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AUK held its annual graduation commencement for the Class of 2017 on Thursday June 8th, where 400 students officially became AUK graduates, amongst whom were 8 graduates with highest honors, 12 with high honors, and 19 with honors. The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al-Fares, Minister of Education and Higher Education.
The Graduation was attended by Shaikha Dana Naser Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Founder and Chair of AUK's Board of Trustees, Dr. Habib Abul, Secretary General of Private Universities, members of the AUK Board of Trustees, diplomats, dignitaries, and the families and friends of this year's graduates.
Ms. Amal Al-Binali, Vice President for Admissions & Public Affairs, welcomed the guests and family members of the graduates to AUK's 12th graduation ceremony and officially inaugurated the ceremony by introducing the traditional processionals of the faculty, Graduates and President Party.
Following the National Anthem and the Holy Quran recitation, AUK President, Dr. Earl (Tim) Sullivan gave an opening speech, in which he congratulated the graduates for their successful completion of an important phase in their lives. "Graduates...as this journey comes to an end, tomorrow you begin a new one; one that you have spent the past few years preparing for. Each of you has earned your position on this stage. Receiving your degrees tonight is the fruit of your discipline, dedication, and drive. Your triumph tonight proves that you have overcome all obstacles you have faced along the way and are prepared to face any that may come your way in the future," he said
The commencement keynote address was given by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al-Fares, followed by the introduction of the class Valedictorians by Dr. Hanan Muzaffar, Dean of Student Affairs. This year, AUK Finance & Accounting graduate Khaled Serhan earned the highest cumulative GPA of 3.97 among the College of Business and Economics graduates of 2017; while the two students Paola Schietekat Sedias (International Relations) and Rania Al-Sabbagh (Communication and Media) earned the highest cumulative GPA of 4.0 among the College of Arts & Sciences graduates of 2017. The Valedictorian speeches were delivered by Paola and Rania.
AUK Provost, Dr. Rawda Awwad, gave a speech in which she emphasized the intellectual value of pursuing a Liberal Arts education. "Our graduates today, are all individuals who have pursued a liberal arts education: regardless of their degree that they have earned, this exposure has sophisticated them into mindfulness over rashness, altruism over self-centeredness, and provided them with the means to be intellectually inclusive and at the same time appropriately critical of their own thought processes," she said.
The event then proceeded to the part of the ceremony most anticipated by the students; the distribution of their earned degrees. Upon, the Recommendations of the Deans and the Provost, President Sullivan, conferred upon the graduates their respective degrees. The graduates were then awarded their diplomas by President Sullivan, H.E. Mohammed Al-Fares, PUC General Secretary Dr. Habib Abul, Provost Awwad an Interim Dean Ali Charara for the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dean Ralph Palliam for the College of Business & Economics.
In keeping with the academic tradition, the graduates were requested to shift their tassels from right to left, thereby marking their official graduation from AUK. As the ceremony drew to its conclusion, the graduating class celebrated the occasion and took photos with their families and friends.
Xi-Eta, a chapter of the Delta Mu Delta international business society, held its second annual induction ceremony in May to officially welcome 13 of the top performing Junior and Senior students in the College of Business and Economics (CBE) to its chapter. The event took place in the AUK Auditorium, where the students' family, members of Xi-Eta, and members of the faculty of CBE, including honorary chapter members Dr. Mark Speece, Associate Dean for Quality Assurance & Accreditation / Associate Professor of Marketing and Mr. Rabindranath Bhattacharya, Senior Instructor of Finance attended event. Dr. Perry Moore, the regional representative of Delta Mu Delta, was present via Skype.
Dr. Fatima Shibly, Assistant Professor of Accounting and chapter faculty adviser, commenced the event by welcoming the attendees to the induction. After giving an overview of the chapter and the organization, Dr. Shibly invited the 13 new members to recite the pledge which officially affirms their memberships to the society and their dedication to it, after which they received their certificates of membership and keys to the society from Dr. Speece and Mr. Bhattacharya. The celebration concluded with piano music performed by Mai Hamouda, a member of the Xi-Eta.
Images from the event
The AUK IEEE Student Branch (AUK IEEESB) travelled to Manama, Bahrain, in May to participate in the IEEE GCC Students and Young Professionals Congress and achieved Second Place in the Best Student Branch Award Competition. The competition included 9 student branches from universities around the GCC where participants presented a bouquet of activities, soft skills workshops, field and fun trips, creative events, and more, over the period of one year (May 2016 till May 2017). The IEEE GCC SYP Congress takes place every two years and is comprised of workshops, competitions and other activities. In this year's competition, Ms. Zeinab Mohammed and Ms. Aliaa Jamal represented the AUK branch.
Dr. Issam Damaj, the Founding Counselor of AUK IEEESB, explained that he was very pleased with the branch's performance and how much it has grown since its establishment. "The branch was founded in 2014 as the first in a private institution of higher education in Kuwait. Since then, the branch has been highly active in social and technical events. The branch rapidly evolved from few students and an executive committee to a spectrum of several subcommittees and technical teams targeting for their student branch chapter affiliations. The branch has demonstrated a great success in recruiting students from both genders, in addition to benefitting from its alumni and established young professionals. The success of the branch in community engagement is evident, whether in Kuwait, or in its activities that reached other countries in the MENA region, such as Lebanon, Turkey, and now Bahrain. Congratulations to our IEEESB and AUK!"
AUK IEEESB was founded on May 15, 2014 and currently has 7 sub-committees and 8 technical teams; the branch is affiliated with IEEE Kuwait Section. The AUK IEEESB is supervised by Dr. Issam Damaj - the Founding Counselor. The branch leadership includes Ms. Zeinab Mohammed (Chair), Ms. Rouaa Diab (Vice Chair), Ms. Haidy Al-Leythi (Secretary), Ms. Fatemah Al-Attar (Treasurer), Ms. Hiba Singer (Technical Teams Coordinator). The contribution is extended to include Ms. Athari Al-Farhoud (Former Chair), Amr Lotfy (Former Treasurer), and Mr. Khaled Al-Karmi (Former Technical Teams Coordinator).
Parents, faculty members, university staff and fellow students attended the semi-annual President's Honor Roll and Dean's Honor List ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of top student achievers. The ceremony was held in the AUK Auditorium, where AUK President Dr. Tim Sullivan and the colleges' deans presented students with awards for their achievements in different categories. The ceremony was also attended by members of AUK's Board of Trustees, who were present to support the students being recognized.
The ceremony commenced with opening remarks from President Sullivan, in which he expressed his pride in celebrating the academic achievements of AUK's top students. "Tonight, we applaud 140 students for their academic excellence, and it gives us a great sense of pride to recognize every one of them. In a few years, or maybe months, this group of students will start their careers or pursue graduate studies. I am sure they will continue to be the top in any walks of life because they genuinely want to make a difference. Congratulations to all.
Top achieving students from the different categories were called to accept their awards from President Sullivan and the college deans.
27 students were awarded a place on the President's Honor Roll by the President, a high distinction exclusively awarded to those who maintained a 4.0 GPA for the term, while 140 students were recognized for achieving the Dean's Honor List; a distinction awarded by the College Deans to students who maintained a minimum GPA of 3.7. AUK Provost, Rawda Awwad, along with Dr. Ali Charara, Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), and Dr. Ralph Palliam, Dean of the College of Business & Economics (CBE) presented the recipients with their awards.
President's Honor Roll Awardees
| Rawan Abdalrahman | Lynne Ghader |
| Areeg Ahmed | Darin Kablaoui |
| Budour AlAnsari | Reham Kablaoui |
| Ali Al-Khuraibet | Heba Khalil |
| Abdulaziz Al-Mahmeed | Farah Mobayed |
| Mubarak Al-Mishwit | Dania Moftah |
| Bahja Al-Qaazweeni | Urooj Mudassar |
| Lolwah AlRoshoud | Farah Nabaa |
| Rania Al-Sabbagh | Yamamah Obeid |
| Ismail Al-Tahan | Vincent Puyat |
| Nour Boka | Paola Schietekat Sedas |
| Layal Boulos | Palwasha Shaikh |
| Nasser Dashti | Rafia Tabaa |
| Tala Fahas |
Dean's Honor List Awardees
College of Arts & Sciences
| Rawan Abdalrahman | Mark Riad |
| Ahmed Abdel Ghaffar | Aya Al-Touky |
| Salma Abdelaziz | Mariam Al-Wazzan |
| Bashayer Abdelhadi | Anwar As'ad |
| Raghda Abdelsalam | Zahraa AsadAllah |
| Mariam Abdullah | Sara Babazadeh |
| Noor Abu Salah | Habib Badran |
| Areeg Ahmed | Aaliyah Behbehani |
| Alaa Al Refaei | Layan Bin Eissa |
| Alaa Al-Ajmi | Rayane Bouhali |
| Budour AlAnsari | Layal Boulos |
| Mofeeda Al-Aradi | Emannoel Cabildo |
| Nourah Al-Enezi | Kaouthar Chebli |
| Fajer Al-Fadalah | Nasser Dashti |
| Aishah Al-Failakawi | Leena El Hawary |
| Sumaya Al-Hunayan | Ruba El-Amine |
| Bader Al-Jumaah | Nada ElGamal |
| Dalal Al-Junaidel | Anas El-Ghabra |
| Nada Al-Kharashi | Youssef El-Kady |
| Ali Al-Khuraibet | Anne-Charlotte Estragues |
| Mariam Mohammad | Hala Gharib |
| Hassan Mohieddine | Sarah Saad |
| Rawan Nawab | Paola Schietekat Sedas |
| Abdulaziz Al-Mahmeed | Palwasha Shaikh |
| Fay Al-Mazidi | Pearla Haider |
| Fatemah Almazyad | Batool Hasan |
| Oula Al-Moussallam | Jumanah Husain |
| Abdulwahab Al-Musailem | Salma Ibrahim |
| Hadeel Al-Otaibi | Abeer Imdoukh |
| Sarah Al-Otaibi | Dima Jadayel |
| Bahja Al-Qaazweeni | Darin Kablaoui |
| Shaymaa Al-Qalaf | Reham Kablaoui |
| Yara Al-Quorashy | Marwa Kandil |
| Yousef Al-Rasheedi | Naya Kassis |
| Wasmeia Al-Rashidi | Ali Kelkawi |
| Munirah Al-Reshoud | Lubna Khader |
| Lolwah AlRoshoud | Farah Kheder |
| Ghalyah Al-Roumi | Danah Khuraibet |
| Haya Al-Sabah | Maryam Kotb |
| Al-Jawhara Al-Sabah | Noha Mahmoud |
| Rania Al-Sabbagh | Basil Mattar |
| Salem AlSaif | Jumana Mohammad |
| Haniah Al-Tabaa | Rafia Tabaa |
| Kareem Noor Al-Deen | Basmah Tebe |
| Yamamah Obeid | Noura Zaher |
College of Business & Economics
| Islam Abdelhay | Farah Homaidan |
| Yasmeen Abdelnaeem | Hisneya Ispear |
| Sayed Mahmood Abdullah Mahdi | Masswo Issi |
| Joudi Al Khayat | Lara Jadayel |
| Shaikhah Al Mousa | Heba Khalil |
| Fatima Al Mousawi | Amer Khosla |
| Mashael Al-Enezi | Farah Mobayed |
| Nour Al-Ghunaim | Dania Moftah |
| Jana AlHadidi | Tala Fahas |
| Mubarak Al-Mishwit | Munirah Mohammad |
| Ghadeer Al-Otaibi | Rawaa Mohammad |
| Fatmah Al-Sarhan | Urooj Mudassar |
| Farah Al-Shaye | Farah Nabaa |
| Ismail Al-Tahan | Meerna Owaineh |
| Danya Ammar | Vincent Puyat |
| Ahmad Arabi-Katbi | Nazish Quraishi |
| Anjan Sethi | Khaled Serhan |
| Malak Fares | Nahla Yaacoub |
| Shahdeh Farhanian | Nour Boka |
| Nadim Ghader | Yousef Boresli |
| Lynne Ghader | Tasnim Darkhabani |
| Malak Gharib | Ali Deeb |
| Mai Hamouda | Nouran El Sayed |
| Maryam Hassanein | Eman Eldin |
| Mohamad Adel Hatahet | Rana El-Sebaee |
The National Conference (NatCo) is a semi-annual event organized by AIESEC that features seminars, workshops, and other activities that are aimed to develop the skills and competencies of young professionals. In April, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) hosted its second National Conference where members of AIESEC took part in it to create better professional opportunities for themselves within the organizations in which they work, and beyond. The two-day event was sponsored by Talabat.com as part of their youth support initiatives.
The sessions that took place at the conference were tailored towards developing skills that will create leaders who empower others, are solution-oriented, are self-aware, and are global citizens. They were conducted by members of the Executive Board of AIESEC in Kuwait-Amani Khalaf (President of AIESEC in Kuwait), Dalal Al-Muraished (National Vice President of Talent Management & Finance), and Zahraa Alawi (Head of Exchange Programs), as well as Nasser Thani, who is a member of AIESEC in Bahrain and Mahmoud Mirza, Member of the Board of Directors of AIESEC in Bahrain and Founder of AIESEC in Kuwait.
Faisal Al-Mosawi, CEO of Move to Improve Co., was invited as an external speaker. He relayed his personal experiences in overcoming the adversities he faced following an accident he had and how his perseverance and willingness to improve his situation contributed to his numerous successes, including obtaining a scuba diving license.
"During these two days, our members came together from more than four different universities to revive their international strategies and direction of AIESEC, at the same time enhancing their skills for their selected roles that include marketing, sales, operations and PR. The National Conference provides a space to foster creativity from the members and develop few of the many skills that are required in the job markets across the world," explained Amani Khalaf, President of AIESEC in Kuwait.
AIESEC is an international, non-governmental, not-for-profit, youth-run organization that was founded in 1948 and exists in 126 countries. It focuses on developing the leadership potential of youth through cultural exchange programs, and community development projects. Currently, it has more than 1 million alumni, including Bill Clinton. Such success has been enabled by the assistance of their many global partners, including UNESCO, Google and Unilever. Locally, AIESEC in Kuwait started in September 2013, and currently has around 200 members and alumni.
Images from the event
Shaikha Dana Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Kuwait (AUK), will receive a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, for founding Kuwait's first and only Liberal Arts University. Established in 2003 as an independent, private, equal opportunity, and coeducational institution, AUK offers a liberal arts education based on an American model, developed out of AUK's long-standing collaboration with Dartmouth.
Al-Sabah is the chairwoman of United Education Co. (UEC), Kuwait's leading company in the education sector. UEC consolidates seven K-12 schools with over 12,500 students. The United Education network includes some of the leading American, Indian, and Pakistani schools in Kuwait.
She is also the Chief Executive Officer of Al-Futooh Holding Co., the major stakeholder in Kuwait Project Co. (KIPCO), a multi-sector operating holding company with a diversified portfolio spanning the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the wider Middle East and North Africa region.
Al-Sabah received a BA in English Literature from Kuwait University and studied at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
The other honorary degree recipients are:
- Jake Tapper '91, Award-winning journalist and CNN news anchor
- Frances Arnold, professor of chemical engineering, biochemistry, and bioengineering
- Abbey D'Agostino '14, NCAA champion runner and Olympic athlete
- Bob '57 and Dottie King, philanthropists
- Jim Sinegal, co-founder of Costco Wholesale Corp.
- Anna Deavere Smith, actress, playwright, and teacher
- C. Fordham von Reyn '67, professor and director of DarDar International Programs
Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, an "Ivy League" member, is the international partner institution to the American University of Kuwait (AUK). Dartmouth and AUK have worked closely together since 2003, when the two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding that facilitated a series of advisory, consultative, and cooperative projects. Dale F. Eickelman, Relationship Coordinator of the American University of Kuwait-Dartmouth College Program, and Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and Human Relations Emeritus, has worked with AUK since 2003. He said: "We share with Sheikha Dana the excitement of creating a liberal arts university. She recognizes how universities old and new have continuously to adapt to new challenges. Both Dartmouth and AUK learn from one another."
Dartmouth College was founded in 1769 and offers a broad-based undergraduate education, as well as advanced degrees in the arts and sciences, medicine, engineering, and business administration. Dartmouth has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since 1929.
Sheikha Dana Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees at American University of Kuwait (AUK), the President of AUK, Dr. Tim Sullivan, Provost Dr. Rawda Awwad, and the Vice President for Admissions and Public Affairs, Ms. Amal Al-Binali, met a delegation from the American University of Beirut (AUB) to discuss possible future collaborations between the two universities during the delegation’s visit to Kuwait in May 2017. The delegation from AUB was headed by AUB President Dr. Fadlo Khuri, Dr. Imad Baalbaki, Vice President for Advancement, and Ms. Salma Oueida, Associate Vice president for Development and Alumni Affairs. Following the meeting, President Khuri and his team received a tour of AUK's campus, during which they visited the Library and the newly completed Student Center.
Founder and Chair of the American University of Kuwait (AUK), Sheikha Dana Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, officially inaugurated the University’s new Student Center yesterday in a ribbon cutting ceremony that was attended by members of the Board of Trustees. The Student Center was part of AUK’s campus facility upgrade plan, which was approved in 2015. The ribbon cutting was followed by a tour of the facilities.
The new center is located on the eastern corner of the campus and offers a variety of services for students. The four-story Student Center features recreational, athletic, administrative, and academic facilities that are aimed to cater to an array of student services and activities. The first two floors of the building house an indoor multipurpose sport court, gymnasiums, a running track, and a student lounge, offices for clubs and organizations and the Division of Student Affairs, while the upper floors are dedicated to administrative offices and student service centers, such as the Counseling Center, Alumni Affairs, the Writing Center, and the Tutoring Center.
"The new building is beautifully designed, with a lot of natural light coming through. It is an attractive place for students to work and interact. The moment you walk in, you realize it has been designed to reflect the character of AUK and its student-centered culture. We have hundreds of students walking through our gates every day. We want them to arrive on campus early and stay late and enjoy learning in between," said AUK President, Tim Sullivan.
The completion of the Student Center comes as the first phase of the of the campus development plan, the second phase began in March with the construction of the new generic building, which will house state-of-the-art labs for science, engineering, art and graphic design offering cutting edge technologies and an overall enhanced learning experience.
Founder and Chair of the American University of Kuwait, Shaikha Dana Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, convened with members of the Board of Trustees and the Academic Affairs Committee during the 22nd Biannual BoT Meeting in April to review reports from the various areas of the University and discuss future plans for AUK. The meeting was the first to be attended by Dr. Tim Sullivan in his role as the newly appointed President of AUK, who had previously served AUK as Interim President in 2010 and was a voting Board Member until present.
Shaikha Dana commenced by greeting the attendees to the Spring 2017 meeting of the Board of Trustees and welcoming Dr. Tim Sullivan to the Board. "We are very pleased to have him on board as we look forward to putting in place our broader strategic initiatives," she said.
After introductions from Shaikha Dana, the Chair of the Board of Academic Affairs Committee (BAAC) Dr. Thomas Bartlett, presented the BAAC Report, which was then followed by President Tim Sullivan's Report and the Budget Report.
Following the reports presentations, Shaikha Dana announced the completion of the new Student Center and updated the Board on ongoing development and expansion projects, including the obtaining of accreditations and the beginning of construction of a new generic building that is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2019. "While we are focusing on improving our campus, we are also making progress in receiving and seeking accreditation for our programs, in developing our academic areas, and in recruiting faculty" she said, and added "Our mission is to differentiate ourselves and provide our students with broader learning experiences."
The Board of Trustees is AUK's governing body. The Board's terms of reference are outlined in the AUK By-Laws. The self-perpetuating and self-governing Board is currently composed of 8 members, in addition to the University President and the Dartmouth College Relationship Coordinator (Director) as ex-officio member. The Board of Trustees meets twice a year in AUK's Salmiya campus.
The American University of Kuwait's Board of Trustees is comprised of the following: Shaikha Dana Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah (Founder and Chair), Mr. Meshal Ali (Co-Founder), Mr. Wael Abdul-Ghafoor (Board Member), Mr. Faisal Al-Ayyar (Board Member), Mr. Samer Khanachet (Board Member), Thomas Bartlett, Ph.D. (Board Member), Walid E. Moubarak, Ph.D. (Board Member), Earl (Tim) Sullivan Ph.D. (Board Member), and Dale F. Eickelman, Ph.D. (Ex-officio Member).
The Department of Arabic and Foreign Language, in collaboration with the AUK Library, invited Mr. Al- Alkhattab Almazroaui, a renowned Omani writer, to hold a three-day creative writing workshop at AUK last March. The workshop covered the basic skills of creative writing, with specific emphasis on elements of short story.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide a unique opportunity to students to meet Omani prominent figures in the field of literary writing, which fosters their GCC literary background and helps them establish connections with the local cultures.
"The workshop offered a great experience for the students, as well as for myself. The speaker was inspiring, and covered a wide range of literary expertise from east to west, igniting in the attendees a yearning for reading and writing authentically and creatively," said Ms. Ghaidaa Mohamad, AUK Instructor of Arabic and organizer of the event.
AUK students Laila Abdal and Seham Ahmad, who participated in the workshop, found it useful in providing directions on how to develop creative writing skills and take it to advanced levels.
Mr. Al-Mazroaui is the head of the Omani Writer's Society. He has published several short story collections, in addition to presenting literary programs on the radio in Oman. His CV reflects myriad accolades, memberships, and and a long list of judging panel participations. He also participated internationally in cultural weeks in Madrid, Cairo, Tunisia and Egypt.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 2nd May 2016
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2016
