fullest. Funny enough, my first instinct was to reject much of
what change has brought and I started to wish I could return
home. Six months later, and with all the forces of adaptation
mustered to integrate myself into the community of what has
since become a family, it would have taken endless power to
get me away from IC. The camaraderie, genuine friendships,
degree of engagement, level of education and amount of
learning, and the quite indescribable culture that developed
amongst us as students during the late 60’s and up to the mid-
70’s when I left Lebanon, was unlike any experience I have
had in my life since.
Many of my IC teachers still stand as pillars in my life. I
vividly remember the minute I emerged from the mathematics
exam (Baccalaureate II) and Mr. Yousef Sayegh, our math
teacher, was waiting for us by the gate of the school where we
sat for the exam and he looked at me and said: Will you score
the full 20? When I told him it would be 19.75, his eyes gave
me a piercing look as he walked away without muttering one
more word. Though I never saw him again since, I will never
forget that look nor will I forget the disappointment. With Tom
Weaver, not only did I learn English as a language and had to
remember more words than I will need to use in two lifetimes,
but I also learned how to love nature and how to endure past
challenges through self belief and reliance. As my memory
struggles to remember, I can think of a few other very special
teachers from my past such as Miss Marmura, Mr. Umar
Istambuli, Jeha, Suleiman, Tu’meh, Sukhun...and I am sure I
fail to remember several others, all of whom, in their unwa-
vering dedication and commitment to teaching, left a lasting
impression in my life - one that makes me particularly proud
to have been a student during their tenure.
Most recently I met Dr. Charles and Mr. Beydoun during a
visit to Jordan and I must admit that again, as always, through
their enthusiasm and goodwill, the positive and warm feelings
I attach to IC were further enhanced. If there is any single wish
I could share with IC students and faculty of the current gen-
eration, it is that I sincerely hope that you all are experiencing
the rich experience we ourselves once had, and that you are
contributing to ensure that the school’s spirit remains intact
through your enthusiasm, sharing, and avid thirst for learning.
IC certainly created some very special and talented people,
many of whom have gone on to leading posts in different regions
of the world. We need many more leaders. More than at any
other time in our history, our Arab world today needs us to work
together, collectively, armed with our knowledge, our sense of
belonging, and our persistence on conquering the numerous
challenges we face. Ultimately, it is those amongst us who work
hard at attaining excellence from within that shall overcome.
In the
Spotlight
Dr. Fawaz Zu’bi’75: Prominent Alumnus, Shares His IC Story
Dr. Zu’bi, captain of IC Varsity Volleyball Team