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An exhibition displaying artwork created by AUK students enrolled in an Environmental Design course this semester was held in the Multipurpose Room last October. The purpose of the exhibition was to prepare the students for their final Capstone exhibition by helping them develop an understanding of the application of key elements behind installing exhibitions, such as time, material and concepts.

The Environmental Graphic Design course is an elective course offered in the Graphic Design Program by Professor Marcella Kulchitsky, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at AUK. Professor Marcella explained that the learning outcomes for this assignment were achieved in the days prior to the exhibition, as the students were learning skills to exhibition design. The exhibition on Wednesday also provided a platform for the students to showcase their best coursework from foundation and design classes.

"The most important part of today is actually the weeks that took place before when the students were preparing their work and laying out concepts. This moment is really the time for their final products to shine. Today prepares students for their capstone exhibition in the spring so that they know what to expect and how to manage their time more effectively because they've already gone through this experience," explained Professor Marcella.

According to Marcella, this group exhibition enables students to consider how their presentations would be viewed individually as well as collectively by visitors. The skills learned from this experience will enable the students to prepare for their final Capstone exhibition next semester.

 

Two teams from AUK participated in the Global Management Challenge (GMC) Kuwait finals and won titles for their performances. One of the teams representing AUK managed to achieve first place in the initial cycle within their group, while the second team managed to reach fourth place.

By acquiring these positions, both teams have a chance to advance to the semifinal round taking place after 2 weeks. The semifinals will last for 5 more weeks, after which the top 4 winners will compete in the final 8-hour round in January, 2018. The national winner will earn the chance to represent Kuwait in the international GMC competition, which will take place in Dubai in April, 2018.

The Global Management Challenge Kickoff (GMC) is an international competition organized by the ADNAR Group that invites teams of students from universities and companies around the Arab World to participate in a simulated market and attempt to increase the values of shares of designated companies. The winners are determined based on the performance of their assigned companies with respect to the values of their market shares and investments.

The American University of Kuwait has been participating in the competition since its inception in 2013. This year, AUK was represented by two teams selected from the College of Business & Economics. Members of the teams were selected to participate based on their performances in Business-related courses. They were accompanied by the Dean of the College of Business Administration, Dr. Ralph Palliam, and 4 members from the CBE faculty- Dr. Aly Mansour, Dr. Ahmed Kholeif, Dr. Riyad Abubaker, and Dr. Hanas Cader.

"It [the competition] serves as good training to students of the real world business environment," said Dr. Mansour, explaining that students' participation in such competitions helps enhance students employability after graduation, as employers take such activities into consideration when screening candidates. "Whether they win or not, the experience they gain will benefit them for the rest of their business careers," he added.

The competition presents the students with an opportunity to apply the different components required of running businesses that they have been taught in the classroom, in a safe and simulated environment. "Students start to understand that the sustainability of a business is not based on marketing or economics or management or other things on their own, but rather on their combination and integration of all of these disciplines every day," Dr. Mansour concluded.

The Global Management Challenge is the largest Strategy and Management Competition in the world. It's the largest international event based on business simulations, in which more than 500 000 university students and company managers throughout the world participate in this event.

The concept of the competition emerged in 1980 in Portugal by SDG - Simuladores e Modelos de Gestão - in partnership with the weekly newspaper EXPRESSO. EXPRESSO has not only given a great amount of national coverage on the competition, but has also contributed immensely to the internationalization process.

ADNAR Group is established in Kuwait and is a team of dedicated professionals that offer a gateway to a wide range of services in Customer Care, ROI, CSR, Carbon Reduction, Organizational Restructuring, and Recruitment.

The Center of Continuing Education (CCE) at AUK held a graduation ceremony for the professionals who have completed the Executive Mini-MBA Certificate Program in October 2017. This annual flagship program was launched successfully in November 2016, in collaboration with a management consulting firm, which delivered the program with experts in the fields of business, leadership, and finance.

The 5-day program offers professionals in the executive and management levels an intensive and comprehensive understanding of key areas within the business environment, such as strategic planning, marketing, and human resources, whereby they gain the business skills offered in a traditional MBA program. "Though a Mini-MBA is not a traditional MBA, you do get solid knowledge during a continuing education program, excellent networking connections, a certificate from an accredited university and more," explained Buthaina AlKhubaizi, Director of CCE.

The program employs techniques and methodologies that are typically covered in MBA programs, while utilizing the David Kolb Experiential Cycle learning model, which involves heavy emphasis on practice, simulations, role-plays, case studies and videotaping exercises drawn from real work situations. The modules covered in the course were conducted by instructors who are experts in the different business domains.

In partnering with local and international institutions, CCE will launch modular certificate programs in business operations and strategic planning, marketing strategies, and human resources for intermediate and advanced levels in the future.

About CCE
CCE was established in 2004 and, in addition to offering language courses in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, offers an array of courses and workshops aimed to assist in the personal and professional development of individuals and groups within the public and private sectors. Course offerings are specifically tailored to meet the needs of their clients, whether they are independent groups or corporations.
 

Group photo of the graduates
 

From left: Ms. Buthaina AlKhubaizi, Director of CCE, graduated student and program instructor
 

General photo during the course

The Center for Research in Informatics, Sciences and Engineering (RISE) at AUK, in collaboration with the United States Embassy in Kuwait, kicked off its annual lecture series on Monday with a lecture entitled "The Role of Technology in 21st Century Diplomacy" by U.S. Cultural Attaché Dr. Zennia Paganini. The lecture shed light on the tools of technology as they are used specifically for American public diplomacy.

Commencing with welcoming remarks, Director of RISE Dr. Amir Zeid expressed his hopefulness and confidence in the imperative role the center will play in its 4th year as a platform for community engagement stating that "RISE has more potential than ever to reach new heights. AUK is growing, Kuwait is transforming, and the world is undoubtedly changing." He explained the importance of the lecture given that it comes at a time when most of us depend on technology, especially social media platforms. Dr. Paganini, who has served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer for the Department of State since 2010, brought her immense expertise to bear on this highly relevant topic of how technology is used to increase mutual understanding, and the types of technologies that are better suited for outreach and cross-cultural exchanges. She discussed the role of technology in American public diplomacy, which focuses on building people-to-people relationships by taking the audience on a journey through her various diplomatic missions across the world including Syria, Honduras, and Kuwait. She explained that at times, technology enabled the practice of public diplomacy when physical presence was not possible. In Syria, for example, she used technology and social media platforms after getting evacuated from Damascus to continue her work with the help of people on the ground.

While serving as a diplomat in Honduras, Dr. Paganini took the initiative to have an app created that provided thorough information on all the paperwork needed for obtaining a visa. This was a game changer since many applicants had to drive long hours from rural areas to the embassy for their appointments only to find out that they needed an additional document. For her role as a diplomat in Kuwait, Dr. Paganini focuses on programs of different nature such as American education student events, promoting peace and tolerance with technology through TechCamp Kuwait, and many others. When asked why she offered such a vast range of examples from different countries, she explained that "Strategies and technological tools do not have the same level of effectiveness in every region; the usefulness of different facets of technology depends on location, timing, and a variety of other factors."

In addition, Dr. Paganini discussed ways in which the role of technology in public diplomacy has evolved throughout the years, "Messages used to be expensive, so diplomats had to write in concise Twitter type texts, and again today we communicate in short Twitter type texts," she explained. Overall, Dr. Paganini stressed the importance of communication in her job, stating that "Being a diplomat is mostly about communication."

Dr. Zennia Paganini is the Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy. A Foreign Service officer for the Department of State since 2010, she has served in Damascus; Washington, DC; Tegucigalpa; Seoul; and Kuwait City. As the Cultural Attaché, she is responsible for U.S. Embassy-Kuwait's cultural and educational outreach, which comprises a variety of programs including Fulbright and other professional exchanges; educational advising; interactive events that showcase American artists, academics, and entrepreneurs; and alumni events that create new collaborative networks. Her Foreign Service career was preceded by a fourteen-year teaching vocation. As a medievalist specializing in thirteenth-century Spanish literature, she taught in universities in Scotland and the United States.

The AUK Center for Research in Informatics, Sciences, and Engineering (RISE) serves as AUK's primary source for research and development activities, a bridge to industry, and an important venue for community outreach. RISE adapts an integrative model by forging connections between academic disciplines, local & international innovators, academia & industry, as well as technology & society.

General photo of the audience

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) held its 12th Annual Undergraduate First-Year Student Convocation ceremony to welcome the Class of 2019 into the new phase of their lives. The ceremony was attended by the AUK President, Professor Dr. Nizar Hamzeh, along with the Vice President and Deans of the colleges who welcomed the students to AUK.

This year's Convocation commenced with welcome notes by Dr. Hanan Muzaffar, Dean of Student Affairs, and Professor Hala Al Najjar, Coordinator of the First Year Experience (FYE) program. In her speech, Al Najjar addressed the students saying, "AUK is excited to celebrate this milestone that you have achieved & celebrate officially the next exciting four years of the academic social journey". Al Najjar concluded her note by inviting the president to welcome students of class 2019.

In his speech, President Hamzeh wished the class of 2019 a productive and pleasant academic year. "Now- that you are at AUK - you have more choices than ever before... Just look around you, observe the diversity of the extraordinary campus community. Whether or not you engage with this extraordinary community is entirely up to you. You could spend the next four years pleased with your own comfort zone and happy with the way things are. Or, if you follow my advice, you could use your time at AUK to learn how to think logically and empirically... how to build your intellectual curiosity and resource skills... how to develop your leadership skills."

The president concluded his speech by emphasizing that AUK realizes the uniqueness of each student and strives to maximize the learning potentials of its students.

The Convocation Ceremony is the pinnacle event for the Annual Orientation and Welcome Week festivities for incoming students. During this week, many events were organized to welcome all students to the AUK community, including the Welcome Back Barbeque and Get Involved Fair. In addition, specific events were organized to help First Year students become familiar with the campus. The Convocation ceremony in particular, is designed to promote community unity and help students through their transition into University life at AUK.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 18th October 2015

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2015

On Tuesday the 10th of October, AUK held the opening ceremony of the Art and Music Therapy Rooms, a new space introduced by the Counseling Center under Student Affairs. With a welcoming crowd of staff, students, and faculty, the event began with a few words from President Sullivan. He began by posing a question to the people around him, "What is life without art and music?" adding that art and music "enrich our lives and make them better in a variety of ways." Following the President’s words were a few from Jason Sullivan, the director of the Counseling Center, "There is a therapeutic quality to art and music and we want to give students a place to express themselves."

In front of the anticipating crowd, the AUK President cut the ribbon, officially declaring the Art and Music Therapy Rooms open. To keep the momentum going and introduce the community to the spaces, people immediately began trying out different instruments in the Music Room and the sounds of piano playing and drum beating filled the hallway of the Science Building. Next door in the Art Room, employees from Art Space began setting up for an open workshop. Just before they began, Sarah Chouari, a workshop instructor from Art Space, gave a brief description of the upcoming activity saying, "We are leading a free expression workshop. We really want to show people that there are no rules in art. Everyone will pick their own medium and we’ll just guide them through the process. It’s open to all AUK students and supplies are provided."

Falling in line perfectly with the mission Dr. Sullivan provided at the beginning of the ceremony, the workshop was centered on individuality and the translation of emotions and thoughts into artistic expression. The room was filled with students and staff working on projects that showcased the way in which art crossed boundaries. Mediums varied from paper to canvas, from paint to charcoal, people found their own comfortability, some sitting on the ground, others on stools, some standing in front of easels. In the hallway just outside the room pieces of completed artwork were displayed, each piece wonderfully different and unique. The AUK community is eager to see more of its members’ expression and talent flow through these rooms.

Commenting on the new facility additions, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar, Dean of Student Affairs said: "As we navigate through the many challenges our youth faces today, in an age especially marked by high rates of anxiety, we see the need to provide space that engages the student in creative self-expression as a tool towards enhancing positive mental health and wellbeing and bringing a sense of community inspired by art and music".

General Images from the Event

Dr. Inas Mahfouz, Assistant Professor of English, rejoined the AUK community after completing her research at Dartmouth College as a faculty fellow during this past summer.

During her stay at Dartmouth College, Dr. Mahfouz worked with Dr. Christiane Donahue, Director of the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric and Associate Professor of Linguistics, and her team at the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric to conduct research comparing the writing of first year students at AUK and Dartmouth. Over a period of weeks, Dr. Mahfouz compiled a 1.8 million word learner corpus of the essays of students from both institutions. Since then, she has been working to analyze the meta-discourse features used by the students.

Her interest in linguistics began during her undergraduate years during which she took various linguistic courses and became enthralled by the ways in which words and sentences change meaning based on the context of the conversation and the relationship of the individuals participating.

Speaking of her experience at Dartmouth over the summer Dr. Mahfouz stated, "Baker-Berry Library has been my home over the past few weeks. It has provided answers to all my questions and empowered me to overcome challenges. It has also provided me with advice from excellent scholars. After grabbing the references from the library, I would go to Baker 204 and read quietly, surrounded by Dr. Donahue and her team at RWIT. My weekly meetings with Dr. Donahue in Baker 208 ensured that my research was on the right track, and I integrated changes. Now I can proudly sayI am a researcher who teaches! I am returning to AUK-the university that facilitated this life-changing experience and opened new horizons in my career." Not only was she able to work on her research, but she also met renowned professors in the field of linguistics and participated in the annual Dartmouth Summer Seminar for Composition Research, "Data-Driven Inquiry: Process, Methods, Results" where she discussed her research with scholars from other U.S. institutions.

Dr. Inas Mahfouz was the ninth AUK faculty member to join the Dartmouth fellowship program. The fellowship program is open to AUK faculty members conducting research that can be facilitated by access to Dartmouth's libraries and museum collections, or to senior administrators pursuing professional development projects that can be guided by Dartmouth mentors.

The selection criteria included the proposal's promise of research outcomes or professional development, alignment with the Strategic Planning Goals of AUK, a project timeline, and appropriate use of Dartmouth resources. To access Dr. Mahfouz’s full interview with Dartmouth, you can click here

Following a successful first session of a series of talks hosted by AUK's Student Council, the second session was held last week which included actor Khaled Al-Muthafar, and singer Humood Al-Khodr.

Held in the auditorium, Al-Muthafar kicked off the event by recalling his early days of acting. The fun spirit that was present within his family propelled him to further explore his acting and comedic abilities. Going to many auditions and experimenting with different roles helped develop Al-Muthafar's talent. He eventually found a mentor in Abdulaziz Safar, who taught him the basics of acting and improved his presence onstage. Al-Muthafar also credited several other well-known actors for supporting him, which ultimately led to his solidified position in the Kuwaiti acting community.

The session continued with a speech from singer Humood Al-Khodr, who began by stating that he was always adamant that his music spread positivity amongst all of his listeners. His family-particularly his uncle-played a vital role in his pursuance of a career in music. Al-Khodr received many opportunities to sing in various concerts and events. He did not believe in giving critics any attention; rather, he stuck to his path to further improve his skills. Al-Khodr ended his speech by clarifying that one does not become successful because of fame, but talent and perseverance is what makes a difference. The series of talks will continue throughout the month of October with many more talented guests and speakers.