Bust of Rafik B. Hariri Unveiled at Hariri Symposium

A newly commissioned bust of Rafik B. Hariri was unveiled Oct. 9 at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business at the annual Hariri Symposium. The school is housed in the Rafik B. Hariri Building, named after the late prime minister of Lebanon.

“For his belief in the transformational role of education, and for his work to improve the lives of so many people, we are proud to call the Rafik B. Harri Building our home,” said Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkley Chair. “With this bust, we will ensure his memory, his work, and his life continues in our community.”

The bust was created by Martin Eichinger of Eichinger Scuplture Studio, a renowned sculptor whose work is represented by fine art galleries throughout the United States and is included in over 1,000 private and corporate collections around the world. Its base depicts friezes capturing three principles of Hariri’s life that were most important to him: education, business, and government.

“Rafik Hariri once said, ‘We cannot just take for granted and enjoy our achievements without helping society. Knowledge must be combined with wisdom and be aimed at promoting progress,'” said Rafic Bizri, president of the Hariri Foundation-USA. “How befitting this memorial bust will be housed at the Rafik B. Hariri Building at the McDonough School of Business, where knowledge is exchanged and community outreach is emphasized. We hope that Rafik Hariri’s work and vision will inspire the Georgetown University community for generations to come.”

Hariri was prime minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2004, working to bring peace and democracy to his country. His life was cut short by an explosion that targeted his motorcade in 2005.

He left behind a legacy of philanthropy devoted to educational causes. Born into a modest family, Hariri had trained to be a teacher before becoming a successful businessman in the construction industry. In 1979, he founded the Hariri Foundation, which helps Lebanese students attend institutions of higher learning around the world, including Georgetown University. As a Georgetown parent, Hariri was a generous supporter of the university and served on the McDonough Parents Advisory Council. Georgetown awarded him an honorary degree in 1996 in celebration of his work to advance education and opportunity for the underprivileged.

The Hariri Symposium also featured four TED-style talks from McDonough students — Timiko Collins (EML’19), Juliette Silvain (B’20), Waseem Abbas (MBA’19), and Emily Rosenfeld (MBA’19) — who spoke to the theme, “Once I was lost.” Watch a video of the Hariri Symposium, including remarks about the Hariri bust.