AUK Inaugurates Masterclass Series for Fall 2021 with Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

The American University of Kuwait (AUK)’s Office of Student Life, Division of Student Affairs recently hosted its first session of its Masterclass Series featuring Emmy-nominated journalist, former reporter and producer for Al-Jazeera English, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and PBS producer, and actor, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin. The Masterclass Series which was introduced for the first time in the fall of 2020, is led by expert speakers in their respective fields who share their skill, passion, and journey with students in an interactive way.

During his talk, Shihab-Eldin described the connection between storytelling and journalism in reshaping perceptions among societies. He bridged the concept with the modern power of social media that amplifies people’s voices around the world and enables news to travel fast—a feature which is not always positive in the world of journalism as it can be the cause of misinformation. He went on to highlight journalistic ethics regarding objectivity and not letting emotions and opinions influence news reporting, and concluded the talk with the importance of reading and getting access to information to stay updated with current events. 

The event closed with a word of thanks from AUK Student Life staff members Lama Abdo, AUK events coordinator, and Fay Al-Humoud AUK senior student life coordinator.

“This event was not only educational in shedding light on journalism, but it was absolutely inspirational,” said Shirley Sullivan, director of Student Life, while honoring the speaker Ahmed Shihab-Eldin with a token of appreciation.