Hani and Laïla Farag honour their fathers with a new planned gift to Concordia

For Hani B. Farag, BComm 76, and Laïla Ward Farag, giving back to Concordia is a way to honour two extraordinary educators whose legacies continue to shape young minds.

Their substantial planned gift will support the Berti Farag Science Excellence Award and the André Ward Award for Excellence in Teaching English as a Second Language, both offered through the Faculty of Arts and Science.

In addition to various bursaries, the existing awards — previously established by the couple’s philanthropic Farag & Ward Foundation — recognize exceptional student achievement in the Department of Biology and Department of Education respectively.

“Quite frankly, we felt that after our departure from this world, the awards should continue forever, as we strongly believe in education,” says Hani. “They have been given annually to remarkable students who not only appreciated the financial support but truly deserved it.

“Laïla and I want these awards to go on perpetually — even after we’re gone — as they carry deep family significance for us.”

Berti Farag and André Ward immigrated to Canada in the mid-1960s. They seized opportunities to build better lives for their families and contribute meaningfully to the Montreal community.

Hani’s father, Berti, was a devoted teacher who inspired countless students in Egypt and in Montreal. He eventually joined Lindsay Place High School in Pointe-Claire, where he spent 16 years sharing his passion for science.

“My dad devoted 42 years of his life to teaching biology, and on occasion chemistry and physics. He also published various books and was totally dedicated to science education for decades,” Hani recalls.

Laïla’s father, André, taught history and geography at Collège André Grasset and Collège de Montréal, guiding generations of students with wisdom and purpose. He was deeply involved with various student activities, promoting the values of hard work and dedication. He also spent years volunteering at various Montreal-area hospitals.

Hani has long been involved with his alma mater, serving as a judge and, from 2005 to 2010, chair of the John Molson MBA International Case Competition.

As a former vice-president of Human Resources at Bombardier Aerospace, he also hired dozens of Concordia graduates, many of whom, he notes with pride, quickly went on to middle and senior management roles.

The Farags’ generous bequest will ensure that future students continue to benefit from the encouragement that shaped their own families.

“Montreal welcomed our fathers,” says Hani. “As immigrants, assimilation, hard work and commitment were guiding principles — and that is what opened doors for us as their children.

“We were very fortunate and are now happy to be able to give back.”