Hala Al-Najjar

Instructor - FYE

Halah Al-Najjar is a faculty member at the American University of Kuwait and served as the First-Year Experience program (FYE) coordinator for seven years. She has an undergraduate degree from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where she majored in Sociology and Education with a minor in Psychology. Her graduate degree is from Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, earning a Master of Education with a focus on Cultural and Linguistic Awareness. Halah spent two years at Harvard School of Education studying under Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences Theory) and David Påerkins (Making Learning Whole) and completed several certification programs focusing on the psychology of education and teaching in the 21st century.  During this time her research and focus was on the effects and impact of globalization in Kuwait as well as the effects of neuroscience in education. She has developed and taught several professional development workshops in Effective Teaching Strategies for 21st Century Learning, The Effects of Globalization in Education, and The Role of Working Memory in 21st Century Education. Halah serves on numerous professional committees including the International Advisory Board of First-Year Experience Program for the National Resource Center as well as several committees under the Ministry of Youth for the State of Kuwait.  She continues to focus her research on the unique needs of students studying within the Arabian Gulf region and the importance of FYE programs in ensuring their successful transition from high school to university.