AUK Students Join Warba Bank’s Rowad Innovation Program
Five American University of Kuwait (AUK) students have been selected to join Warba Bank’s Rowad Innovation Program, a training and workshop challenge where teams will be coached by the banking industry’s top mentors to develop innovative solutions for real-life financial business issues. The students were nominated by AUK college deans based on their high academic performances and GPA scores.
The training sessions and workshops started in October and will be held across seven weeks, leading up to the final entrepreneurship challenge where participants are rewarded valuable cash prizes and a career opportunity at Warba Bank.
Brought to AUK by its Office of Alumni Affairs and Career Development (AACD), the University’s team includes Amnah Derdab, majoring in economics and marketing; Husnain Hassan, majoring in accounting; Donia Al-Gouhari, majoring in business management and finance; Laila Dallol, majoring in electrical engineering; and Ali Darwiche, majoring in computer engineering.
Husnain Hassan explained how participating in the program is an opportunity for him to grow within his field, “I am honored to represent AUK in the Rowad Innovation Program, and I am very excited for this opportunity. This opportunity packs a great learning experience for me as it consists of real-world industry challenges given to us by Warba Bank. I will be able to learn a lot from this experience and use this knowledge in future endeavors.”
Abir Itani, director of the Office of Alumni Affairs and Career Development (AACD), expressed her support and pride towards the participating students, “The Rowad Innovation Program is a great steppingstone from academics to real life challenges. It is an exciting opportunity for students to work on real life challenges that the banking industry faces and delve into creative solutions. Our students are always eager to push the limits, create, and innovate; this is how learning is achieved.”
Mr. Anwar Bader Al Ghaith, Warba Bank’s deputy chief executive officer, highlighted the benefit of participating in the Program, “We are keen to support young students as they are the most essential element in terms of sustainability and development. The Rowad Innovation Program gives university students the opportunity to engage in the banking work sector and learn from it.”
Programs as such give students the opportunity to expand their knowledge outside the classroom that will aid them in implementing their coursework material to real-life experiences. The AACD seeks to engage with AUK students and alumni to provide continuous support and recognition for their achievements and professional excellence. The AACD office directs students and alumni towards programs, services, and workshops that help in employment-seeking endeavors.
Universities’ representatives with Warba Bank’s team
AUK Hosts Chef Nasser Jaber Presented by US Embassy
AUK hosted Chef Nasser Jaber for a talk that was initiated by the US embassy in Kuwait entitled, “A Moveable Feast: The Hard Things About Hard Things.”
Presented to the AUK community, Chef Nasser talked about his experience in launching the Migrant Kitchen, a catering business that focuses on providing meaningful opportunities for immigrants to showcase the cuisines and cultures of their home countries. He offered students advice, emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities as young individuals and embracing failure as a necessary component of life. He highlighted the importance of youth taking initiative and trying out different approaches to reach their goals.
Chef Nasser is dedicated to social impact through culinary diplomacy, sharing the values of entrepreneurship, private enterprise, and food security to the world. Since 2012, he has worked with the US State Department in Turkey, Sweden, and Morocco to provide solutions to the refugee crisis through food, hospitality, and sustainable farming.
AUK encourages advocacy for social change, providing students with exemplary role models for inspiration.
AUK was invited by Montclair State University’s Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to partake in their 9th annual Women Entrepreneurship Week. Hundreds of colleges and universities globally participate in this event, celebrating female founders within different communities.
The College of Business and Economics (CBE) at AUK collaborated with the Women Empowerment Club to host a panel discussion in the AUK theater that was moderated by Dr. Salime Smadi, associate professor of organizational behavior; Dr. Mariam Al-Sabah, assistant professor of finance and marketing; and Dr. Sarah Al-Shamali, assistant professor of marketing.
The panel discussion featured three Kuwaiti entrepreneurs: Maryam Alkhatrash, executive producer and co-showrunner of office-based sitcom “Taqdeer Al Ehteyaj,”and previous co-founder of the boutique advertising agency, “The Bustop”; Shaikha AlSabah, social activist and founder of a center for women and children in Kabul, Afghanistan; and Haya AlNeama, AUK alumna and owner of three businesses based in Kuwait and Qatar. Also featured was Retaj AlJandal, the president of the Women Empowerment Club and a freshman at AUK.
Discussions revolved around what defines a successful female entrepreneur, the challenges women face in the business world, how to balance work and leisure, and how social responsibility should always be incorporated within businesses.
Dr. Shihanah, assistant dean of CBE and assistant professor of marketing, highlighted the value of having events that are inclusive of representations of entrepreneurs, “CBE believes that an entrepreneurial journey can be a wonderful inspiration to students, the wider campus community, and the network of international partners. The event not only highlights the achievements of female entrepreneurs in Kuwait but raises students’ awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations. The event focuses on SDG Goal 5, which revolves around ‘achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
The event concluded with a Q&A session where students were able to further benefit from the speakers’ experiences.
Associate dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) and professor of computer engineering at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), Dr. Mohammed El-Abd, has been included in the top 2% of global researchers, under the domain of artificial intelligence, in a recent list released by Stanford University and Elsevier BV.
The ranking is provided in a public database of top-cited scientists that provides standardized information on citations, h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-index, citations to papers in different authorship positions and a composite indicator (c-score). The c-score focuses on impact (citations) rather than productivity (number of publications) and it also incorporates information on co-authorship and author positions (single, first, last author).
Dr. El-Abd has published more than 80 publications including journal articles, conference publications, abstracts, and book chapters. His research interests span the areas of meta-heuristics, evolutionary computation, swarm intelligence, cooperative algorithms, continuous optimization, large-scale optimization, Internet-of-Things (IoT), smart cities, control and robotics, and engineering education.
This is the second year Dr. El-Abd secures this ranking, a testament to AUK’s high standard of education. AUK’s faculty continuously promote academic excellence, instilling values of professionalism and lifelong learning in students.
Dr. El-Abd, Associate dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) and professor of computer engineering at the American University of Kuwait
The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at AUK participated in its third NASA Space Apps Challenge—the world’s largest hackathon introduced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Organized by the dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid and CEAS faculty members, Dr. Marwa Sharawi and Dr. Ayman El-Naggar, Kuwait was among many participating cities worldwide. The 48-hour hackathon was attended by over 40 contestants, including high school students, AUK students, alumni, and professors.
The participants were divided into eight teams—composed of scientists, coders, space enthusiasts, graphic designers, and business analysts—who worked for 48 hours to create apps, games, and websites that addressed the challenges provided by NASA Space Apps.
The 2-day event concluded with a closing ceremony on campus where Dr. Zeid congratulated all participants on their hard work and dedication to produce a marketable software solution within a short period of time. “We are living in a hyper-digital world. The NASA Space Apps Hackathon serves as a golden opportunity to cultivate the skills required in developing digital solutions that can be applied in the real world. I am incredibly proud to see so many young people ready to showcase their talents and innovative ideas; exuding a level of energy and enthusiasm that is truly inspirational to witness,” said Dr. Zeid.
Three judges convened to select the first and second place winners. The judges, Mrs. Mayce ElMostafa, director of the Campus Services Department at AUK; Mr. Yacoub AlBash, team leader of information technology services at Kuwait Oil Company (KOC); and Dr. Bassem AlFeeli, founder and general manager of Orbital Space, represented a variety of expertise and provided valuable feedback to the teams after presenting their projects.
The first-place project, “The Parkers,” was led by Mustafa Ali Karkour. It consisted of a website that showcased the storyline of the Parker solar probe that flew through the sun’s upper atmosphere and sampled particles and magnetic fields there. The Parker solar probe is added to the website in 3D and labelled to enable the user to move it around.
Reflecting on his experience and achievement of winning first place, Karkour said, “In 48 hours, AUK has held an amazing event to inspire space enthusiasts like us. My team and I competed in the NASA Space Apps Challenge and won 1st place at AUK! During the event, we touched on different challenges to explore the beauty of space before settling on the “On the Way to the Sun” challenge. The challenge made us realize the difficulties NASA's astronauts/spacecraft face and how curiosity-driven they are. I had a great team with a diverse set of skills and with their contributions, we made it happen!”
The second-place project “Planetarium,” led by Nora Almarri, is a game that delivers information about climate change. The game has a planetarium, small quizzes, and a library full of resources that provides viewers with climate change facts.
AUK is dedicated to hosting events and activities such as NASA Space Apps that encourage the growth and knowledge of the next generation of scientists, technologists, designers, storytellers, and engineers.
First place winners (The Parkers)
Second place winners (Planetarium)
Group photo of first and second place winners with judges and Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid
Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid, presenting a token of appreciation to Mrs. Mayce ElMostafa, director of the Campus Services Department at AUK
Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid, presenting a token of appreciation to Dr. Bassem AlFeeli, founder and general manager of Orbital Space
Dean of CEAS, Dr. Amir Zeid, presenting a token of appreciation to Mr. Yacoub AlBash, team leader of information technology services at KOC
NASA Space Apps AUK participants
Group photo of NASA Space Apps AUK participants
From left to right: Mr. Yacoub AlBash, Dr. Amir Zeid, Mrs. Mayce ElMostafa, and Dr. Bassem AlFeeli
NASA Space Apps AUK participants
NASA Space Apps AUK participants
From left to right: NASA Space Apps organizers Dr.Marwa Sharawi, Dr. Amir Zeid,
and Dr. Ayman El-Naggar
AUK held an event about breast cancer awareness in which obstetrics and gynecology consultant and clinical director at Mowasat Hospital, Dr. Sangeeta Dhawan, gave an informative talk to the AUK campus community.
During her talk, Dr. Sangeeta detailed what breast cancer is, including the risk factors, signs, symptoms, and prevention tips. She shared some important statistics with the audience and emphasized the importance of early detection. Dr. Sangeeta encouraged AUK students to always stay well-informed on this subject matter.
The event saw a high attendance of both females and males, a turn out that is indicative of their dedication to stay up-to-date with the latest research and information on breast cancer.
AUK annually holds events and activities in support of breast cancer awareness.
Dr. Sangeeta Dhawan, obstetrics and gynecology consultant and clinical director at Mowasat Hospital
AUK welcomed three students from Dartmouth College as part of its Dartmouth-AUK exchange and internship program. Visiting campus this year is intern George Eid and exchange students Matthew Pfundstein and Nicholas Luikey.
Eid studies Economics and Math at Dartmouth College and serves as the secretary of the John Quincy Adams (JQA) Foreign Policy Society. He is also the associate editor for the Dartmouth Law Journal. Eid is interning in both the Economics and International Relations Departments in AUK.
On the other hand, Pfundstein is pursuing a double major in government, with a concentration in international relations, and Middle Eastern studies. He is a member of the Dartmouth Ski Patrol and a fellow of Pi Lambda Sigma (POLIS), a pre-professional government society. He is studying in AUK for the fall semester.
Luikey is pursuing computer science and is a member of Waterman Institute student directorate, which leads classes on faith and reason. He is also studying in AUK for the fall semester.
This exchange program is an extension of the Dartmouth-AUK partnership that has been running since 2004; a partnership that is considered a medium of educational, cultural, and professional connection that joins its communities to provide them with a holistic collegial experience.
From left to right: George Eid; Nichols Luikey; AUK president, Dr. Rawda Awwad, and Matthew Pfundstein
From left to right: Matthew Pfundstein, George Eid, and Nichols Luikey
It is with great pleasure that AUK recognizes 9 faculty promotions for this year. These promotions were earned based on outstanding performance and excellence, and demonstrated our faculty talent and dedication in teaching, research, and service to the institution. We are proud to present to you the following faculty who were approved for promotion following a comprehensive and independent evaluation of their dossiers:
Promotion to Professor:
Dr. Mohammed Al Abd, Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Promotion to Associate Professor: Dr. Seyed Esmaeili, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied SciencesDr. Ghulam Hussain, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied SciencesDr. Inas Mahfouz, English, College of Arts and SciencesDr. Hanan Muzaffar, English Literature, College of Arts and SciencesMr. Clark Stoeckley, Art and Graphic Design, College of Arts and Sciences
Promotion to Senior Instructor: Ms. Claudia Mejia, Spanish, College of Arts and Sciences
These promotions reflect exceptional performance, commitment, and enthusiasm, and continue to set a standard that the AUK community can be proud of. AUK extends its congratulations to the faculty, their departments, and colleges.
The American University of Kuwait Computer and Electrical Engineering Programs Reaccredited by ABET
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) bachelor’s degree programs in computer engineering and electrical engineering have been reaccredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter the workforce that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, while also anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public. It is also the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
Commenting on this achievement, the dean of the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences at AUK, Dr. Amir Zeid stated, “We are proud to successfully receive ABET reaccreditation for both programs. The main challenge was to go through the process during COVID-19 lockdown and online teaching without compromising the quality of course delivery. Our virtual team visit, and self-study reports were highly praised by the ABET evaluation team. Our programs were praised for having high percentage of female enrollment. It is also worth mentioning that AUK was the first private university in Kuwait to receive ABET accreditation for Computer Engineering in 2016.”
Sought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs and its graduates in the technical disciplines, where quality, precision, and safety are of the utmost importance. Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. The accreditation process involves a rigorous review of the institution’s program curricula, faculty, facilities, and institutional support performed by a highly skilled accreditation team from ABET.
ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). It currently accredits almost 4361 programs at nearly 850 colleges and universities in 41 countries.
More information about ABET, its member societies, and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at www.abet.org.
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an independent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educational liberal arts institution of higher education. The educational, cultural, and administrative structure, methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning.
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) currently offers 16 degree programs in various academic disciplines. AUK received its institutional accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC) in Kuwait in 2006. The College of Business & Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB); the College of Arts and Sciences is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE); its Bachelor of Arts in Design (concentration in graphic design) is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD); and the Intensive English Program is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA); the Computer Science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. For more information about the accredited programs at AUK, please visit this link http://www.auk.edu.kw/about-auk/accreditation
AUK is pleased to announce that in support of the University’s efforts to achieve digital transformation, the AUK Library has implemented and launched Online Computer Library Center’s (OCLC) WorldShare Management Services (WMS) as its new cloud-based library system.
OCLC is a global, nonprofit, member-driven library organization that provides technology services, original research and community programs for the library community at large. With thousands of library members in more than 100 countries, OCLC also maintains WorldCat, the world’s union catalog of library resources. Eric van Lubeek, vice president, managing director, OCLC EMEA, and APAC remarked on AUK's inclusion of the platform, “We are pleased to welcome the American University of Kuwait (another AMICAL member) to the WorldShare platform. With the introduction of WorldShare Management Services, as their new cloud-based library management system, I am sure that it will help the American University of Kuwait achieve their goals as a forward thinking and research driven institution.”
WMS represents the new generation of library systems—taking routine library functions to the cloud and eliminating the need for maintaining local systems. The new platform supports the library’s strategic priorities and is designed with the user in mind. It provides fast and easy access to library resources of all formats.
AUK’s faculty, students, and staff will access their own accounts (using the University’s single sign-on) where they can view and renew borrowed materials, save their searches or selected resources/readings. With the new interface, the campus community can expand their search to include world libraries, thus searching beyond the content of the library.
Commenting on this new cloud-based library system, Asma Al Kanan, University Librarian, stated, “The migration to the new system demonstrates the library’s commitment to provide first-rate research services to the university community. The AUK library has always been a pioneer in adopting latest library technologies. It was the first library in Kuwait to integrate circulation of materials into a self-check kiosk, launch a platform for online subject guides, and establish an open access repository—besides other services and programs.”
