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22, May 2011

Dr. Farrin Lectures on Classical Arabic Poetry

At the American University of Kuwait (AUK) campus on May 17 the AUK Arabian Heritage Project hosted a well-received lecture by Dr. Raymond Farrin entitled "Structure and Meaning in Classical Arabic Poetry". This was based on research from Dr. Farrin's ground-breaking book "Abundance from the Desert," recently published by Syracuse University Press (2011). The presentation pertained to poetry from 500-1250 CE and featured original translations and analysis of major classical Arabic poems from a variety of genres. Dr. Lisa Urkevich, the Director of the Arabian Heritage Project said, "Dr. Farrin's lecture was a great success. He brought to life these old texts in such a vibrant way that the many students, faculty, and outside guests in attendance left deeply impressed." Dr. Farrin is an Assistant Professor and Program Lead of Arabic at AUK.

19, May 2011

AUK Commends Exemplary Students' Achievements

In celebration of AUK students' academic achievements, a ceremony was held at the Liberal Arts Auditorium where recipients of the President's Honor Roll and Dean's List shared their joy with faculty, staff and parents.

An unprecedented 60 students we awarded by AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson for being on the President's Honor Roll, which requires students to maintain a 4.0 GPA to be eligible for this honor. The Dean's List saw 255 recipients awarded by Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Nizar Hamzeh. These exemplary students must maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA.

Exemplary students were also awarded by each Division within the College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of their Outstanding Academic Achievement. Below is the list of students awarded by each Division:

Division of Arts and Humanities: Fatima Ali Ibraheem Haji

Division of Sciences and Engineering: Ali Taqi

Division of Business and Economics: Rasha Abdelhadi

Division of Social Sciences: Maryam Al-Naserallah

Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities were also recognized for exceptional accomplishments. AUK's Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, Alpha Rho Eta chapter were honored for their historic achievement of being the first International chapter to win the 'Chapter Award of the Year' in its 87 year history. Another great achievement that was honored was AUK's Microsoft Imagine Cup Gulf Team who placed 2nd in the GCC Region and qualified for the World Finals in New York.

The Finance Club and International Club at AUK were both recognized for outstanding activities for the year. AUK student Nour Al-Ariss was recognized for placing third in the 10th Inter College Public Speaking Contest conducted by the Emirates Environmental Group in Dubai. Two more AUK teams were recognized, AUK's team which placed 3rd in Kuwait's First National Collegiate Programming Contest (Q8CPC), as well as the team that participated in Kuwait E-awards placing 2nd in the Entertainment Category.

The Writing Center had a competition for prose and poems and honored the winners of the competition while the participants of the Kuwait at 50/20 Project were recognized for their efforts.

Fall 2010 President's Honor Roll
Abdullah Al-Jafar
Ahmad Al-Karmi
Lamiya Baz
Arwa Mulla Ali
Mohammad Sharaf
Monica Matta
Ascia Farraj
Laila Al-Daghestani
Faiyez Al-Mousharji
Assayel Al-Mutawa
Amineh Eida
Yousef Al-Jenai
Fatima Al-Khalaf
Rania Shaker
Sarah Al-Rifaai
Aya Abdulhamid
Isha Haider
Elham Hussain
Mohammad Al-Thafiri
Makia Al-Arbash
Omar El-Khatib
Razan Farhat
Mejren Al-Hammadi
Ahmad Youssef
Ali Taqi
Maryam Al-Naserallah
Wadha Al-Hunaidi
Nada Bedir
Rasha Abdelhadi
Maymoonah Toubeh
Nada El-Badry
Bader AbuAmarah
Sara Soliman
Sara Al-Terkait
Sara Al-Faraj
Nivine Al-Ayash
Kawthar Abdullah
Dana Al-Failakawi
Lamis Al-Nazer
Firas Al-Mobarek
Ahmed Abul
Ayat Al-Bloushi
Hawraa Jasem
Wafaa Al-Husaini
Hana Al-Tinawi
Hiba Bazzi
Fatima Sakit
Maher Rehayel
Mohammad-Ali Al-Kazemi
Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi
Barrak Al-Sarraf
Khaled Al Marzooq
Fatima Ibraheem
Mohammed El-Shafei
Abdulaziz Al-Farhoud
Yousef Ali
Zainab Al-Baksami
Farah Al-Shamali
Huda Al-Rashid
Farah Al-Toum

Fall 2010 Dean's List
Michael Franicevic
Taiba Al-Humaidhi
Eissa Al-Qadeeri
Mustafa Ashkanani
Alaa El-Khatib
Anwar Behbehani
Bashaer Al-Ali
Reem Al-Huwaidi
Nourin Tajani
Syed Abrar Husain
Mustapha Abou-Houeili
Joshua Williams
Zahra Al-Abdeen
Noura Al-Ajmi
Carol Ghali
Sally Zaghloul
Stephanie Khalil
Noor El-Ali
Lamia Al-Salahi
Sara Al-Refai
Narjes Al-Kazemi
Jenan Al-Alban
Nada Habayeb
Zienab Hussain
Noor Kassem
Manal Al-Sharah
Amal Behbehani
Moneba Iqbal
Dina Al-Sayer
Albara Al-Tourah
Fatima Al-Sabah
Wadha Al-Dalama
Thamer Al-Mayyan
Shoug Al-Sabah
Fatima Al-Sughayer
Sarah Al-Ajmi
Aisha Al-Fuwaires
Rana Abdelhamid
Ahmed Majdalawieh
Deema Al-Kandery
Iman Askar
Sarah Dashti
Marym Al-Akili
Mashael Eissa
Abdallah AL-Sabee
Dana Abu Mejdad
Farnaz Heidari
Dalal Mohammad
Lujain AbuZaid
Nour Al-Ariss
Shahad Al-Harban
Shahad Bin-Salamah
Hashim Al-Rasheed
Jawdat Khalaf
Maha Yousef
Dina Naser
Noha Aoun
Alia Aref
Mohammed Al-Fares
Jassim Al-Awadhi
Manit Kaur
May Younes
Meshari Al-Muhaini
Ahmad Al-Wuhaib
Farideh Moradi
Haleema Ahmed
Ghadeer Nema
Salli Khaddag
Sohaila Hasan
Michele Pace
Jassim Al-Fadhli
Ayatallah Sharawi
Theyab Al-Mutairi
Yaqoub Jowhar
Khalid Al-Buzid
Fawaz Al-Yagout
Ghaneema Al-Qudmani
Sundos Al-Mutawaa
Marina Boulos
Alzahra Jamal
Sanaa Turky
Abdulrahman Al-Essa
Mariam AbdulRasool
Mubarak Al-Sabah
Eman El-Taki
Waleed Al-Shihabi
Dalal Al-Obaidly
Sarah Kandri
Sarah Thakur
Ali Atesh
Mariam Al-Awadhi
Njoud Aweis
Abdullah Al-Shatti
Rawan Al-Shammari
Fahad Al-Anzi
Jassem Bourahmah
Abdulla Al Wohaib
Lama Ahmed
Mark Rangel
Jihan Kablaoui
Sanjida Chowdhury
Reem Habib
Fatema Al-Matrouk
Mariam El-Temtamy
Abdulrahman Al-Duaij
Lulwa Al-Muhanna
Abdulaziz Al-Haroon
Fadel Al-Sabah
Reem Al-Wazzan
Eyad Zaben
Khalid Mohammad
Salma Sanhat
Tarek Al-Azem
Samih Damerji
Noora Al-Eisa
Lulwa Al Hammad
Mohamed Amin
Marhab Al-Loghani
Abdulla Murad
Raneah Al-Ebrahim
Talal Al Sager
Fakheema Badri
Bedoor Al Mejadi
Ahmed Ben Awadh
Dalia Salman
Khaled Al-Mutawa
Abdulnaser Al-Muhailani
Doaa Murad
Abdullatif Al-Abdullah
Mariam Abulhasan
Ghadeer Al-Mirza
Kholod Al-Shamry
Raghda El Deeb
Aya Khazaal
Hessah Al-Wazzan
Khaled Al-Motawaa
Sara Al-Ameer
Nora AL-Ghanim
May Khafash
Sayed Ali Al Saleh
Latifah Al-Saad
Haya Al-Sabah
Sepideh Behbehani
Zahra Ali
Dana Al-Muttar
Lina Salout
Zaid Al-Kazemi
Abdur Chowdhury
Abdulaziz Al-Hagan
Qusai Al-Attar
Eman Al-Fadhli
Ali Majed
Aya Khair
Dana Jaber
Fatma Mansour
Maher Qurtom
Yazan Alshihabi
Shahad Al Asfour
Kareem Al-Hageen
Qutaiba Al-Humood
Dana Al-Otaibi
Dhari Al-Qabandi
Lolwa Al-Omar
Faisal Alali
Abdullah Karimi
Rahma Al-Mishwat
Abdullah Naqi
Yousef Abdul-Husain
Zahra Bin Nakhi
Mohammed Al-Kazemi
Ousamah Farra
Haseeb Shahzad
Mariam Sultan
Hanan Ahmad
Dalal Kakouli
Noha Assaad
Sara Arnaout
Fatma Yasin
Fatemah Sheshtar
Katy Hauranieh
Lamees Nijem
Mayda Al-Arabi
Saleh Al Ojeiri
Altaf Mairza
Abdulrahman Saab
Ammar AbdulRasool
Sheikh Atef Hussain
Abdullah Al-Adwani
Bader Al-Tatawy
Lolwah Al-Rashed
Nada Al-Sharif
Mohammed Shams Al-Deen
Mohammad Al-Aradi
Madonna Reyad
Heba Tahoun
Alaa Buqammaz
Ghadeer Abdali
Hossein Kahkeshi
Adel Shalati
Khaled Radwan
Farah Bourislee
Fatma Qatan
Mariam Chebli
Kuwaitiya Al-Jtaili
Rawan Al-Tarkit
Al-Moutaz Bouarki
Hawraa Bouhamad
Salma Taha
Saja Al-Therban
Mohamed Al-Rifai
Farah Al-Ajeel
Ismail Abu-Abdo
Sahar Tanweer
Abdulwahab Yousef
Tariq Bibi
Jomana Mustafawi
Lulwa Bin Eisa
Sarah Sleeq
Anisa Al-Mudhyan
Deena Al Khilewi
Farah Mohammed
Fatma Al-Sumaiti
Menah Wajid
Noura Al-Suwalem
Helal Al-Mutairi
Afnan Abdullah
Qais Al-Ateeqi
Halima Al-Wazzan
Rashed Al-Dureai
Alia Al Qabandi
Farah Al-Saqlawi
Ali Nawab
Wael AlSahen
Rawan Esmael
Luke Rangel
Dalal Al-Duaij
Dalal Al-Mutawa
Mishary Mohamed
Ahmad Al-Humaidi
Humoud Al-Bader
Manar Al-Bader
Manar Salman
Walaa Shaheen
Ghezlan Al-Wazzan
Sarah Al-Lulu
Reem Al-Yousef
Susan Mahrussa
Sarah Sakit
Hanan Al-Awadhi
Sara Al-Khalaf
Mojtba Hussain
Hana Al-Arfaj
Reham Al-Dallal
Najat Al-Yatama
Zeeshan Ali

AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson Awards Honorees of the Presidents Honor Roll

Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Nizar Hamzeh Awards Honorees of the Dean's List

Head of the Division of Business and Economics Dr. Mohsen Bagnied awards Rasha Abdelhadi in recognition of her Outstanding Academic Achievement within the Division

Head of the Division of Sciences and Engineering Dr. Shereef Abu Almaati awards Ali Taqi in recognition of his Outstanding Academic Achievement within the Division

Head of the Division of Social Sciences Dr. Christopher Ohan awards Maryam Al-Naserallah in recognition of her Outstanding Academic Achievement within the Division

International Club at AUK with Faculty Supervisor Assistant Professor of Studio Arts Sharon Lawrence

The Microsoft Imagine Cup team that placed 2nd with AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson

AUK Commends Exemplary Students' Achievements

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17, May 2011

Biannual Board of Trustees Meeting

The Board of Trustees of the American University of Kuwait met early on Saturday and Sunday the 7th and 8th of May 2011 on the AUK Campus in Salmiya. The meeting of the Board of Trustees on Sunday as well as the session of the Academic Affairs Committee on Saturday included wide-ranging discussions of challenges and opportunities facing AUK. The unifying theme of both meetings was the shared determination of the Board and the administration to focus upon the continuous improvement of the academic quality and reputation of AUK.

The full Board meeting commenced with the Chair of the Board Shaikha Dana N. Al-Sabah's report on the Executive Committee's activities followed by a budget discussion resulting in the Board's acceptance of the proposed budget and audit report. Furthermore, the Board discussed the President's report, the action point recommended by the Academic Affairs Committee, the report of the Dartmouth Relationship Coordinator, and an update on admissions for Fall 2010 and plans for recruitment for Fall 2011. The Board of Trustees adopted a set of resolutions as follows:

Ratified the actions of the Executive Committee approving the new administrative structure of the University while recognizing that some further changes may be required;

Discussed necessary updates in the Board of Trustees membership consistent with Kuwaiti administrative provisions and US accreditation expectations;

Accepted the audit report for fiscal year 2009-2010 provided by external auditors Ernst and Young. The audit report affirms that the financial reports of the University fairly and completely present financial information about the University's operations.

Approved the budget for fiscal year 2011-2012.

Formally authorized the administration to pursue candidacy and affiliation with Commission on Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Adopted a resolution expressing appreciation for the services and contributions of US Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, Deborah Jones.

Formally authorized the administration to start with the initial phase of strategic planning.

The Academic Affairs Committee of the Board also met to discuss the Academic Affairs Semester report, the Intensive English Program semester report, Student Affairs report, an update on the Search for Vice President for Academic Affairs and the NEASC Accreditation. In the meeting, President Thompson shared with the Trustees the accreditation of the Business & Economics Programs by ACBSP, an update on the Engineering program and a comparison of faculty salary and benefits. The Academic Affairs Committee concluded its meeting with a set of recommendations to the Board of Trustees.

In short, the meeting of the Board was a very constructive one which should move the University forward significantly toward its ambitious goals.

16, May 2011

University Championship Cup Playoffs Underway

The American University of Kuwait (AUK), the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) and the Gulf University for Science & Technology (GUST) are competing in the University Championship Cup (UCC) 2011, a sports tournament for private universities started in 2006. UCC participants compete in five intercollegiate sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and table tennis. Sport venues are provided by participating universities, allowing the UCC to take place on various campuses. This year AUK hosted table tennis, ACK hosted soccer and tennis, and GUST hosted basketball and volleyball. This year's primary sponsor is the National Bank of Kuwait.

UCC 2011 started at the beginning of April with seasonal play. As the season progressed, universities where ranked based on their win/lose recorded in each sport. Seasonal play is now over, the universities are ranked, and the UCC Playoffs will commence.

During the UCC Playoffs, universities' performance will be recognized on a point basis. 1st Place = 5 points; 2nd Place = 3 points; 3rd Place = 2 points. At the conclusion of the playoffs, the points are then tallied up for every sport and the university with the most total points is awarded the UCC trophy. An awards ceremony will be held on May 26th at 9 pm at ACK to honor all the student-athletes and award the UCC 2011 trophy.

Make sure you check out the UCC Playoff Schedule and go support the Wolf Pack!

12, May 2011

AUK Celebrates International Labor Day

As part of International Labor Day the American University of Kuwait held a Staff Appreciation lunch and related activities on April 28th. International Labor Day is a day that takes place on the first of May each year, celebrating the many contributions to society made by laborers and honoring their dignity. This day is celebrated around the world and is also known as "International Workers' Day".

The purpose of the event at AUK was to thank the housekeeping, security, technicians, gardening, landscaping and office facilitators for all their hard work in ensuring that AUK remains a safe and pleasant place to both work and learn. AUK community members came together between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm to assist in making this event successful and to show their appreciation to AUK's support staff through various activities which included the main event, an appreciation lunch.

At the lunch President Winfred Thompson thanked the AUK support staff for their tireless efforts and ongoing support of our campus and additionally handed each a certificate of appreciation along with a gift from the university and its faculty/staff. The student body, led by the Community Service Club, Entrepreneurship & Business Club, & Hope Club also collected gift items for each support staff member and a student representative, Fatima M. Thunayan, thanked the staff and presented them with a gift bag and other amenities on behalf of the various student organizations and all AUK students. Additionally, AUK faculty and staff did the setup and cleanup for the lunch, greeted and helped seat individuals as they arrived, and even served food and drinks.

The activities throughout the day also included student, faculty, and staff volunteers who were trained and helped supervise the AUK gates for the security personnel, and included picking up and collecting trash from the campus grounds and waste receptacles for the housekeeping personnel in an effort to keep the campus clean.

Group photo of the honorees, staff and faculty with AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson

Honorees with AUK's Senior Coordinator of Campus Life Laveena Lobo

AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson with Vice President of Administrative and Student Affairs Dr. Carol Ross-Scott along with members of the faculty serving lunch to the honorees

AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson serving lunch to honoree Ali Foyjul

Human Resources Director Ronald McNeill was one of many volunteers helping to keep the AUK campus clean

AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson presents honorees with a certificate of appreciation

Entrepreneurship and Business Club President Fatima M. Thunayan thanked the honorees and presented each of them with a gift bag and other amenities on behalf of all AUK students

09, May 2011

US Ambassador Lectures at AUK on "The History and Influence of US Higher Education in the Middle East"

On May 8, 2011, US Ambassador Deborah K. Jones delivered a speech on "The History and Influence of US Higher Education in the Middle East" to students, board members, faculty and staff at the American University of Kuwait (AUK). The presentation was organized by the US Embassy Kuwait Public Affairs Section in coordination with AUK's American Corner. AUK's President Dr. Winfred Thompson introduced the Ambassador.

Ambassador Jones said, "The American liberal arts educational tradition, emphasizing the development of knowledge through critical thinking and analysis, encouraging the formation and articulation of opinions, and teaching the values of mutual respect and tolerance, responsible free speech, resolving conflict through peaceful means and academic freedom, is unparalleled. The goal of US education is to develop a citizenry that is well-informed, analytical, tolerant, engaged and willing to pursue life-long learning to develop fully its skills and talents." In referring to the number of Arab students in the US, Ambassador Jones stated, "We are delighted that currently there are around 3,000 Kuwaitis students pursuing higher education in the US, and that there are tens of thousands of Kuwaiti alumni of US institutions. According to the Institute of International Education, 38,738 students from the Middle East and North Africa studied in the US in 2009-10, a 15 percent increase over the previous year."

AUK's Board of Trustees adopted a resolution honoring the Ambassador for her active involvement throughout her tenure in the State of Kuwait and specifically for her encouragement and support of the academic and extracurricular activities at AUK.

The American Corner at AUK represents a long-standing partnership between the US Embassy and the host institution; it is a valuable platform for Embassy speakers as well as for visiting US speakers including academics, and provides information on US educational opportunities, US history, government and culture.

US Ambassador Deborah K. Jones delivering her speech

AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson presents US Ambassador Deborah K. Jones with an honorary plaque

Chair of AUK's Board of Trustees Shaikha Dana Naser Al-Sabah with US Ambassador Deborah K. Jones, AUK President Dr. Winfred Thompson and Members of the AUK Board of Trustees

US Ambassador Lectures at AUK on "The History and Influence of US Higher Education in the Middle East"

04, May 2011

AUK Professor Ghazi Nassir Authors New Book on Muslim Representation in English Literature

Associate Professor of English Language & Literature at AUK Dr. Ghazi Q. Nassir's proposal to author a new book entitled Perceptions and \Representations of Islam and Muslims in English Literature: three volumes has been accepted by the Edwin Mellen Press. This is his third book.

Perceptions and Representations of Islam and Muslims in English Literature traces and examines the perceptions and representations of Islam and the Muslims, their civilization as reflected in the works of the English writers from the Middle Ages to the present time. The main aim of this study is not to launch an attempt to identify homogenous representations of the Muslim figures but rather to consider the significance of the variety of works at hand and explore the reasons that informed and motivated the authors' views and presentations.

The book gives a historical overview of English writers' popular misconceptions of Islam which resulted in their often hostile attitude towards Islam, its founder, and its followers. It demonstrates, however, that in including a variety of prominent Muslim figures in their literary works, their treatments of these figures and events bear no trace of the folkloric or theological attacks on Islam and its propagators. It also traces the origins of Muslim (Turks and Arabs) images in English Literature since the Middle Ages to the present time. The works of literature are analyzed and viewed through historical, political, religious, and cultural contexts to show why these images prevail, and what changes, if any, have been presented.

Over sixteen hundred years of English literature under consideration in Perceptions and Representations of Islam and Muslims contains, in Chaucer's phrase, "all God's plenty." In these centuries of literature, readers can trace and observe the interrelation of literature and religion, literature and culture, and literature and politics. It seeks to furnish the students of Orientalism, Oriental scholars, with some useful observations and insights on English Orientalists, as a whole, and as well on particular works in the light of what is now known of perceptions and representations of Islam and Muslims, and the intellectual and literary milieu in which they wrote their literary works.

Perceptions and representations of Islam and Muslims in English Literature will contribute to existing scholarship by, first, documenting and contextualizing Christian English writers' perceptions and images of Muslims, Turks, and Arabs over the course of their entire history of interaction, not just a single period. Second, in doing so it will pay particular attention to continuities and discontinuities that have not been coherently studied in this context, primarily the gradual replacement of "infidels," or "pagans," "Hagarnes," or "Ishmaelites", "Mahometans", "Saracens" by "Turks", "Arab Terrorists," or "Muslim Terrorists" at the center of Englishmen's fantasies about the Islamic World, and the transformation of Christian historical narratives into the secular narratives of the Enlightenment and Modernity and the roles accorded to Muslims, Turks and Arabs in each. Third, this study attempts to show how this history matters today, with particular focus on the relation of the East/Islam and West/Christian.

The book will be divided into three volumes:
The first volume covers literary tour of the following periods: The Middle Ages (1060-1500); the Renaissance (1500-1603); and Restoration (1660-1700).
The second volume covers the following periods: The Enlightenment (1700-1798) and The Romantic Era (1832-1890).
The third volume covers the following periods: The Modern Age (1890-1940) and The Contemporary Scene (Since 1940- to the present time).

The entire book will be delivered in its entirety by the end of December, 2015.

Dr. Ghazi Nassir

AUK Professor Ghazi Nassir Authors New Book on Muslim Representation in English Literature

04, May 2011

AUK Receives Best Practice Award

Dr. Carol Ross-Scott

The American University of Kuwait has been awarded the NASPA International Education Knowledge Community 2011 Best Practice Award for International Exchange Programs. The Best Practices committee received a record number of noteworthy nominations from institutions around the world including neighboring Qatar. AUK's Student Affairs Graduate Student Summer Internship Program was selected as this year's winner. Dr. Carol Ross-Scott, Vice President of Administrative & Student Affairs, received for AUK and on behalf of Tadd Kruse the program co-founder and other key colleagues who support the program, during a luncheon on Sunday March 13th at the International Symposium during the NASPA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA-USA.

The selective eight-week internship program began in Summer 2009 and was designed to provide current graduate students or recent graduates from master's programs in higher education administration, student personnel or related field, the opportunity to gain essential experiences within professional areas of Student Affairs. The goal is to instill a deeper understanding of higher education, allowing for the acquisition of specific skill sets that will help prepare interns for their career in higher education. Katie Mitchell, a 2010 Intern from the University of Northern Colorado briefly summarized her experience by stating "The cultural experience alone was worth the trip, as was the opportunity to work with a great staff and students." Interns select assignments from Admissions, Registration, Student Life, Parent Relations and Alumni Affairs, Academic Advising Center, or the Dean of Student Affairs Office. The internship program has also provided invaluable learning experiences for the AUK staff. Eman Kamel of the Admissions department said she "learned a lot about how things are done at other institutions, in particular bigger institutions; how we (AUK) can change."

The lack of knowledge about students of Arab decent in higher education has never been more apparent. The AUK program by design intentionally strives to help prepare new professionals for work within a culturally diverse campus, learning firsthand about the student cohort as well as helping them to understand and defuse stereotypes and misnomers about the Middle East and the Arab world. Interns also have the opportunity to travel within the region and visit other postsecondary institutions. Former intern, Kevin D'Arco, landed a position in Qatar upon graduation.

As part of NASPA's continuing efforts of educating individuals for the profession, the organization also provides a mentoring and development program for undergraduates. For the first time, an AUK student-Omar Mehdi, was selected to participate in the Undergraduate Fellows program. The Fellows' program includes yearlong mentoring and career exploration in partnership with an AUK Student Affairs professional, attendance at the annual NASPA conference including participating in programs designed specifically for all undergraduate fellows, and participating in a summer internship program at another college or university. AUK has always been committed to identifying undergraduate students who have the potential to one day serve as fulltime staff members. Currently twenty-two alumni are now employed by AUK. Both accolades signify AUK is on the right track as we endeavor to develop an environment that supports the personal and academic growth of our students.

04, May 2011

AUK's Team 'SWAP' Advances to Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals in New York

After several hours of intense work, SWAP team of the American University of Kuwait (AUK) presented their creative idea to the Microsoft Imagine Cup panel of judges in Dubai on April 25th to advance to the world finals of Microsoft Imagine Cup to take place in New York in Summer 2011. The team had the highest ranking within all other Kuwaiti teams and placed second in the Gulf Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition for Software Design. By representing the State of Kuwait in the Imagine Cup World Finals for the second year in a row, AUK will set a new record in the region.

Over the past few months, Microsoft Gulf selected 10 teams from around the Gulf to compete in the Imagine Cup Regional Competition. Over 2000 students registered for the competition and only 30 students advanced to the regional finals. The finalists have been chosen from different universities in Kuwait, Oman, and UAE based on their proposed ideas to solve the world's most challenging social issues outlined in the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. This year Kuwait was represented by four teams in the competition that took place at the American University in Dubai (AUD). Each team had fifteen minutes to present their work to a panel of judges comprising of senior members from the enterprise and government sectors. By announcing the AUK SWAP team among the top three winners, AUK brought victory to Kuwait and established the consistent presence of AUK innovators in the international arena.

The AUK SWAP Team, represented by Ali Taqi (Information Systems Senior), Bader Al Mohammed Ali (Computer Science Senior), and Eissa Al Qadeeri (Computer Science Senior), decided to solve the world's problems through their 'Revolutionary Reporting System'. Their design is based on a simple image reporting software that uses the geographic location tagging on images for reporting any emergencies related to road accidents, environmental hazards, theft, or medical emergencies. Their project was a winning idea, not only for its value to humanity, but also for the way they presented it in the public event. The AUK team made their way to the winning podium by a live demonstration that impressed the audience when their 'Revolutionary Reporting System' reported a humorous situation at the event hall. The system captured the situation, located the AUD Auditorium on the map, and then displayed the incident in front of the judges. The audience rose and clapped for the confident performance.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Amir Zeid, Program Lead of Computer Science & Information Systems, AUK teams have been winning titles in the Annual Imagine Cup Competition since 2009. This year Dr. Zeid managed to lead three AUK teams to qualify to the regional finals in Dubai. Having three AUK teams in the top ten teams in the region sets a new record.

"It has been quite a challenge to coach three teams this year," Dr. Zeid said, "The competition is not only about creative ideas, but also a demonstration of skills in public speech, smart responses, time management, and stress regulation. A slight mistake can risk your chances of winning. I give credit to all three teams for their great performance."

The two other AUK teams this year were: Team Dream, composed of Wael Al-Ahmady, Mejren Al-Hammadi, Faisal Al-Ajmi, and Salem Al-Hammadi; and VOL, composed of Khaled Al-Jassar, Abduallah AlShaya, Mohammed Al-Shatti.

The Imagine Cup, in its fifth year in the Gulf, is Microsoft's initiative to encourage young people to apply their imagination and creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference and address real-world issues.

Swap Team (Ali Taqi, Bader Al Mohammed Ali, and Eissa Al Qadeeri) and Dr. Amir Zeid

AUK's Team 'SWAP' Advances to Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals in New York

01, May 2011

Hope Club of AUK Host 'Hope Carnival'

The Hope Club of AUK hosted one of the University's largest events of the year, the Hope Carnival on April 23, 2011. The Hope Club recreated a carnival atmosphere for all to enjoy, and was dedicated to raising awareness for orphans and those less fortunate.

The AUK campus was transformed with bouncy castles, several different children's games and all kinds of different entertainment throughout the day. The large crowds were invited to join in singing, musical chairs and were entertained by a very talented magician. The main hallway had different booths with hair coloring, face painting as well as many other forms of entertainment. At the end a talented clown had children and adults alike smiling at the balloon figures he was making. Party Land were responsible for the numerous activities available on campus. Wasim and Bassil balloons filled the campus with gorgeous helium filled balloons in the form of Minnie mouse and Winnie the Poo. MacDonalds generously sponsored the event with their food and drinks. Overall the Hope Carnival saw many people from the AUK community and the public at large enjoy the all that the Hope Carnival had to offer.

Images from the Hope Club Carnival

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