Ahliah School was shocked by the sudden and unexpected passing of Mr. Nabil Bukhalid, one of its highly impactful supporters. Nabil is well known for being the pioneer in establishing the internet node in Lebanon and registering the Lb Domain more than 3 decades ago, serving since, as the Domain administrator and registrar while making Lebanon among the leaders in this area.
“Nabil was the co-founder of the Lebanese Internet Exchange Point (2007), co-founder of the Lebanese Broadband Manifesto Support Group (2008), co-founder and former president (2010) of the Internet Society, Lebanon Chapter: a not-for-profit organization, co-founder and CEO of the Lebanese Internet Center, a public-private partnership (since 2014), member of the advisory board of the Lebanese Canadian Tech Hub (2016), and mentor at Confideo Venture Mentoring (2017).”
Nabil did this while transforming, with a strong team of colleagues, AUB from the 1980s into the digital world, again making it ahead of many other universities in Information technology (IT). He was the former director as of 2001 – 2014, of Computing and Networking Services at the American University of Beirut.
Believing in Ahliah’s 106-year heritage, inclusive mission, education vision, and strategic plan for establishing a student-focused differential education program that requires upgrading of all its resource facilities, and for the school to remain an active peer among the schools accredited by the European Council of International Schools (CIS) and the US New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Nabil Bukhalid, upon being invited to help, plunged with his head, heart and hands in full support. With the passion, he has to advance the use of virtual and digital technology and in his most non-assuming style, Nabil supported the school over the last 5 years to build capacities and an advanced IT fiberoptic infrastructure, establish a high-end data center, and write the required policies and procedures ensuring that data is safely maintained as per international standards. This allowed the school to develop different teaching, learning, and assessment modalities that include blended, flipped classes and significantly enhanced interactive differential learning programs. The school was ready to quickly adapt and adjust during the COVID 19 pandemic by shifting smoothly to online learning. The speed and quality by which this happened would have been impossible without Nabil. Nabil left us for eternal peace, with the school much better because of him than five years ago. This was his track record in whatever he did throughout. All along, he distributed appropriately what he had, leaving a big legacy behind as he lightly departs. He will be remembered by many.
Ahliah school board of trustees, administration, faculty, and staff extend their sincere condolences to you Jumana, and your children, Leila, Zeina, and Sami. His memory and legacy will remain and be eternalized through you, the institutions he served, and all those that love him. Rest in Peace Nabil.
