News
Keynote speech given at AUK's Class of 2007 Graduation
Good Evening!
Your Excellency, Minister of Education . . . Distinguished Guests . . . Ladies and Gentlemen . . .
It is an honor to be here. It is a great day for you, for AUK and for me.
I thank Sheikha Dana, Founder & Chairman & President, Dr. Marina. . . for giving me this honor.
Your graduation brings back memories of 31 years ago . . . my graduation day. It was in Big Springs, Texas, which is probably not shown even on the map. The temperature there is almost the same as here. We were ten proud Air - Force officers . . . with hair much shorter than yours.
Let me share with you some important milestones in my life.. Hopefully some of my life lessons can be valuable to you.. My career had a few important stages. Each had its up and low moments.
The first stage . . . I would label it as the youth era: The era of learning to be disciplined, learning to deal with ambition and competition.
By the way . . . I became a pilot, not because I wanted to, but because it was a joint decision with a few friends . . . we saw it as a short cut to America, without parent's concession and support.
My first life lesson . . . Do not make big decisions by just listening to your friends they, probably, do not have a full picture about you.
I married young . . . at age 22. . . By age 26 , I had a wife and two kids . . . My heart and soul however were focused on being a successful entrepreneur . . . I was planning to make the biggest decision in my life . . . to move from a secure job in the Air Force to the Wild , Wild West . . . wanted to be rich . . . Quick !! So I made the choice . . . Thinking about it now, it was not such a wise decision . . . can anyone say otherwise?
The next stage of my life started with fireworks. This was the Manakh time.. Wonderland, Disney land, whatever you want to call it. Everybody . . . and I mean everybody . . . was busy with stock market "trading ". . . even the butcher, the vegetable seller and the bokhur (Scent) vendor. And we did not stop at that . . . we truly believed that we were experts.
Many of you are familiar with the internet bubble . . . this was our bubble .like everyone, I thought this would last until I achieved my financial goals, but . . . as quickly as the rise came , the fall came even quicker . I landed very hard . . . but not as hard as many others.
My life lesson here was . . . in good times you must always know how to strengthen yourself! And remember . . . what comes quickly - goes just as quickly!
I came out of it feeling the failure . . . it was not a good feeling. However, I picked up the pieces, worked with the family business - brick and mortar stuff . . . all this was hard work, no flashy life.
I would describe this phase as the salary era in my life . . . it was challenging . . . multiple business, family emotions & inheritance issues. The circumstances made a 9 to 5 job look attractive. It was very difficult to adjust from living like a millionaire . . . even for a short period of time . . . to living on a budget.
I began working for the private sector in 1986, when I was 32 years old. This was the first time I worked for others. I had never done that . . . I had experienced over the last 10 years some success and some failures. Now . . . I was determined "not to fail"
Any job that I did, I gave my best . . . the commitment was there . . . I put in long hours . . . I took on responsibility . . . and took decision. I contributed my little experience into my work .Interestingly . . . the results of these efforts started showing success.
In this stage of my life, the lesson I learnt was that. . . Commitment, Discipline and Hard Work will bring value . . . sooner or later.
This was good preparation for the next stage of my career . . . the Corporate World. I joined KIPCO in 1990 and 3 months later, we were invaded by our neighbor Iraq. So it wasn't a good start.
The corporate world environment was very new to me . . . so intriguing! I decided to do more listening than talking. As a result, I was probably the quietest CEO in Kuwait for the first year. Then we built what we built . . . the KIPCO Group.
In 1991, KIPCO began with two companies from the Financial Services sector. Today . . . the KIPCO Group has 54 companies in the Financial Services . . . Media . . . Real Estate . . . Industrial . . . Healthcare . . . and Aviation sectors.
In 1991, KIPCO had operations in only 4 countries. Today . . . KIPCO operation across 18 countries primarily in the MENA region i.e. The Middle East & North Africa . KIPCO began with approximately 200 employees. Today . . . our total head count is over 12,000 . . . with over 60 nationalities.
In 1991, KIPCO's consolidated Assets were US$257 Million. Today . . . . KIPCO's consolidated Assets are US$20 Billion.
We were the first corporate to be rated in the MENA region. We were the first to do a cross border deal. . . the biggest one . . . some 3.7 billion dollars in Kuwait. We introduced the transparency (Shafafiya) forum . . . which we have been doing for the last 3 years.
The success we achieved over the last 17 years came from. . . Having the right vision. . . Having the right people. . . and Working together in harmony. It was also the result of the many personal life lessons that I learnt.
One valuable life lesson I will mention is hat . . . irrespective of a good or a bad experience . . . you can extract knowledge from it . it can be a great teacher when you learn from it and collect . . . in the form of experience.
Let me share with you a few insights. . . the first one is that most of the time , the first obstacle is your own mind. . . so open your minds . . . you will be surprised , that once you do this , your destiny suddenly becomes larger .
Another is. . . always raise the bar. . . In your conduct. . . In your ethics and particularly . . . In your execution.
The other insight is about handling problems . . . First and foremost, never sweep a problem under the carpet. . . Focus on it , to resolve it . Most of the time, you will have more options than you think. When the problem is too big . . . fragment it . . . then attack each part separately. Choose the best solution but remember . . . sometimes, some solutions may be good for a part, but not for all.
Team work is important . . . but it is more important to create a culture which encourages open and free discussion of thoughts and solutions in your team. You will be surprised that juggling with solutions will very often help you to find the master key to the problem and opportunities.
As you go into the market place with its great macro economic environment , quality of education & information technology . . . with knowledge in your palms. . . it will be a great and exciting time . . . whatever you choose to be ! All you need is hard work. . . Dedication . . . harnessed with Good Ethics!
If you do that, you will do well, feel well and you will be noticed.
Congratulations and wish you all the success . . . Thank you.
Faisal Al-Ayyar, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO Group).Member of the AUK Board of Trustees
The Graduation Ceremony of the Undergraduate class of 2007 at American University of Kuwait took place at Al-Hashemi ballroom in the Radisson SAS Hotel at 7 PM on Tuesday, June 19, under the patronage of Her Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Ms. Nouriya Al-Sabeeh, represented by the General Secretary of the Council for Private Universities, Dr. Imad Al-Attiqi.
Dr. Nizar Hamzeh, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences welcomed students, their families and guests to the ceremony, and proceeded to introduce the president of the university, Dr. Marina Tolmacheva who stepped up to the podium to give her welcome remarks.
Dr. Tolmacheva welcomed everyone to the second ever graduation of AUK students since its start in 2004. The strength of the university, she said, was synonymous with the quality of its faculty and academic programs. She expressed a great sense of pride in the faculty members at AUK describing them as "dynamic, competent, and caring."
"Our faculty," she said, "have set high standards for their students and provided a supportive learning environment for students to be successful. Under the tutelage of the AUK faculty, these seniors have mastered the knowledge of their field, the ability to think critically, the art of effective communication, and the respect for diversity, be that diversity national, ethnic, cultural, or intellectual. Through personal growth experiences in and out of the classroom, this group of seniors is more self-aware and ready to embark upon leadership roles in their societies. On behalf of the faculty and staff of the American University of Kuwait, we congratulate you graduates and welcome your family and friends as we celebrate your achievement."
Next she spoke of the university's institutional merits, such as obtaining Kuwaiti accreditation in 2006, the addition of a new classroom building, the licensing of new programs and introduction of new majors in Arts & Sciences, the establishment of the new academic tradition of celebrating the Liberal Arts Week and the introduction of the first AUK academic serial publication, AUK Occasional Papers.
Additional emphasis was placed on students' achievements outside the classroom. Amongst those: AUK's victory in the University Champion's Cup, participation in Model United Nations, trips abroad to study in Jordan and London, mentoring their peers by serving as orientation leaders, peer academic advisors and tutors.
She further highlighted AUK students' campaigning and fundraising capabilities, citing an awareness campaign for Darfur as one example.
As another point of pride, Dr. Tolmacheva mentioned that with this class, the university celebrated the graduation of the country's first female student government president.
The president then introduced the Keynote Speaker, Mr. Faisal Al-Ayyar. Mr. Al-Ayyar is a member of the AUK Board of Trustees, within which he serves on the Executive Committee and is the Chair of its Finance, Investment and Audit Committee. Away from AUK, he is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO Group).
"More importantly," Dr. Tolmacheva added, "he possesses the qualities that we work to develop in our students: commitment to service, effective leadership, global awareness, critical thinking, and respect for diversity, all evident in his varying roles throughout the world."
Mr. Al-Ayyar addressed the graduates with an inspirational speech about his personal evolution as an entrepreneur, assuring them that there will be pitfalls but that there is always knowledge to be extracted from experience, whether it's good or bad. Offering personal insight, he told them "that most of the time, the first obstacle will be your own mind, so open your minds, You will be surprised, that once you do this, your destiny suddenly becomes larger."
"Always raise the bar," he told them, "in your conduct, in your ethics, and particularly in your execution."
Following his keynote address, Mr. Al-Ayyar was presented with a plaque from Dr. Tolmacheva, on behalf of the graduating class of 2007.
Dean of Admissions and Registration, Mr. Sean Dollman and President Marina Tolmacheva then conferred upon the graduates their respective degrees, and in keeping with the academic tradition, the graduates were asked to move their tassels from right to left, thereby marking their official graduation from AUK. Following this, each graduate was presented with her or his bachelor's degree diploma by Dr. Tolmacheva and Mr. Imad Al-Ateeqi- Secretary General of the Council for Private Universities, Dr. Dale Eickelman- AUK-Dartmouth Relationship Coordinator, Dr. Nizar Hamzeh- Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, and Mr. Sean Dollman- Dean of Admissions and Registration.
Student Keynote Speaker and Valedictorian, Tasnim Saleh, took to the podium to deliver her speech. Miss Saleh completed the bachelor's degree program in Information Systems. She earned the highest cumulative grade point average of this graduating class. This exemplary student had won a full tuition scholarship, then went on to become the first President's Award recipient in 2005, and has received the AUK 3D art first place award. She was the Division of Sciences award winner in 2006, participant in Soliya Connect Program, was desk editor for the Voice of AUK newspaper and member of the French Club. Tasnim has tutored for the Student Success Center and worked in the Writing center. She has interned at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, worked as a student assistant in the Office of the Registrar before ending her career with us as a Records Services Coordinator.
The end of the ceremony was marked by the traditional cutting of the Class of 2007 cake in the reception area of the ballroom, and professional photography was provided for all graduates and their families and friends.
The dinner reception was sponsored by National Bank of Kuwait, with whom AUK shares a long-standing memorandum of understanding.
Shaikha Dana Nasser Sabah Al- Ahmed Al-Sabah, Founder and Chair of AUK Board of Trustees
Tasnim Saleh, Student Keynote Speaker and Valedictorian
Dr. Nizar Hamzeh- Dean of College of Arts and Sciences
At the 3rd Annual Awards Night which took place on June 2nd 2007, the American University of Kuwait awarded its exemplary students, faculty and staff for their outstanding performance in all areas of university life.
Below is a list of the award types and their recipients:
Campus Service Award:
Sara Taha
Noufa Al-Sabah
Mohammed Jafar
Sarah Boodai
Tareq Al-Rifaai
Shoug Al-Khatrash
Rawan Al-Muzaini
Abdulla Abdelrahman
Sami Maan
Farah Al-Shamali
Ameen Al-Ahmad
Hadi Sarieddine
Bassam Saeed
Yousuf Al-Rashed
Orientation Leaders
Peer Academic Leaders
Student Employee Award:
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Hadi Sarieddine
Nada Darras
Ebrahem Al-Hajri
Abdulla Abdulrahman
Dina El-Zohairy
Hussein Nour-Elddine
Abdel Al-Rahman Al-Mahani
Sara Saeed
Norah Al-Hillaly
Jabran Butt
Outstanding Athlete Award:
Yousef Al-Mutairi
Shaikha Al-Khaldi
Scholar Athlete Award:
Sami Maan
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Innovative Lecturer:
Dr. Marjorie Kelly
Most Supportive Faculty:
Dr. Kathryn Kleypas
Most Supportive Staff:
Hussein Al-Fahed
Faculty Mentorship Award:
Dr. Abigail Gray
Staff Mentorship Award:
Fatma Hayat
President's Honor Roll:
Abdulwahab Al-Sharaf
Adla Al-Madahka
Ahmed Al-Enezi
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Amal Tawakuli
Dina El-Zohairy
Fahed Al-Rafidi
Fawaz Al-Maghribi
Haya Al-Qassar
Heba Rashwan
Husham Hindi
Mazyad Al-Masoud
Nada Al-Hudaid
Nawar Al-Kazemi
Noaf Hussein
Nuha Al-Fadli
Razan Sharaf
Rowena Al-Mutawa
Tasnim Saleh
Violla Bader
IEP Award:
Abdulrahman Saab
Fatema Sakit
English 099 Award:
Faten Al-Yanno
Noura Al-Subiei
Division of Humanities and Arts:
Abdulla Taki
Mariam Rafehi
Ghada Al-AbdulAaly
Sara Taha
Division of Social Sciences:
Bader Chammaa
Fatmah Al-Qadfan
Fahad Mohammad
Noura Al-Aleiwi
Division of Sciences:
Ebrahem Al-Hajri
Amal Tawakuli
Mohamed El-Kuishawi
Ala'a Al-Kadri
Division of Business and Economics:
Suheil Taye'a
Razan Sharaf
Mazyad Al-Masoud
Bushra Zaher
Organization Member of the Year:
Nizar Mashal
Sara Taha
Fahed Al-Rafidi
Organization of the Year:
SGA
Advisor of the Year:
Shareefa Al-Adwani
Student Leadership Award:
Noufa Al-Sabah
Jawaher Ali-Redha
Dean's Award:
Ala'a Ali-Reda
President's Award:
Jawaher Ali-Redha
At the 3rd Annual Awards Night which took place on June 2nd 2007, the American University of Kuwait awarded its exemplary students, faculty and staff for their outstanding performance in all areas of university life.
Below is a list of the award types and their recipients:
Campus Service Award:
Sara Taha
Noufa Al-Sabah
Mohammed Jafar
Sarah Boodai
Tareq Al-Rifaai
Shoug Al-Khatrash
Rawan Al-Muzaini
Abdulla Abdelrahman
Sami Maan
Farah Al-Shamali
Ameen Al-Ahmad
Hadi Sarieddine
Bassam Saeed
Yousuf Al-Rashed
Orientation Leaders
Peer Academic Leaders
Student Employee Award:
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Hadi Sarieddine
Nada Darras
Ebrahem Al-Hajri
Abdulla Abdulrahman
Dina El-Zohairy
Hussein Nour-Elddine
Abdel Al-Rahman Al-Mahani
Sara Saeed
Norah Al-Hillaly
Jabran Butt
Outstanding Athlete Award:
Yousef Al-Mutairi
Shaikha Al-Khaldi
Scholar Athlete Award:
Sami Maan
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Innovative Lecturer:
Dr. Marjorie Kelly
Most Supportive Faculty:
Dr. Kathryn Kleypas
Most Supportive Staff:
Hussein Al-Fahed
Faculty Mentorship Award:
Dr. Abigail Gray
Staff Mentorship Award:
Fatma Hayat
President's Honor Roll:
Abdulwahab Al-Sharaf
Adla Al-Madahka
Ahmed Al-Enezi
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Amal Tawakuli
Dina El-Zohairy
Fahed Al-Rafidi
Fawaz Al-Maghribi
Haya Al-Qassar
Heba Rashwan
Husham Hindi
Mazyad Al-Masoud
Nada Al-Hudaid
Nawar Al-Kazemi
Noaf Hussein
Nuha Al-Fadli
Razan Sharaf
Rowena Al-Mutawa
Tasnim Saleh
Violla Bader
IEP Award:
Abdulrahman Saab
Fatema Sakit
English 099 Award:
Faten Al-Yanno
Noura Al-Subiei
Division of Humanities and Arts:
Abdulla Taki
Mariam Rafehi
Ghada Al-AbdulAaly
Sara Taha
Division of Social Sciences:
Bader Chammaa
Fatmah Al-Qadfan
Fahad Mohammad
Noura Al-Aleiwi
Division of Sciences:
Ebrahem Al-Hajri
Amal Tawakuli
Mohamed El-Kuishawi
Ala'a Al-Kadri
Division of Business and Economics:
Suheil Taye'a
Razan Sharaf
Mazyad Al-Masoud
Bushra Zaher
Organization Member of the Year:
Nizar Mashal
Sara Taha
Fahed Al-Rafidi
Organization of the Year:
SGA
Advisor of the Year:
Shareefa Al-Adwani
Student Leadership Award:
Noufa Al-Sabah
Jawaher Ali-Redha
Dean's Award:
Ala'a Ali-Reda
President's Award:
Jawaher Ali-Redha
A group photo of the recipients of the awards with Dr. Marina Tolmacheva
The President of AUK Dr. Marina Tolmacheva gives the opening speech
Dr. Nizar Hamzeh the host of the ceremony and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Shareef Abu Al Maati announces the winners of the Division of Sciences
At the annual SGA elections which took place last week at AUK, 57.75% of the student population participated in the election process.
504 of the 711 students who voted indicated that they prefer on-line voting; 138 said they prefer paper and pencil ballots, and 41 were undecided.
500 felt the speeches were helpful; 121 said they were not and 62 were undecided.
The new SGA cabinet members are:
Public Relations Officer: Abdulrahman Al-Farhan
Media Officer: Ala'a Ali Reda
Social Officer: Edmound Eid
Cultural Officer: Nizar Mishal
IEP/Freshem Officer: Abdulrazzaq Al-Mahmeed (unopposed)
Secretary: Tareq Al-Rifaai (unopposed)
Treasurer: Abdulatif Al-Eisa
Vice President:Ali Al-Tukhaim
President: Sami Maan
Members of the new SGA
Ala'a Ali Reda the new media officer for 2007/2008
Students congratulate Sami Maan the president of the SGA
The peer academic advising program is coordinated by the Student Success Center, Division of Student Affairs. It is comprised of Dean's List students who serve as Peer Academic Advisors. This voluntary service is created to provide a mutual connection between both existing and newly admitted students. Peer Academic Advisors offer support in areas of educational planning, advice with course selection, academic support advice, and academic information during PAR, Pre-Registration and Registration week. Peer Academic Advisors offer their services to Freshman Students only and are guided by the Student Success Center Professional Advisors. PALs serve as mentors and leaders to the AUK student body.
PALs Members:
Abdulla AbdelRahman
Ala'a Ali-Redaa
Hussien Nour-Elddine
Nada Darras
Valentina Noronha
3rd Annual Awards Night at American University of Kuwait, under the sponsorship of the National Bank of Kuwait
The American University of Kuwait on June 2nd 2007 will hold its 3rd Annual Awards Night, to honor and reward exemplary students, faculty and staff for their outstanding performance in all areas of university life. The awards are not aimed solely at academic excellence, but also bring to the spotlight excellence in athletics, leadership skills, organizational skills, and campus service.
The Student Government will award five staff and faculty members in categories that include mentorship, innovation, and most supportive.
The final two awards will be the Dean's Award and the President's Award, which will go to truly unique, well-rounded, high-achieving individuals at the university.
It is to be noted, that the event is under the sponsorship of the national bank of Kuwait. AUK and NBK signed in June 2005, a memorandum of understanding establishing a 5-year strategic alliance between the University and the Bank during which time both parties benefit and meet a sustainable social and educative responsibility in serving the community.
The event will commence at 7 PM in the AUK Auditorium, and is only open to students and their guests.
Teaching Liberal Arts in Kuwait
Welcome to the Second Liberal Arts conference at American University of Kuwait. I extend this welcome to all faculty, students, and visitors, and most especially to our Dartmouth guests John and Helene Rassias, of Dartmouth College and the Rassias Foundation in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. John Rassias is recognized world-wide as the creator of the Rassias method of foreign language instruction, and he is here to share with AUK faculty and students his method which builds language skills on a foundation of intercultural understanding and communication, both important aspects of contemporary liberal-arts education.
Founded in 2004, American University of Kuwait is an independent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educational institution of higher education dedicated to offering our students a quality education based on the American model of a liberal-arts College - such as Dartmouth, with whom AUK has a Memorandum of Understanding. In 2004 Dartmouth College, recognized as one of the top American universities and famous for its commitment to liberal-arts education, hosted a conference titled "The Liberal Education: Dead or Alive?" The keynote conference speaker was Raimond Gaita, a philosophy professor of King's College London. He told an anecdote about the Thatcher years when universities felt under siege from the market-oriented conservative government. King's College faculty told a junior government minister they had invited that if a university eliminated its philosophy department, it couldn't be called a university. "That's OK," the minister replied. "We'll call it something else."
The concept of liberal education as a career-building foundation in the sciences, business and entrepreneurship invites a broad intellectual exchange, and this is our primary motivation for developing a tradition of academic conferences centered on the concept of Liberal Arts education in the 21st century. As we all know, education is about more than subjects, disciplines, and a curriculum; life is not divided into "majors." Our programs are designed to prepare students for the contemporary world where critical thinking, communication skills, and life-long learning have become imperative. The very transferability of liberal-arts skills has become a "selling" point for employers of liberal-arts graduates. These skills, variously named and numbered by the experts, include interpersonal and team-working skills, written and oral communication skills, adaptability to change, problem-solving skills, and critical, analytical, and creative thinking.
In Kuwait and the Middle East, we struggle to make the concept of Liberal Arts understood, despite the wonderful heritage of medieval Islamic science and philosophy. The Liberal Arts in the Western tradition were based on Classical philosophy and the early disciplines that shaped the education from Antiquity to the Enlightenment. Strikingly, the ancient Greek term that was translated by the Romans as "art," was techne, meaning "skill" rather than "art" in our contemporary understanding. Technai eleuteries meant the "liberal arts" in the sense of knowledge and intellectual qualities required of a Greek citizen in the age of Athenian democracy. In Rome, and then in medieval Europe, "Liberal Arts" came to mean the broad education in a whole range of knowledge not limited to a certain discipline that enables a person to gain competency in various fields and develop a civic consciousness and informed habits of thought. The usual translation of "Liberal Arts" into Arabic as "al-funoon al-hurra," from fann "art," carries the confusing implications of Fine Arts, of art as craft, or even of science as technique. The Arabic word aadaab, the plural of the singular adab, usually translated as "literature," fully corresponds to the plural "Letters" in the phrase funoon wa'l-aadaab "Arts and Letters" or al-aadaab wa'l-`uloom, "Arts and Sciences." The phrase "al-aadaab al-hurra" for "Liberal Arts" better conveys the social and intellectual aspects of reflective knowledge, of enlightened judgment, and of educated and cultivated qualities required for meaningful participation in society.
In affirming our commitment to the Liberal Arts mission, we often argue that the learning skills developed through liberal education sometimes are valued by faculty and employers alike over narrow professional knowledge. However, it is important to emphasize that the argument for Liberal Arts does not constitute an argument against professional knowledge. Rather, we aim to avoid narrow-field knowledge and training in favor of broad-based knowledge of a full range of disciplines.
Without knowledge and informed acquaintance with many areas of study, analytical and critical thinking may descend to the level of uninformed opinion or biased attitude - occasionally supported by manipulation of words, numbers or images -- rather than balanced analysis of facts in context. By using critical thinking, students learn to examine and evaluate evidence and to distinguish between argument, opinion, and fact. They "learn to identify assumptions, evaluate evidence, to reason correctly, and to take responsibility for the conclusions that result" * [*Grinnell College Catalog, "Education in the Liberal Arts, at http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/catalog/education/ ].
The magazine Business Week reports that chief executives are quick, creative learners who embrace change. We recognize those qualities as the products of a broadly based liberal education. Yet here in Kuwait, we hear apprehensive predictions that American-model liberal education will produce unemployed liberal-arts graduates. Such fears are not totally alien to the United States public opinion. In response, W.R. Connor, president of Teagle Foundation and former president of the National Humanities Center, writes:
"The greatest problem confronting the liberal arts is not a glut of graduates possessing these qualities, but the difficulties of developing them more fully at every stage of education. In that effort we have perhaps more allies than we might think, including those outside academic who know how much they are needed in our society today. Just as war is too important to be left to the generals, so the liberal arts cannot be the exclusive prerogative of those of us in academia. Thoughtful, committed people from outside academia - we all know some of them -can help keep us focused on the importance of these skills of freedom in this time of radical, unpredictable change."
[* W.R. Connor, "Liberal Arts Education in the Twenty-First century." AALE Occasional Papers in Liberal Education #2 (Chapel Hill, NC: American Academy for Liberal Education, 2000, p.8).]
Our faculty work hard to create a caring environment where every aspect of students' development gets attention and support. To achieve positive student learning outcomes, our faculty incorporate a wide range of educational practices into classroom instruction and mentoring. Moreover, our liberal-arts-oriented educational mission calls for a positive connection between teaching and scholarly activity. This conference provides a forum for our international faculty to share their expertise and brings to the university their experience and wisdom and their passion for educating students "broadly and liberally." The publication of the first issue of the AUK Occasional Papers containing submissions to the 2005 AUK conference on Liberal Arts and Business is a significant first step on the way toward sharing our vision of liberal education with Kuwait and the Middle East. We welcome your participation in this conference and look forward to your presentations.
Following an extensive international search, President Marina Tolmacheva has announced the appointment of Nizar Hamzeh, Associate Professor of Political Science at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), to the post of Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, effective immediately. Hamzeh, a member of the AUK faculty since 2005, is an expert on Middle East politics, Islamic movements, international law, research methodology, and Western and Islamic political theory.
"I am delighted that Nizar Hamzeh has agreed to serve in this key role," said President Tolmacheva. "He is a recognized scholar with a distinguished research record and a dedicated teacher. As an Arab scholar from the Middle East trained in the United States, he has displayed a broad range of intellectual and administrative leadership skills - qualities that will be essential to the university as we continue to add strength to our academic offerings."
In addition to his teaching post, Hamzeh has served as Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at AUK and directed its Gulf Studies Center. He was head of the Social Sciences Division until August 2006 and has held Prior to joining the AUK faculty, Hamzeh was an associate professor of political science at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where he was a member of the faculty from 1988 to 2004. He was political science department chair at AUB from 1990 to 1999, and acting dean of student affairs from 1999 to 2000.
A 1979 graduate of the Lebanese University Faculty of Law, Hamzeh pursued graduate studies at the University of Southern California, receiving his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in 1982 and 1986, respectively. Building on his dissertation, Conflict in Lebanon: A Survey of Opinions and Attitudes, Hamzeh has become an internationally recognized authority on the culture and politics of Lebanon, with special focus on the development of Hizbullah and Islamist movements across the Middle East. He is the author of In the Path of Hizbullah (Syracuse, 2004), a work that received the Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Book Award for 2005. He has co-authored two other volumes, and his articles appear regularly in scholarly journals.
"I am honored to be able to serve the American University of Kuwait in this new role," said Hamzeh, "and I look forward to working with President Tolmacheva, my faculty and administrative colleagues, and our Dartmouth partners, to enhance the academic programs that sustain AUK's distinctive intellectual environment." Hamzeh said he intends to focus his priorities as dean on enhancing faculty structures across the various divisions and programs, developing policies and procedures that support those programs, and ensuring that students continue to have access to a superb academic program based on the U.S. model.
At AUK, the Dean of the College Arts & Sciences is the chief academic officer of the university, responsible for the academic and administrative functions of the College and the Library. With oversight of curriculum development and implementation; faculty recruitment, development, and evaluation; policy development; and budgetary and outreach supervision, the Dean works closely with the President and serves as a member of her leadership cabinet. In his new post, Hamzeh will supervise AUK's four academic divisions: Business & Economics, Humanities & Arts, Sciences, and Social Sciences.
Dale F. Eickelman, Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and Human Relations at Dartmouth College, and Relationship Coordinator for the Dartmouth/AUK program, says: "Hamzeh brings an ideal mix of leadership, cultural sensitivity, scholarly achievement, and dedicated teaching experience to the position. His talents reflect the qualities that set AUK apart, enabling it to offer students the finest liberal arts education in Kuwait."
Established in 2003, AUK is the first private liberal arts university in Kuwait. The educational, cultural, and administrative structure, methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning. Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire (USA) and AUK have signed a memorandum of understanding that allows the two institutions to initiate a series of advisory, consultative, and cooperative projects. The partnership reflects AUK's mission to provide the best in liberal arts education, drawing from the rich tradition and expertise of Dartmouth, and Dartmouth's recognition of AUK's commitment to quality.
Dean's List for Fall 2006
Fatmah Al-Qadfan
Fouz Al-Sabah
Budour Al-Qassar
Fahad Mohammad
Sara Zakhari
Maya Abou-Ismail
Lama Kablaoui
Abrar Al-Baqsami
Ala'a Ali-Reda
Bassma Al Kassem
Engy Abbas
Noufa Al-Sabah
Ghada Al-AbdulAaly
Noora Al-Ibrahim
Ala'a Al-Kadri
Abdulwahab Al-Khaldi
Maryam Al-Sabah
Muneera Al- Sirhan
Jawaher Ali-Redha
Naji Dimachkie
Mohammed Jafar
Hadi Sarieddine
Rama Sabano
Mansour Al-Sarraf
Bader Al-Sane
Yousif Al-Mudhaf
Hussein Nour-Elddine
Firas Kanawati
Tasnim Saleh
Fahad Al-Sharhan
Kheiriyeh Ahmadi
Mohammad Al-Awadhi
Taiba Al-Rumaih
Anwaar Al-Ibrahim
Amani Abdul-Rahman
Khaled Al-Hashem
Ahmed Adi
Bushra Zaher
Nadia Al-Jazzaf
Dania Dabliz
Manaf Al-Sawaha
Reem Al-Rashi
Nawar Al-Kazemi
Fahad Al-Dawey
Abdulrahman Al-Farra
Mai Hassan
Latifa Al-Falah
Sami Maan
Noura Al-Sabah
Mariam Al-Rayes
Fawaz Al-Maghribi
Suheil Taye'a
Farah Al-Mekhled
Fatma Al-Qadfan
Mazyad Al-Masoud
Nada Al-Hudaid
Nasser Quortom
Amro Sarhan
Tuleen Mahroussah
Mays Naser
Adla Al-Madahka
Nizar Mashal
Tareq Al-Rifaai
Shereen Shaheen
Safaa AbdulHamid
Faten Al-Kadiri
Dana Shamlawi
Hanan Al-Yousef
Sola El-Haddad
Noor Kortom
Noof Al-Muzaini
Sarah Al-Hilaly
Shoug Al-Khatrash
Rawan Al-Muzaini
Norah Al-Hilaly
Layal Ashkanani
Sally Saleh
Mohammed Fares
Fares Fares
Dana Al-Madani
Dalal al-Sabah
Abdalla AbdelRahman
Noaf Hussien
Housam Farra
Mustafa Husain
Nadia Karam
Valentina Noronha
Mirae Hanna
Mubarak Al-Wazzan
Abdulwahab Al-Sharaf
Dina El-Zohairy
Ahmad Al-Enezi
Violla Bader
Rawan Al-Nafisi
Sarah Al-Qabandi
Ahmad Al-Salamin
Sherif Mohammed
Rami Abdulsalam
Auob Sharafy
Hadeel Al-Tunaib
Daniya Alam
Maryam Al-Bahar
Noura Al-Aleiwi
Ali Abdulsalam
Amna Akbar
Youssif Al-Raqqas
Emad Salamah
Adhari Al-Qadri
Hebah Al-Duaij
Marahib Al-Sabah
Dalia Al-Mahmood
Razan Sharaf
Amal Tawakuli
Shahed Al-Wadani
Hussa Al-Refaie
Haya Al-Qassar
Mohammed Al-Muzaini
Rowena Al-Mutawa
Faek Al-Syriani
Abdullah Al-Shumais
Abdulaziz Al-Mossalem
Alissar Shaanin
Jackleen Shaanin
Mohammad Hellwa
Shaikha Al-Khaldi
Ranya Al-Mastaki
Abdulrahman Al-Failakawi
Shaha Al-Obaid
Wael Al-Ahmady
Heba Rashwan
Nada Al-Yahya
Suzan Ghattas
Sarah Al-Mejreb
Abdullah Al-Sheikh
Nuha Al-Fadli
Hind Al-Terkait
Hind Nassar
Husham Hindi
Farah Al-Shamali
Noor Al-Baghli
Balques Al-Rawdan
Dana Abdal
Fahed Al-Rafidi
Nouriah Al-Shatti
Kawther Sadeq
