BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 20 — “Through our first graduation ceremony, we are waging a war on war.” With these words, Yasmine Dabbous, Majal’s cofounder and executive manager opened the school’s first graduation ceremony.
“Nothing beats destruction more than making,” she added.
On Saturday June 20, Majal Design School celebrated its first graduating class at Dar Al Nimr in Hamra, marking a milestone for the institution less than two years after the launch of its certificate programs.
Majal Design School launched its three certificates in September 2024, just one week before the outbreak of the Israeli war on Lebanon. The school’s first graduation comes as the country continues to face the consequences of a second war.
Majal Design School offers Lebanon’s only comprehensive jewelry program at a design school, as well as the first textile design program in the history of the country. It also offers a business growth program to help students expand and scale their brands.
“What makes us different from most universities is that we’re a school with a mission,” said Pamela Daher, the school’s marketing manager and head of its business lab. “We are a social enterprise seeks to create long-term impact.”
“We created Majal to address gaps in design education while supporting the growth of Lebanon’s creative industries,” she continued. “In fact, most of the graduating students have launched their brands and secured spots at local and international retailers even before graduating.”
Eleven students graduated from the school’s certificate programs, including seven in jewelry design and four in textile design. The ceremony also featured an exhibition of senior student projects, alongside the results of two design competitions organized in partnership with Warde and L’Artisan du Liban.
Nour Tannir, Majal’s cofounder and program manager, emphasized the practical value of design education.
“Design, by definition, is a real, hands-on skill that centers around finding solutions to problems,” Tannir said. “If you learn to find a solution for a visual or operational project, you eventually learn to find solutions to all your problems.”
The graduation ceremony marked not only the completion of the students’ studies, but also a statement about the role of creativity, education and making in times of uncertainty.
About Majal Design School:
MAJAL is a design school based in Beirut, Lebanon, offering three certificates of completion and multiple courses in design and creation. We specialize in jewelry design, textile art and business growth.
Established in 2018, MAJAL is a mission-driven school. Our target is to facilitate career opportunities in Lebanon by empowering people through real-world readiness and skill-first approach to design education.
To maximize impact, we espouse a micro-education approach: Our expert instructors deliver higher education curricula in a small class setting. During our six-week courses, they instill students with solid technical skills, advanced design thinking and entrepreneurial reasoning.
Under the slogan “create, build and scale,” Majal’s skill-first approach thrusts students from class to market through up-to-date programs that respond to current market needs.
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