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The American University of Kuwait (AUK) hosted Bill Rancic, the renowned American entrepreneur, winner of the first season of The Apprentice, and star of the hit reality show Giuliana & Bill, to give a lecture to aspiring entrepreneurs in Kuwait.

Bill Rancic talked about his own success story, highlighting main milestones in his career path. As a child Rancic had the heart of an entrepreneur. Growing up, he explained, he had an inquisitive mind that drove him to explore simple business ideas as a teenager, then later as a college student. After earning his B.S from Loyola University Chicago, he spent a few months working for a private company, in which he witnessed a situation that changed his life; Rancic saw one of the founders of the company being fired by the owners after 30 years of service. "I watched this guy packing up his office, marching to the parking lot and driving away," Rancic recalled, "As he drove away, it hit me right here [pointing to his heart] and I said to myself I am never going to let that happen to me."

This revelation revived Rancic's entrepreneur spirit and redirected his career path. Not long after this incident, he applied and got accepted to compete in the first season of Donald Trump's now-famous reality TV show - The Apprentice, where he became the first person to win the contest, thus enabling him to take his first steps towards the world of fame and fortune.

Rancic spoke to the AUK audience about the traits of a successful entrepreneur, emphasizing that everyone is born with great potential "but only a few of us understand their true potential." He explained that in order to utilize these potentials "you've got to get out of your comfort zone... and change the way you do things." This, according to Rancic, requires an ability to get over ones fears, manage risks, and make educated decisions. A lot of potential entrepreneurs are pulled back by the overwhelming goals and the fear of failure. Rancic added that an entrepreneur's life is full of peaks and valleys, and sometimes failures. However, the ability to pull oneself together, possess agility, and assume responsibility are fundamental traits of successful entrepreneurs.

Rancic advised Kuwait's youth to avoid the tracks to failure, revealing that failure is triggered by reactive rather than proactive attitudes, permitting negative people to influence one's life, and adapting an egocentric management style. Rancic concluded his talk by quoting Joel Osteen from his book Become a Better You "I heard somebody say that the wealthiest place on earth is not Fort Knox or the oil fields in the Middle East. Nor is it the gold and diamond mines in South Africa. Ironically, the wealthiest places on earth are the cemeteries, because lying in those graves are all kinds of dreams, and desires that will never be fulfilled. Buried beneath the ground are books that will never be written, businesses that will never be started, and relationships that will never be formed. Sadly, the incredible power of potential is lying in those graves."

Rancic's talk was followed by a Q&A, whereby AUK students and visitors engaged in a rich conversation with the celebrity. One of the questions asked addressed ways to motivate well-off young Kuwaitis to get out of the secure job track and start a business. Rancic pointed to the importance of holding a future vision to keep building Kuwaiti innovators who can steer the country through challenges 100 years from today.

Being one of the remarkable US success stories, Bill Rancic is in demand as a speaker for large corporations, US Universities and most recently at one of Bill Clinton's CGI events.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 8th December 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

Abdulrahman Al Omar is a self-described "sea-a-holic" who started riding jet-skis at the young age of 6 years old under the supervision of his older brother, Abdulwahab; former World Champion jet-skier. "Hamantoosh", as he is endearingly known among his friends, began entering jet-skiing races when he was 11 years old and, with the support of his family and friends (and lots of training), managed to achieve World Champion status earlier this year in Arizona, USA. He is also a proud member of the AUK community.

Over the years, Al Omar has managed to make a name for himself in the jet-skiing community by participating in several local and international competitions. "My first time competing was in a time-lap competition in Kuwait when I was 11 years old. I was not supposed to compete with the other jet-skiers because I was considered too young. But I did anyway, and ended up taking first place. My brother and friends were there to cheer me on, and the feeling I got after I had won was amazing. I wanted to do more," recalled Al Omar.

In addition to his training, commitment, and the support from his family and friends, Al Omar managed to land TV interviews on many of the local TV channels, as well as a couple of international ones, where he managed to create a name for himself amongst his peers in the jet-skiing community.

In 2013 he traveled to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA, to compete in the World Finals, where he won 2 bronze medals and 5 trophies, earning him the title of World Champion.

"My advice for people who are pursuing a similar interest is to train hard and, most importantly, wear full safety gear. If you want to achieve anything, you must believe in yourself and not care what other people say - just set your goal and work hard for it," he added.

Hamantoosh joined AUK in 2012 to pursue a degree in International Studies, and aspires to become a Police Officer after he graduates. Next, he will be competing in the UAE in January 2014.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 27th November 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

Last Thursday, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) organized its annual Faculty Recognition Evening to recognize the scholarly contributions of its faculty members. The event took place at the Marina Hotel Six Palms restaurant and was attended by the Secretary General of the Private Universities Council, Dr. Habib Abul, the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Kuwait University, Dr. Jawad Behbehani and by the Chief Operating Officer of KIPCO and AUK board member, Mr. Samer Khanachet.

Interim President Dr. Nizar Hamzeh welcomed the faculty members and guests to the Recognition Evening that was prepared in their honor. During his opening remarks, he discussed the importance of the institutional relationship between AUK and the Private Universities Council (PUC) and how they support each other in different areas of higher education including research and publications.

Dr. Hamzeh stressed the role of faculty and how their contributions play a vital role in building AUK's academic excellence in research, publications and scholarly creative work. He acknowledged faculty members who made significant contributions to the different scholarly venues.

This year, AUK recognized 46 faculty members whose research and creative work produced: 5 books, 4 book chapters, 30 journal articles, 2 book reviews, 76 conference papers, and 22 exhibitions/designs/ performances; and for receiving 7 external grants and 1 fellowship.

The faculty members who contributed to this success are:

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 27th November 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

The Director of the Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), Dr. Farah Al-Nakib, presented a lecture on Wednesday 13 November in the AUK Auditorium entitled "Kuwait's Urban Crisis: Malls, Violence, and the Right to the City." The lecture, which was open to the public, as well as members of the AUK community, identified various aspects Kuwait City's urban development since the advent of oil modernization in 1950, and the impacts they have had on urban society, social relations, and public behavior. The lecture commenced with an introduction by the AUK's Interim President, Dr. Nizar Hamzeh, highlighting the importance of the discussed topic to the Kuwaiti community and commending Dr. Al Nakib on her scholarly contributions.

In her lecture, Dr. Al-Nakib argued that although Kuwait today may display some physical attributes of a modern city, Kuwaiti society has lost the main features that used to define its urban identity before oil. She explained that in the pre-oil period, Kuwaitis were very open and tolerant of difference, and the difficulty of everyday life before oil required that members of the community cooperated closely in a very public urban life.

This openness and sense of community that were once embedded within the culture of pre-oil Kuwait have diminished in recent decades. Dr. Al-Nakib related this to the transformation of the urban landscape of the city after oil. From 1950 onwards, state planning authorities regularly hired international planners to redesign Kuwait into a modern city. The reconstruction of the city required the relocation of its inhabitants to new suburbs beyond the old town wall. This led to a substantial change in everyday life.

According to Dr. Al-Nakib, before oil people used to live, work, and socialize within the same areas, and people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds lived in the same neighborhoods. This put members of the society in constant contact with different people, activities, and ideas. This was key to making Kuwaiti society open to and tolerant of difference. However, as she argued, "urban life in Kuwait after oil became highly differentiated and separated out into discrete spheres. People went to work in the city center, spent their leisure time along the coast, shopped in the new commercial district of Salmiya, and went home to rest in the suburbs, and moved between these spaces entirely by private car." The new suburbs also divided people based on background, with different neighborhoods designated for urban Kuwaitis, Bedouin Kuwaitis, and non-Kuwaitis. Over time, this separation of people and activities made people more privatized, and less open to difference.

Dr. Al-Nakib explained that the city we make and live in is a reflection of who and what we are as a society. The very inter-connected and closely-knit nature of the pre-oil urban landscape reflected the inter-connected and close-knit nature of the community that inhabited it. Today, by contrast, "With its vast network of highways, walled villas in the extensive suburbs, enclosed malls and towers, and non-existent sidewalks and public spaces, our city is a highly privatized, isolated, and unaccommodating place. And now, so is our society."

One example Dr. Al-Nakib discussed to explain this change in Kuwaiti society was the violent mall stabbings that look place in the Avenues mall last year and in Marina Mall last month; in both instances, a young man was fatally stabbed by other young men for very trivial reasons. Rather than focusing specifically on why these crimes were committed, Dr. Al-Nakib focused on the public response to them when they occurred. She explained that although these crimes took place in full public view, no one in the malls who watched intervened to stop them. She cited this passive response as an example of the degree of disassociation people have from the community, and the lack of any sense of responsibility towards the general public good. Dr. Al-Nakib linked this passive response to the privatization of Kuwaiti society that has come about through the privatization of urban space (in places like shopping malls) and society's disconnection from the city and public life.

Dr. Al-Nakib proposes that the only way to restore Kuwaiti society's historic urban identity is with a restored right to the city. By a "right to the city," she means primarily a right to an urban life characterized by a constant interaction with different people, ideas, and activities. Bringing Kuwaitis back to the city for more than just work will put them into closer contact with people of different ethnic and class backgrounds than they are used to in the suburbs, and with new kinds of public activities that they do not experience in malls. Dr. Al-Nakib believed that this could be one small step towards restoring Kuwaiti society's historically open, tolerant, and cosmopolitan lifestyle.

The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait aims to promote greater cultural understanding of and increased intellectual interest in the Gulf, by facilitating free and open academic discourse on a range of issues that both shape and challenge this critical region of the world. The goal of CGS is to enable scholars as well as political and civil society actors both within and outside the region to contribute and add value to the burgeoning field of Gulf Studies, while at the same time informing and engaging the general public. To this end, the CGS encourages, supports, and cultivates interesting and original research on the Gulf, while regularly organizing a variety of public academic events such as lectures, roundtable discussions, and conferences.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 26th November 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

The Anthropology Club at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), in collaboration with the Roman Catholic Church of Kuwait, organized a drive to collect blankets, clothes, food, water, and other goods, to send to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

The drive, which took place between November 13 and 21, saw many AUK students eager to participate and give donations for the cause, which were being collected in front of the Liberal Arts Building on the AUK's campus and at the Catholic Church in Kuwait City.

According to Dr. Pellegrino A. Luciano, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at AUK, "The Anthropology Club managed to raise a significant amount of goods to be shipped to the Philippines to aid the victims. The initiative was spearheaded by Danah Ahmad and Fouziah Tebe, students in the Social and Behavioral Science Anthropology (SBSA) Program. Also, I would especially like to thank Carol Ghali and Noora Al-Sebaie for their contributions to this effort."

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 25th November 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

Photos from the Campaign

The Economics Department at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) organized a fieldtrip to Kadhmah water factory for students studying Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 363) under the supervision of Dr. Ali Aljamal, Assistant Professor of Economics and Chair of the Economics Department at AUK. The main objective of this fieldtrip was to introduce students to the burgeoning bottled water market in Kuwait so that they can realize the potential of the market system in addressing water problems.

Chaperoned by Dr. Aljamal and Dr. Mark Speece, Associate Professor of Marketing at AUK, the fieldtrip included an on-site presentation and a tour of the facility, which is located in Doha and run by the Water Research Center (WRC) of Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR). The presentation summarized methods of production of potable and bottled water in Kuwait. Unlike most bottled water which relies on subsidized tap water, the facility bottles water produced from beach wells with minimal or no subsidy. "This is particularly important for Kuwait, given the fact that there is no perennial fresh water supply and groundwater is predominantly brackish, and the country is under pressure to develop viable sustainable water supplies to maintain economic growth," said Dr. Aljamal.

The fieldtrip displayed the various facets of Kuwait's water resources and allowed students to interact with Kuwaiti scientist in the field to improve their understanding of water problems Kuwait is facing. It allowed the students to reflect on what they had learned in the course, and bridge the perceived gap between theory and the real world.

"Although its per capita share of fresh water is among the world's lowest, Kuwait is a global leader in per capita water consumption (550-600 liters per capita per day)," said Dr. Aljamal. He explained that the "Emerging water markets around the world have been proved effective in improving efficiency and alleviating shortages. Policy makers can potentially use the Kadhmah model to ease off the heavy burden of water subsidy in Kuwait. By realizing the role of the market system in natural resourcesâ management we can appreciate this success story, which positions Kuwait on track for sustainable water use."

Dr. Aljamal expressed appreciation to Dr. Adnan Akbar, Director of Science & Technology at the Water Research Center, Eng. Ali Al-Odwani, Eng. Ahmad Al-Saffar, Eng. Mohammad Safar, and Eng. Ahmad Al-Sairafi for extending this valuable opportunity to AUK students.

ECON 363 is an introductory course to environmental and natural resource economics and is designed to help students recognize the role of economics in resource management. It incorporates principles of economics to develop a theoretical framework for understanding how and why resource problems arise. It also enables students to conduct critical evaluations of existing resource policies and utilize market and non-market approaches to formulate alternative policies.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 17th November 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

Images from the Fieldtrip

Having completed a decade of excellence in higher education in Kuwait, AUK is moving with steady steps toward expanding its presence both, on a regional and an international level. The expansion plan includes introduction of new majors and programs, completing the international accreditation of existing programs (AACSB, ABET, NASAD), and introducing study abroad opportunities with selected U.S. universities for AUK students. In addition, development plans have been approved by the AUK Board of Trustees to expand the campus facilities and the overall quality of the services offered to students. In the lines that follow, we share with you some of the latest acknowledgements AUK has received on regional and international levels:

• The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that AUK's planned HR major fully aligns with SHRM's HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. Throughout the world, 335 programs in 234 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates. AUK has the first SHRM-aligned HR major in the Middle East.
• The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines -- created in 2006 and revalidated in 2010 and 2013 -- are part of SHRM's Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in university business schools and help universities develop degree programs that follow these standards.
• The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. The Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 250,000 members in 140 countries and more than 575 affiliated chapters. 
• The American University of Kuwait (AUK) has been listed among the top universities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The list, which has been published last June by YourMiddleeast.com complied the top universities in 10 MENA countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar. AUK was the only University from Kuwait that appeared on the list. 
• As the partnership between AUK and Ellucian (AUK's IT partner) approaches its 10th year, Ellucian nominated AUK this year for the ACN Arab Technology Awards 2013 for Education Implementation of the Year. In addition, Ellucian has recognized its long relationship with AUK by publishing a case study about AUK's campus technology last September. The full length case study will be republished in the next issue of AUK's higher education magazine, the AUK Chronicle. 
• AUK is institutionally accredited by the Private Universities Council in the State of Kuwait. Business Programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Programs in Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities are accredited by The American Academy for Liberal Education's (AALE). The AUK Intensive English program is accredited by the Commission for Intensive English Program Accreditation (CEA).

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 11th November 2013

On Tuesday October 29, 2013, the Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait hosted a joint lecture by Omar Barghouti, independent researcher and human rights activist; and Abdullah Al Naibari, a former parliament member and a founding member of Kuawit's democratic platform. The Lecture, which was entitled "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions," came as part of the Kuwait-Palestine series, a CGS initiative encouraging an open-ended discussion of the various facets of the history between Kuwait and Palestine and the importance of this relationship for both.

Al Naibari kicked off the two-part lecture by discussing the history of the Arab League's boycott of Israel, during which he explained the systematic economic isolation of Israel by Arab states, and the various degrees to which both Arab and non-Arab nations have implemented it.

Following Al Naibari's segment of the lecture, Barghouti discussed the history of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and how crucial it remains today. He outlined what role Kuwait has played in the success of the movement, and then concluded by affirming the need for solidarity over charity.

After the lecture, a lively question and answer session took place, allowing both speakers to expand upon their previous thoughts and introduce new points as well. Both speakers urged members of the audience to partake in the struggle to end Palestinian oppression, and stressed the importance of action over agreement and the need for persistence at all levels of BDS.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 11th November 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013