News
Two graduate student interns concluded their internships within different AUK Student affairs and student services departments this past summer. Tabetha Maly and Benoit Sabourin joined AUK late last May as part of the Student Affairs/Student Services Graduate Internship program designed to provide graduate students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain essential experiences within professional areas of Student Affairs/Student Services.
The two graduate students stayed in Kuwait for nearly 8 weeks, where they gained hands-on experience at the AUK Academic Advising & Learning Support Service (AALSS), Counseling Center, Office of Student Life, and Office of the Registrar.
Tabetha is a graduate student and an assistant residence hall director at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Through her work with AALSS, Tabetha got the opportunity to learn firsthand how academic advising supports student transitions and how it cooperates closely with other academic support units to provide a holistic support service for AUK students.
Through her day-to-day interactions, Tabetha developed a thorough understanding of the impact of local context on university structure and, more specifically, on the policies and procedures of academic support units.
At the AUK Counseling Center, Tabetha gained a working knowledge of general office programs and services, and specifically of disability processes including similarities and differences between services in a US-based institution versus one abroad. Gaining insight to a culture that most people have not experienced was her favorite part, both professionally and personally, as it offered her an internal and external viewpoint of another part of the world. The experience provided her with insights on how higher education systems function in Kuwait, and how they managed to create a harmonious balance between the university culture and the local culture. "What I've learned most from the experience has been an insight to Kuwaiti culture. I've loved being around the people here and learning so much about the Gulf region," said Tabetha.
Benoit Sabourin came to Kuwait with a culturally diverse background; he was born in France, lived in England, and finally settled in North Carolina, where he is currently pursuing a Master's of Education in Higher Education Administration - with a focus on Student Affairs and Public Policy- at North Carolina State University.
Through his work with the Office of the Registrar, Benoit became familiar with the operations and services provided by the office, learned about office policies and procedures and the importance of these in supporting academic activities and functions. Additionally, he experienced how the Office of the Registrar interacts with the other units within academic affairs.
In his other job in the Office of Student Life, Benoit worked on improving programs through the development of methods and processes to assess program goals and reporting results. His engagement with the graduation arrangements was his favorite part because it gave him a new perspective on event operations in the Middle East and allowed him to witness the excitement and vibe of graduation events.
Benoit expressed that his internship in Kuwait allowed him to gain a new appreciation for the Muslim culture and religion and for students and student affairs abroad which will prove helpful working with international students in the future. He is very excited to hopefully come back to the region to keep exploring the culture and possible professional endeavors.
The AUK graduate internship program is designed to provide graduate students and recent graduates a deeper understanding of higher education administration, and to acquire specific skill sets which will help prepare them for a career in the profession. As the Student Affairs profession continues to grow in the Middle East and around the globe AUK is proud to offer this unique opportunity for young professionals to broaden their horizons on a personal, academic, and professional level. The first Student Affairs Graduate Interns at AUK participated in Summer 2009 and the University is pleased to build off of the success of the program in each successive year.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 7th October 2015
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2015
The Student Council kicked off a talk series dedicated to hosting various influential people in Kuwait's society-from entrepreneurs and musicians, to actors and athletes-to inspire students to follow their dreams and pursue their passions.
The first speaker was professional photographer Abdulaziz Al-Duwaisan who recalled his journey that led him to pursue photography full-time. His interest began at a young age with art and drawing, which later prompted him to become an art teacher. Animation and science fiction characters caught Al-Duwaisan's attention, and he became interested in the creativity involved in putting together movie posters and using Photoshop to enhance various images. His work has become very popular on social media where some photos tackle social issues, and others have comedic aspects to them.
Musician Hamad Al-Qattan was the second speaker of the series; his journey began with playing football for the Kuwaiti Al-Kazma team, while also enjoying singing and music. Al-Qattan explained that his parents were conservative; therefore, it was difficult for him to pursue a career in music. After high school, he joined the military and also started to write music and lyrics for some well-known singers. Al-Qattan's passion for music soon completely took over, and he left the military to finally follow his dream. He had to overcome many obstacles that included negative critiques; however his perseverance rewarded him with successful projects with some of the biggest names in music, and high viewership on Youtube for songs he had written. Al-Qattan performed some of his songs to the audience and also answered their questions.
The two events which were held in the auditorium were open to the public, and attendees were welcome to ask questions and interact with the speakers. The talk series will continue throughout the months of October and November with many more inspirational guest speakers.
Artwork created by a student from the American University of Kuwait (AUK) has qualified for the semifinals of the 2017 Adobe Design Achievement Awards. Shaikha Al-Ofan, a student in the Department of Art & Graphic Design at AUK, was selected as one of the 642 semifinalists, out of a total of 2444 entrants, who have had their artwork enter the semifinals.
Al-Ofan's submission to the competition featured a set of three posters, each representing her interpretations of imagery traditionally associated with the Gulf region, which she created in a Digital Imaging course offered by Professor Joo Won Lee, Assistant Professor of Art & Graphic Design. "I have always believed in the great artistic potential of our students. This achievement is a proof of my belief. I look forward to the continued maximization of the potentials for our students' further success," Lee expressed.
The Adobe Design Achievement Awards is considered to be one of the most leading digital design competitions, and it is organized by Adobe Systems Incorporated and sponsored by acclaimed global design institutions, such as the International Design Council.
Al-Ofan's collection of posters, which she collectively called Gulf Culture, has been selected and displayed at the 2017 AUK President’s Art Exhibition.
Shaikha Al-Ofan's Artwork
October 5th, 2017 marked the special 23rd anniversary of the initiation of World Teachers' Day by UNESCO, and members of AUK's MUN honored the occasion by ornamenting the campus with red roses hung from every faculty office door.
In addition, AUKMUN expressed its sincere gratitude and acknowledgement to the educators that have inspired, enlightened, and motivated them by attaching little personalized thank you notes to the roses, as a simple token of unyielding gratitude.
The heartwarming interactions with the faculty on the morning of October 5th have been a very rewarding and memorable experience for the MUN members. They are deeply moved by the devotion of the faculty that is highlighted in their daily routine of waking up early, working long hours, and still listening to and helping resolve students' personal and academic issues with empathy, patience, and understanding.
Not only did the hallways smell of roses on Thursday morning, this small and delicate gesture has generated beaming smiles, and propelled other AUK students to express their appreciation towards their professors more freely.
This article was Written by AUKMUN Student Farah Hamoudah in appreciation of AUK Faculty
The AUK library held a Welcome Back event in the multipurpose room on campus to welcome students and inform them all about the resources available for them during their time at the university. The event featured a live musical performance as well as informational booth displays.
The live performance was given by a local band called The Afterthought who are also currently on tour. Alternating between classic rock ballads such as 'You Give Love a Bad Name' by Bon Jovi, and original pieces from their upcoming album, the band gave a wonderful performance by engaging with the crowd; students clapped along to songs and finished off parts of the chorus for popular rock classics. Each song was performed with enthusiasm and multiple guitar solos were featured.
At the entrance of the multipurpose room, two tables were set up-one for Education USA by the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, where Ms. Carine Nassrallah, the Education Advisor at the U.S. Embassy met with students and distributed flyers about education in the U.S.; and the other for the AUK Library, with staff ready to answer any questions from students and give more information. The library has set up several banners and posters in the room to bring awareness to library resources and services provided to students and faculty.
Throughout the month-long program, CCE arranged facilities and day-to-day management for the whole program, ensuring its success. Each week, the students worked together on their business ideas and prepared for the final week of the program. During the final week, all the business ideas were evaluated by a judging panel. CCE director, Buthaina Al-Khubaizi, served as one of the judges, and helped give input to the students on the feasibility of the ideas and how to improve or implement them.
While talking about the importance of their partnership with LOYAC for KON, Al-Khubaizi explained, "Through the program, we start as young as 12 years old, where we allow the participants to get to know themselves early, explore their entrepreneurial skills and challenge their thinking, while being exposed to various inspiring businesses, mentors and trainers. Self-exploration is a journey and it is the most critical skill to start an infinite path of learning". This collaboration with LOYAC is in alignment with CCE's vision, mission, and values of creating partnerships and collaborations to develop the Kuwaiti society. CCE was established in 2004 and offers an array of workshops, courses, and programs 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.
Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AUK and Dartmouth College in 2003, the two institutions have collaborated on a variety of projects on both administrative and academic levels. One of these projects has been the Dartmouth-AUK Student Internship Program through which Dartmouth students intern at AUK during fall and spring, while AUK students intern at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH over the summer.
During summer 2017 AUK sent students Salma Abdelaziz and Nathalie Matta to Dartmouth College. Abdelaziz was placed in the Office of Communications, while Matta worked with the TuckGo Department in the Tuck School of Business. Over the course of their stay, the two students were able to meet people from different departments, enjoy nature-focused activities, and learn about lasting Dartmouth traditions.
For Abdelaziz, the two most striking parts of her experience were her internship placement projects and the environment at Dartmouth. The Dartmouth campus is the quintessential college town, located in a small New Hampshire town called Hanover. "For the first few days I explored the campus and was amazed by how you could almost never tell where the college ended and the town of Hanover began. I loved everything about Dartmouth and I loved how looking at the greenery, mountains, rivers and even the old buildings made me feel as if I was seeing color for the first time. I would always walk around with my camera taking pictures of things around me and sometimes forgetting to take pictures of myself," Abdelaziz reminisced in her reflection on the program.
Working in the communications office revolved around social media posts, analytics, video-making, and imagery for distribution to parties both inside and outside the college. This work gave Abdelaziz insight on Dartmouth traditions that would not be taking place during her stay, but are essential parts of the definition of life at Dartmouth for many students. "I started working on designing Snapchat filters to go with the annual events they have every year like commencement, homecoming, and the winter carnival. This project was one of my favorites as it allowed me to get to know Dartmouth better and explore the different rituals they have for each and every event," said Abdelaziz
Matta felt that her placement was a perfect fit-preparing her for tasks she will have to tackle in the business world. The TuckGo Department where she was placed focuses on the management and planning of global experiences and onsite consultations for graduate students. She felt supported by her placement advisor in terms of reaching her goals for the internship and being understood. In reference to her placement she said, "I was very happy with my internship placement and my tasks in supporting general business work and dealing with day-to-day operations. Compared to all the jobs that I've had on campus [at AUK] and outside, this internship was broader than any job I've had and that itself added a lot to my knowledge and experience of the business world," said Matta
As for the highlight of her internship, Matta said, "One of the things that I enjoyed most was that I was given a chance to present and talk about Kuwait. I was called out by one of the students as being ‘very challenging, as she took our idea about the Middle East and changed it'. It was one of my highest points during the internship, and I felt very accomplished that I could represent the country that I am from in a very positive way." The time spent at Dartmouth served not only as work experience, but as a chance to both inform others about her own culture, and to learn more about theirs.
This summer marks the twelfth time since 2006 that Dartmouth College has hosted AUK students for the internship program. Both students returned feeling more confident in their abilities and grateful for the opportunity to experience Dartmouth.
Over the summer of 2017, AUK sent two students to George Washington University (GW) in Washington D.C. on an AUK Study Abroad Summer Programs Scholarship. Over the course of six weeks, Leena El Hawary and Yara E. Al-Quorashy took on education and life at a university in the United States capital before returning to AUK. The immersive experience shed light on cultural differences, similarities, and learning and teaching styles across borders that the two students reflected in essays upon their return to AUK.
Learning Inside the ClassroomBoth El Hawary and Al-Quorashy took two academic courses during their stay in Washington D.C. For El Hawary this included Cultural Anthropology and Historical Geology, while Al-Quorashy was enrolled in (Level 2) Introductory French and Introduction to International Relations. Reflecting on her experience Al-Quorashy stated, "Being surrounded by students who enjoy what they learn, and learn with persistence and determination to make sure they grasp concepts, created the atmosphere I needed to function better academically. Every student truly cared about their courses, and did not procrastinate or miss class; students strived to impress the professors with the smallest details."
The opportunity to take classes at GW not only exposed the students to a different teaching and learning environment, but helped them discover more about their individual learning styles and what things help them thrive in classroom settings.
During the six weeks abroad the students learned to balance and navigate school, fun, and business. These skills will continue to serve them as they continue their studies at AUK, graduate and begin to build lives for themselves—having already gotten a bit of experience being on their own. "One of the biggest challenges I had to face was finding balance between work and leisure. I was in DC for a mere six weeks and was therefore determined to make the most out of it. I wanted to explore the whole of DC, from visiting all the monuments and museums, to going to local shops and restaurants. However, I also wanted to succeed academically, therefore I had to make time for both by finding the right balance," El Hawary remarked. Though finding the proper balance took time, both students were able to explore the city while also succeeding in their classes. They were able to attend baseball games, go kayaking, visit the Smithsonian Institutes, and attend programming workshops and panels held by the University.
Not only did the students immerse themselves in and learn about the GW environment, but they also were able to share pieces of their own culture. El Hawary felt that she was able to enlighten people as she explains, "Locals were interested to know more about my culture and where I am from, which allowed me to represent myself, AUK, and Kuwait as a whole. I was able to bridge cultural gaps and try to eliminate any pre-existing stereotypes." Al-Quorashy was also comforted by seeing how she and people she met were able to overcome differences as she mentioned, "I was exposed to many cultures and met people from all kinds of backgrounds, and soon we became friends and our differences faded."
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) established a Study Abroad Summer Programs Scholarship in the spring of 2016 to enable AUK students to take summer classes at the George Washington University (GW) - Washington DC. The scholarship provides an opportunity for selected AUK students to engage in a short term international academic experience, and is awarded to AUK students providing tuition and fees for two classes, round-trip economy airfare, room and board, and health insurance. This initiative is in addition to a previous agreement with GW to establish a program for undergraduate student exchange. The GW and AUK student exchange agreement allows for nominated students to attend a maximum of two academic semesters (fall or spring) with the other institution on a non-degree basis.
For more information on AUK International Programs, please visit: International Programs
About GW:The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from across the country and around the world.
To kick off the semester and celebrate the start of classes, the Office of Student Life organized a Welcome Week packed with events to help integrate new students and allow returning ones to catch up with friends.
Opening the week was the Welcome Back Barbecue in the recreation area near the Liberal Arts building on Monday. Students and faculty socialized, the Drama Department faculty handed out flyers for the University's production of West Side Story, and students passed by bustling to and from classes. Enjoying the live music with a friend after classes, sophomore Estabraq Abadi talked about her view of education here at AUK saying, "I think the way we study here at AUK is cool. I really appreciate the barbeque because the food is good."
Music for the event was provided by the music department. Alternating sounds of upbeat jazz and classical music filled the courtyard with an atmosphere of excitement.
Tuesday brought faculty and staff together with students for competitive sports events. Going head-to-head, the faculty/staff vs. students games started at 2pm in the indoor court beginning with a soccer match which was then followed by a basketball game. The bleachers were full of people as both sides cheered for their favorite team. The soccer game ended at a 5-to-5 tie, and the student team swept the basketball game away-beating the faculty/staff 20-12. Closing out the night was a viewing of Avengers: Age of Ultron in the Student Lounge.
The start of any school year brings not only the start of classes, but the start of club and organization activities. Wednesday afternoon, the Club Fair was held in the main hallway. Students crowded the hallway, stopping by tables and listening to music that played from speakers. At the AUKause table, cookies and notebooks were given out as the organization talked about their upcoming blood drive and winter break trip. Other tables had donuts, candy, and games set up on iPads.
Bringing the week to a close was a casual ice cream social on Thursday afternoon. As Student Life and the University welcomed back students, returning students welcomed each other back as well-glad to see familiar faces. After a long summer, Welcome Week was the perfect way to set the tone for the year.
Images from the Welcome Week
The American University of Kuwait officially opened its doors to the class of 2021 on the 10th of September, 2017. In preparation for the new academic year, AUK held a series of orientations for faculty and staff to introduce the newcomers to campus and provide various curricula and administrative updates. AUK President Tim Sullivan gave a speech during the meeting in which he emphasized the importance of a liberal arts education to the new generation of students as a vital role in their growth and prosperity beyond their educational journeys. The President also highlighted some new facilities on campus such as the newly opened student center and the multipurpose building that is currently under construction. AUK Provost Dr. Rawda Awwad also gave a speech on the University's continued strive toward development-stating, "What is compelling in this is the sturdiness of this institution: it truly knows itself and understands on a very fundamental level the importance of growth and development."
The meeting concluded with a panel discussion presented by a group of AUK professors on the best practices for education in the 21st century, which include increased student engagement in the classroom.
Orientation week kicked off on campus to welcome new students to the academic year with a series of events and activities organized by the Office of Student Life, Division of Student Affairs. The orientation started with an informational session to introduce students to the various services and academic departments at AUK. This allowed students to familiarize themselves with the campus and socialize with their fellow new and existing community. Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar expands on this point as she states, "On Sunday, we conducted the New Student Orientation that welcomed new students to AUK, introducing them to the University dynamics and to campus life, and providing them with an opportunity to meet and greet their fellow classmates. The week continues with activities that encourage the students to take part of college life outside of the class, starting with BBQ Monday, and ending with Ice-Cream Social Thursday, with sports and activities throughout the week, among them a staff/faculty/student sports matches." Among the activities this week will also be a visit from the Private Universities Council and a club fair where students can find an array of clubs and honor societies to join.
Established in 2003, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) currently offers 14 distinct degree programs in various academic disciplines. According to Ms. Amal Al Binali, Vice President for Admissions and Public Affairs, AUK has offered admissions to 350 students to the undergraduate and Intensive English programs for the fall 2017 semester.
AUK is accredited institutionally by the Private Universities Council (PUC) in Kuwait. The College of Business and Economics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP); the College of Arts & Sciences is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE); The B.E. in Computer Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET); and its Intensive English program is accredited by the Commission for Intensive English Program Accreditation (CEA).
