The Swiss Agency for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ) provided Antonine University (UA) with a certificate attesting that the University meets the standards set by the AAQ for internal quality assurance in a higher education institution. UA is the sixth Lebanese university to be institutionally certified, knowing that this certification is valid for five years and came after a pilot procedure completed in September 2017.

Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rai, represented by Archbishop Semaan Atallah, attended the ceremony alongside the General Superior of the Antonin Maronite Order and Grand Chancellor of UA, Father Abbé Maroun Abou Jaoude; the Chargé d'Affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature, Mgr. Ivan Santos; deputies Hikmat Dib and Samy Gemayel represented by Mr. Majid El-Ayli; the Commander-in-Chief of the army General Joseph Aoun represented by General Mounir Hakmé; the General Director of State Security General Antoine Saliba represented by Commander Ibrahim Chekrawi; Director of Intelligence of the Mount Lebanon section General Clément Saad; Spanish Ambassador to Lebanon HE José María Ferré; General Secretary of Catholic Schools Father Boutros Azar; the president of the Catholic information center, Father Abdo Abou Kassem; as well as social, academic and student personalities.

The ceremony included a musical interlude and a video broadcast on the process of accreditation and quality assurance and was held under the high patronage of Mr. Marwan Hamadé, Minister of Education and Higher education. Many religious, political, military, academic, media, and social figures attended the event, including Mr. Marwan Hamadé, Minister of Education and Higher Education; Mr. Ahmad Jammal, General Director of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Christoph Grolimund, Director of the AAQ; Hervé Sabourin, Regional Director of the Middle East Office of AUF; Dr. Tamara El-Zein representing Professor Mouin Hamzé, General Secretary of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS); and Father Michel Jalakh, Rector of UA.
During this occasion, Mr. Hamadé warmly congratulated UA, which, in his words, "Has just added a jewel to its crown". He welcomed “the flight towards quality and excellence of this transnational institution representative of our diversity”.
Speaking in turn, Mr. Christoph Grolimund, Hervé Sabourin, Ahmad Jammal, and Dr. Tamara El-Zein all testified to the close ties and collaborations that unite their institutions with UA.
The director of the AAQ insisted, “This pilot procedure, based on our practices in Austria for institutional quality audits, has shown that this model is applicable outside Western Europe. For the AAQ, it is a satisfaction to contribute to the development of quality assurance in Lebanon.”
For his part, Mr. Sabourin said that the AUF is proud of this distinction awarded to one of its member institutions, declaring, "The AUF is pleased with this certification that it is awarded by a large French-speaking agency".
Mr. Ahmad Jammal presented the contribution of UA over the years in the implementation of a national strategy of quality assurance and culture. For her part, Dr. Tamara El-Zeina assured that this certification is only irrevocable proof that UA's investment in quality assurance and educational innovation is part of a strategic vision and is driven by systematic, sustained, and effective action.
Finally, Father Michel Jalakh thanked all the institutional partners of UA, as he believes that this certification, conferred by an objective and impartial international body, guarantees that UA has high-quality standards and mechanisms that ensure the excellence of teaching, research, decision-making, and the integration of new technologies.