On May 14, 2012, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik organized a ceremony in which a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Political and Administrative Sciences was awarded to the Honourable Barry O’Farrell MP, Premier of New South Wales, Australia, and Minister for Western Sydney.

Following the welcome speech by Ms. Lea Yahchouchi, Dr. Georges Yahchouchi, Director of the Higher Institute of Political and Administrative Sciences, stated, “We honour Barry O’Farrell for his ongoing path and achievements as a great man. We honour Barry O’Farrell for his political thoughts of good governance. We honour Barry O’Farrell to pay tribute to his beloved country, that contributed in sustaining global peace from Iraq to Lebanon to Kosovo and many other places where Australia has sent its men for peacekeeping. We honour Barry O’Farrell for the ideal he wants to be, serving equally his country and his family, who supported him in every turning point of his career”. He also highlighted that the Honoree “… believes that market oriented politics of “laisser-faire” cannot alone meet people’s expectations. He believes that the State is responsible for providing opportunities for people…He strengthens the public sector financial management by important fiscal reforms and an increase of accountability and audit. He considers that a healthy public sector is critical to the future wellbeing of his country and the entire world”. Dr. Yahchouchi added that the Honourable Barry O’Farrell “… strongly believes in the strength of the future leadership of the youth based on an efficient educational system; a key element of the Society’s prosperity. Through launching the ‘Empowering Local School’ program on March 2012, based on performance indicators, he aims to promote a high quality education system for all”.

Rev. Fr. Hady Mahfouz, President of USEK, praised the Honoree in his speech, stating: “The Honourable Barry O’Farrell is now standing in front of us as Premier of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, the capital of which is the very well-known Sydney. But behind this position there is a man, with a history going from childhood onwards and embracing many great and admirable achievements. The Honorable Barry O’Farrell has dedicated his active life to his country and to the noble causes he believes in. Fr. Mahfouz added that the Honourable Barry O’ Farrell “… held different important positions in his party until he became the Leader of the party in 2007, and thus became the Leader of the Opposition, before becoming Premier, in a landslide at the 2011 election. He is the man with the largest parliamentary majority in Australian history. This career, that entails a move from Opposition to Government, draws before us a particular profile that has gained wisdom from various personal, social and political experiences”. Fr. Mahfouz also stressed that “… by honouring Mr. O’Farrell we praise him as a person and we pay tribute to the many qualities he has, in dealing with public and common affairs”, considering that “…when a democracy doesn’t function well, it is not only the mistake of the rulers, it is also the responsibility of each citizen. When we seek goodness, things will function well. Our belief at USEK is that every action should have the human being as the centre of interest. That is the core of the social teaching of the Catholic Church, the mission which we are trying to fulfill. The work within Society should contribute to the development of the human being, every human being, without any discrimination of any kind; and the development of the whole human being in all dimensions, among which is the spiritual dimension”. Today’s event also is, in fact, a sign of the friendship tying Lebanon to Australia, and especially to Sydney. It is true that the distance between New South Wales and Kaslik is about 9000 miles (14000 kilometres). But it is also true that closeness between Lebanon and Australia is shown in a friendship spirit and in their many common values. It is obvious that Lebanese feel well towards Australians and I think it is mutual. In fact both peoples share common values such as generosity and hospitality”, Fr. Mahfouz concluded.

Following the conferment of the Doctor Honoris Causa degree in Political and Administrative Sciences upon the Honorable Barry O’Farrell, the Honoree delivered a speech, in which he thanked the University for its initiative, stating that “One of the things that Lebanese around the world are known for is a passion for learning and the quality of their education. It’s a particular extra honour for me to receive this award from such a fine Institution. He added: “I’m particularly impressed, on my third visit to Lebanon, by the beauty of this country, which for over 50 years has sent its citizens to my country. It’s extraordinary to think that, in the 1960s, husbands and wives together, or individual citizens, travelled to the other side of the world, for 40 thousand kilometres, by a long trip on a boat, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Those fine citizens, who did travel from Lebanon, grew and prospered regardless of religion and regardless of the colour of their skin”. He pointed out that “Lebanese in Australia have excelled in all aspects of Society, in sports, in business, and in the arts… because no other migrants have worked harder or sought for opportunities in my country as much as the Lebanese, to secure a better future for themselves and their children… So today we have 350 thousand people of Lebanese decent in a State, which I have the honour to lead”. The Honoree concluded that, “The greatest success of any country, Lebanon, Australia or any other country is its citizens; they are the diamonds that walk on the ground - the people of the country. The greatest asset is humankind, it’s the job of government to make sure that the strength and talents of people are fulfilled. People should have the confidence to know that, if they set themselves high goals and standards, they will be able to succeed”.