AUK Hosts 13th Annual MENASA NASPA Conference

The American University of Kuwait hosted the 13th Annual MENASA NASPA Conference on its campus; the theme of the 3-day conference was Creating a Holistic Student Experience: Cross Campus Collaborations towards Student Wellbeing and Development.

The role of student affairs in a student’s university experience is integral to establishing a career of extracurricular activities outside the classroom. This engagement is centered around creating a holistic experience for students where different facets of a student’s life on campus are explored and developed in order to provide them with a well-rounded educational experience. AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad elaborated on this point during her speech at the conference, “Student affairs of today is being reimagined and restructured, particularly in light of the changing needs of our students, ever-evolving learning profiles, shifting cultures, and global economic, social and political challenges that are affecting our students in more ways than we can count.”

The conference saw many professionals in the field of education who have presented their research and hosted workshops in topics ranging from using creative arts as an outlet, raising awareness of anxiety and stress management, to discussing different initiatives to increase student engagement on campus.
 
NASPA President Dr. Kevin Kruger attended the conference as a keynote speaker, in addition to AUK alumna Fatmah Al-Qadfan who earned her Master’s in Theatre and Drama Therapy. Both speakers stressed the importance of student engagement and wellbeing to promote their skills in teamwork and leadership, as Dr. Kruger explains, “What students do during college counts more for what they learn and whether they persist in college than who they are or even where they go to college.”

AUK Dean of Student Affairs, 2019 MENASA NASPA Annual Conference Chair and Country Representative at NASPA, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar commented on the significance of this conference, “We are proud to host and organize the 13th Annual MENASA NASPA Conference at AUK. The importance of collaborating with fellow student affairs professionals locally and internationally is crucial to the continuous development of our students, and a conference of this magnitude sets the platform for various positive plans for us. The theme of the conference, “Creating a Holistic Student Experience: Cross Campus Collaborations towards Student Wellbeing and Development”, reflects our ongoing commitment to providing our students with a wholesome experience, and invites other practitioners to share their input and best practice.”

ABOUT MENASA NASPA
Established in 2015, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) area encompasses over 30 countries and a very diverse range of higher education institutions, languages and cultures. MENASA serves as the key entity to promote the NASPA mission “of leadership, scholarship, professional development, and advocacy for student affairs” in the region.  In addition to promoting the NASPA mission, MENASA facilitates the development of indigenous student affairs practice, research and professional advancement including the generation of regionally based models of student affairs aligned with regional cultural norms and understandings.
 
Through the MENASA area, NASPA is able to bring its full array of resources, connections, research and insights to the region, and afford both professionals and aspiring professionals the ability to connect.
 

NASPA President, Dr. Kevin Kruger giving his keynote speech
 

AUK Dean of Student Affairs, 2019 MENASA NASPA Annual Conference Chair and Country Representative at NASPA, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar during her speech
 

AUK alumna and MENASA NASPA Keynote Speaker, Fatmah Al-Qadfan conducting a workshop at the conference
 

AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad giving a speech at the conference
 

General photo of the conference attendees