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As part of world-wide International Labor Day Celebrations, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) held its Appreciation Activity Day for its employees. International Labor Day is a day that takes place on the first of May each year, celebrating the many contributions to society made by laborers and honoring their dignity.

The event held at AUK brought together the housekeeping, security, maintenance, gardening, landscaping, and office facilitation staff in appreciation of their ongoing support all year round. The event started with a warm welcome note by AUK Interim President Dr., Nizar Hamzeh, who aptly noted of the AUK labor support staff, "without whom AUK cannot function". Dr. Hamzeh also stressed the importance of honoring AUK's working men and women on their special day saying, "We salute you. Today we are at your service".

Opening words were also given by Ms. Shirley Fox, Administrative Programs Officer, who greeted the support staff and stressed that "today we celebrate your struggles, your sacrifices, your achievements for yourself and all you have done for your family". Ms. Faten Al-Kadiri from Human Resources translated the welcome note in Arabic and Mr. Joy John from campus services translated it in Hindi. The program included an awards ceremony including honoring employees who have been with AUK for 5 years, a lunch buffet served by members of the President's Cabinet, and entertainment. Employees dressed up and enjoyed the fun atmosphere away from the daily job routine and official uniforms.

International Labor Day also includes "job swap" where AUK faculty and staff volunteer to serve in labor positions around campus. Teams of security guards, cleaners, and housekeepers were formed highlighting the importance of these professions. Some other teams handled the lunch setup and cleanup, greeted and helped seat individuals as they arrived, and served food and drinks.

A number of AUK departments and clubs contributed to the event. Funds were raised by the community to support the event. Students through the Office of Student Life along with one AUK Community Club raised funds for gift bags with essential staple items and donated clothes & shoes. The Bookstore gave away KD 100 worth gift vouchers. In addition, 2 mobile phones & 2 Body Shop gift sets were contributed. Comedy videos, raffle draw, ethnic music from all backgrounds; Ethiopian, Tamil, Egyptian and, Hindi kept the team smiling all afternoon.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 13th May 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

Three presentations on dolphin and whale life were given during a symposium on cetacean life at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) last week. The three part event was held in the multipurpose room on April 28th. It began with a lecture by marine mammalogist Yousef Bohadi entitled, "Whale Watching: Introduction, possibility, and science," continued with a lecture by Mike Pope, naturalist and chairman of Kuwait Ornithological Rarities Committee, entitled "Cetaceans of Kuwait," and finally finished with footage of the Ionian Dolphin Project in Greece to encourage students to volunteer for cetacean research.

The event was sponsored by the AUK library, and was an initiative of Ms. Ghaidaa Mohamad, Arabic Instructor at the Department of Arabic and Foreign Languages, in cooperation with the Al-Akhdar Club (Environmental Club), and the kind assistance of AUK student Mr. Khaled Al-Abdulaqader. Al-Akhdar Club has held similar environmental forums in the past, with last year's event also focusing on cetacean research and conservation.

The first lecture entitled, "Whale Watching: Introduction, possibility, and science," given by Yousef Bohadi, introduced the field of marine mammalogy and provided an outline of the methods scientists use to track the animals and document them in their natural habitats. Bohadi directed his comments at those excited about cetaceans, saying that "volunteer programs offer the best chance for a close up look at these marine mammals" for students who want to get involved in conservation and observation efforts. Bohadi's own volunteer experience in Iceland and the Comoros Islands nurtured his passion for marine mammalogy, and enabled him to serve as an example and an inspiration to the AUK students present. He finished his lecture with a brief description of the dolphin species present in Kuwait, and demonstrated to the audience the uniqueness of each through various images and sound recordings of dolphins in Kuwaiti waters and beyond.

Mike Pope's lecture entitled "Cetaceans of Kuwait" was designed to "raise awareness of the fact that there are indeed Apex predators in the unique marine eco-system we call the Arabian Gulf." Pope described how he finds many people "unaware of the treasures they have here in Kuwait" and thus does presentations like this to "try and show what makes Kuwait unique in terms of its biodiversity." The lecture focused primarily on the presence of dolphins along the coast and further out in the gulf; the three main species present in Kuwait are the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (coastal species), the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (coastal species), and the Black Finless Porpoise (offshore species). Pope concluded his lecture by explaining how to distinguish between the three species, and reiterated the importance of reporting dolphin sightings, so that a larger database of opportunistic sightings can be built up, and the dolphins' habitat better preserved as a result.

The footage of the Ionian Dolphin Project in Greece was meant to encourage interested students to volunteer for cetacean research as Yousef Bohadi discussed in his lecture, and showed students an excellent example of a cetacean research project designed to track the "distribution of cetacean species present in the area and identify key habitat for their conservation." The movie provided an excellent audiovisual conclusion to two informative lectures, and inspired students to take part in the conservation efforts of their marine species here in Kuwait.

AUK was lucky to have KTV 2 cover the entire event. To view a video of the symposium, please click on the following link:

The Ionian Dolphin Project aims to ensure the long-term viability of dolphin species living in coastal waters of the eastern Ionian Sea. Research by Tethys Research Institute is providing support to dolphin conservation efforts, through actions including:

continued monitoring of dolphin groups through field research methods including boat surveys and individual photo-identification, to detect population trends and identify critical habitat; research on factors threatening the local ecosystems, particularly excessive fishing; public awareness, education and capacity building initiatives (e.g. involvement of a large number of students and volunteers, dolphin events organized locally, public presentations, lectures at local schools, production of multimedia); contacts and meetings with the local Authorities and fishermen organizations, aimed to raise awareness on the need of establishing measures to protect dolphins and implement existing regulations (e.g. to prevent illegal fishing); dissemination of information in the scientific literature and delivery of management proposals to international agreements and bodies concerned with the protection of marine biodiversity. More information can be found at: www.ioniandolphinproject.org

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 13th May 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

In celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) participated in a live web discussion on May 2nd with the CNN Senior Director for Social News.

The event, sponsored by the AUK Library, featured Lila King, who leads CNN's user-generated news website called iReport. King shared her thoughts and personal stories on citizen journalism and answered questions on the topic from different communities. Participants in the discussion tuned in from various parts of the world including Colombo, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Kuwait City, Lagos, and Riyadh, to ask questions about what King also refers to as "participatory journalism."

According to King, iReport is an initiative by CNN that allows regular citizens from around the globe to contribute to newsgathering by submitting videos, photographs, and stories about their communities. It is a means through which people can document their daily experiences and share them with the world in a journalistic setting. According to CNN, the tool invites everyone to have the opportunity to contribute and be part of story coverage. This allows a personal and nuanced view of an event or experience to be broadcasted to a global audience from a unique perspective. According to King, these experiences take the public into the "heart of the story" and help "expand our knowledge of communities in every corner of the world."

She further expressed that "seeing a story from the inside out and learning what it's really like to live through something and experience it is the best way in many cases to convey to the rest of us why we should care, why something really matters, and why we should get invested."

iReport is used mostly for stories related to breaking news, natural disasters, and weather reports, as often, a person can film, photograph, or describe the action on the spot as it unfolds around them faster than a news agency can. The prevalence of technological tools such as handheld digital devices and smartphone cameras has made this possible, which is transforming the way we experience the news.

One of the questions featured in the discussion was by an AUK participant, who asked if there was a particularly important and memorable contribution made to iReport. One contribution that stood out was during the Haitian earthquake in 2010. iReport received thousands of photos of the devastation, and people began to post photos of lost family members and friends on the platform. As stated by King, iReport started the process of restoring contact between separated family members through an initiative called "Looking for loved ones." By combining CNN's worldwide reach with social media, they created a compelling service. CNN formed a database of people who had been lost and found that was continuously updated in real time. Through the database, people with family and friends in Haiti were able to obtain information about their loved ones from others within the community who had seen them. The service was an example of a collaborative effort between CNN and iReporters who contributed worldwide.

In discussions of citizen journalism, there is always the question of whether citizen journalism poses a threat to professional journalism. King supports the opinion that professional journalists tend to adhere to journalistic ethics and standards that seek fair and balanced coverage, whereas citizen journalists may lack the expertise and practice of gathering, fact checking, and analyzing information, and thus each type of journalism has its own niche.

In response to a question raised by a viewer from Ghana concerning a code of ethics for citizen journalists, King mentions that a code for participatory journalists is yet to be established. She further discussed at length the "dangers" of social media as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. When it comes to social media, it is crucial that news channels ensure that citizen journalists report with integrity and serve their audiences candidly, much like professional journalists strive to ensure that information disseminated is truthfully conveyed. Journalists, therefore, have the responsibility to verify what circulates in social media by sifting truth from falsehood. "When we are all documenting the world, it just means we bear a shared responsibility to maintain ethics," King says.

To conclude her argument, King stressed that both schemes of journalism can coexist and collaborate, especially in instances when professional journalists have difficulty accessing the setting or people crucial to their story for one reason or another. "The combination and collaboration between citizens and professionals is what makes citizen journalism so incredibly powerful," King confirms. When citizens tell stories about something they are involved in, it becomes part of the larger global conversation, as the role of traditional media is to "pick up the signal, tease out the stories, and amplify them through their channels." This helps shed light on various issues that need attention. It is that connection that makes both citizen and professional journalists build a collaborative, communal, and symbiotic relationship with one another.

An audience member is no longer merely a viewer of news anymore. As a result of citizen journalism, citizens can now help add new voices to the daily commentary on world events.

Commenting on the live web discussion, Asma Al-Kanan, AUK Library Director, said, "It was really exciting to me to see students interact with international experts and other students and groups around the world by submitting questions through digital media. This is an interesting new way of exchanging thoughts and getting involved globally."

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 12th May 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

Last week, AUK held its semiannual President's Honor Roll / Dean's Honor List ceremony to award its top student academic achievers for the 2012 Fall Semester. The ceremony, which was held at the AUK Liberal Arts Auditorium, drew a large audience of students, parents, AUK faculty and staff, who took pleasure in seeing the students' hard work being recognized and rewarded.

During the event, AUK Interim President Dr. Nizar Hamzeh recognized the 24 students on the President's Honor Roll, a high distinction exclusively awarded to those few students who maintained a 4.0 GPA for the term. The Dean's Honor List, a distinction awarded by the college Deans to students who maintained a minimum GPA of 3.7, featured 134 recipients, 75 of whom belonged the College of Arts & Sciences, while 59 belonged to the College of Business & Economics.

The following students were recognized for their academic achievements:

Fall 2012 President's Honor Roll

Fall 2012 Dean's Honor List

College of Arts & Sciences

College of Business & Economics

Leaders from Dartmouth and the American University of Kuwait (AUK) met April 25 to reaffirm their partnership, which deepens and expands the liberal arts experience on both campuses, by signing a third memorandum of understanding between the institutions.

Calling the partnership a "wonderful opportunity," Interim President Carol L. Folt welcomed Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah; Chair of AUK's Board of Trustees; Amal Binali, Vice President of Admissions and Public Affairs at AUK; and Earl (Tim) Sullivan, a member of AUK's Board of Trustees.

"Global partnerships are critically important to Dartmouth in an increasingly connected world. We are so proud to partner and collaborate with an institution like AUK that values the kind of strong liberal arts education Dartmouth has been committed to for nearly 250 years," Folt said.

Since the first agreement was signed 10 years ago, Dartmouth has offered valuable support, providing advice on curriculum planning, faculty hiring, and research collaboration, Shaikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah said.

Each memorandum of understanding reaffirms the partnership for five years; the most recent agreement was signed in 2008 in Kuwait. AUK, which has graduated more than 1,000 students, was founded in 2003. That same year, Dartmouth began advisory, consulting, and cooperative projects with the university.

In the last decade, Dartmouth and AUK faculty and students have traveled between campuses to participate in cross-cultural internships, fellowships, and research. AUK students can earn a dual-degree in engineering, in which they study at AUK and at Thayer School of Engineering.

"Dartmouth has been on our side from day one," Shaikha Dana said. "We do recognize the important role that Dartmouth is playing in AUK's success. Dartmouth is a model to which we aspire in developing our own programs and curriculum, and creating the intellectual infrastructure of what we believe a liberal arts academic community should be."

Shaikha Dana Al-Sabah also said there have been challenges in positioning AUK, the first private liberal arts university in Kuwait. But Dartmouth, as "the partner in our evolution," has been pivotal to AUK's success, she said. "As we prepare to celebrate AUK's 10-year anniversary, we look forward to continuing this relationship as we seek to imbed a liberal arts culture into the Kuwaiti higher education system."

Earlier in the day, Shaikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah participated in an anthropology seminar, "Thought and Change in the Middle East and Central Asia," taught by Dale F. Eickelman, the Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and Human Relations.

Eickelman, the relationship coordinator for the Dartmouth-AUK Program since its beginning, co-signed the agreement and was joined by a group of Dartmouth colleagues, including Lindsay Whaley, interim provost and professor of linguistics and classics; Ann Root Keith, chief operating and interim senior vice president for advancement; and Elizabeth Hindmarsh, the Program Manager for the Dartmouth-AUK Program.

The meeting in the President's Office included an exchange of gifts. Shaikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah presented President Folt with a medallion of AUK's seal, and Folt presented Shaikha Dana with a clock that has two faces, one set to the time at AUK and the other to the time at Dartmouth.

"Dartmouth's entire community has benefited from the deep, symmetrical alliance that our two institutions share, "Folt said. "The breadth and depth of partnerships between the faculty, students, and staff at both schools serve as a powerful cross-cultural model for liberal arts education in the 21st century."

The AUK leaders also met with students at a reception at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, and attended a dinner at the President's house.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 7th May 2013

Photography by: Eli Burakian | Dartmouth College Photographer | Office of Public Affairs

The American University of Kuwait hosted the 2013 AUK Academic Showcase last week to share samples of the unique projects, academic activities, and achievements of AUK students and faculty members with the community. The two-day event showcased advertising productions, musical performances, art demonstrations, theatre displays, and academic presentations in various fields and disciplines. Faculty members contributed by making presentations in their relevant fields of expertise, in an attempt to show students a glimpse of what those fields encompass and help them identify their academic interests.

In his opening speech, AUK Interim President, Dr. Nizar Hamzeh, stressed the importance of the Academic Showcase as a reaffirmation of "our commitment to excellence in teaching and research." According to Dr. Hamzeh, the showcase aims to provide the students with "experience that will be useful in furthering their education and careers," and to "allow the campus community to experience the varied scholarly and creative interests of our students."

The Academic Showcase is held on a regular basis as a celebration of the AUK mission to "foster an environment encouraging critical thinking, effective communication, personal growth, service, and leadership."

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 7th May 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

The Arabic Literature Club held its first Literary Book Fair in the Central Hallway at AUK, featuring a number of famous publishers and book authors. The fair attracted a significant number of students, faculty members and external visitors, who came to browse the literary collections offered by famous publishers, among which were: Jarir bookstore, Al-Salasil, Afaq bookstore, Kuwait Writers Association, Dar Al-Farasha, Dar Masaa, Nova Plus for publishing, Al-Babtain central library for Arabic poetry, Dar Suad Al-Sabah, Al-Aujairy bookstore, and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.

The fair also hosted a number of renowned book authors who came to meet with the students and sign book copies. Bader Al Olayan was one of those writers, and discussed his novel Yesterday with the AUK students and visitors. Also present were, Thuraya Al Baqsami, for her book, Time of the Red Piper, and Waleed Al-Musalam, for his book 30 Silver Beats.

The Arabic Literature Club at the American University of Kuwait, currently led by Enjood Al-Hasawi, is a student organization interested in different aspects of the Arabic language and culture, such as Arabic poetry and literature. The main purpose of the club is to reveal the Arab identity, and practice the Arabic language at AUK. Most of the club events currently focus on Arabic literature and poetry. The Arabic Club aims to hold more cultural events that will include Arabic music and the hosting of famous experts in the Arabic language to share their experience and thoughts with the students. All events hosted by the Arabic Club are being done in association with the Arabic Department at AUK.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 1st May 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013

The Lebanese Culture Club (LCC) at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) organized its 2nd Annual Lebanese Bazaar. The event took place on the AUK Campus, and was open to the AUK community, friends, and family. The Lebanese Culture Club at AUK is a student club representing the Lebanese community and population of AUK, and aims to promote the country of Lebanon, its culture, and its history to the AUK community, while also serving to educate them by organizing events that are entertaining, educational, and beneficial for students and campus. This is how the idea of the Lebanese Bazaar was introduced; the desire was to combine all these elements into one major event.

The Lebanese Bazaar included different companies that showcased Lebanese products and services, such as restaurants, shops, artisans, and many more, that had the opportunity to promote and sell their various items. These vendors included Lama Fruits & Produce, Casper & Gambinis, Falafel Nadia, Sandy Snacks, Arzet Lebnan, Let's Popcorn, Bayt Al-Saboun El-Lebnany, Nazih Cosmetics, Beirut International Exhibitions Company, Buy2Best, and numerous vendors for hand-made accessories, jewelry, crafts, and souvenirs. The Lebanese Culture Club set up a booth that displayed different Lebanese crafts, and created engraved key-chains made of authentic Lebanese cedar wood. The bazaar also included traditional Lebanese music, which played throughout the event, as well as a traditional Lebanese Dabke performance by a group of professional performers.

Student Club President, Mireille Tannnous said, "The Lebanese Bazaar is a perfect opportunity for AUK students to get to know the Lebanese culture, as well as the participating companies to promote their services to the public. It's a mutual benefit!"

In addition, there were various displays around campus, such as a Lebanese Wall of Fame, which educated students about famous people around the world who are Lebanese or of Lebanese origins, and a photo display of famous and historic places that are landmarks in Lebanon. More importantly, there was also a student educational activity involving the Lebanese "Bosta" or mini-bus. This activity involved a display of a mini van with a poster explaining the history and meaning of how the "Bosta" was involved in the "Ain el-Rammaneh" incident that sparked of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975. And, as a sign of symbol of peace, students took turns writing their messages of peace, hope and better future on the van.

Amer El-Assaad, Assistant Director of PR & Marketing at AUK, and Advisor for the Lebanese Culture Club, also commented on the success of the event, saying, "based on the success of last year's bazaar, which was much smaller, the student club decided to have it again this academic year, but much larger in scale, and with more activities. As the club advisor, I of course supported their decision, and assisted as much as I could with the event."

The event was sponsored by Yiaco Apollo Medical Center, which served as the official sponsor for the event. Yiaco Apollo Medical Center in Kuwait agreed to come on board as sole sponsors for the Bazaar, to get involved with community outreach, and to promote their services involving the latest and most comprehensive technologies in medical care and beauty services. Mr. Abdulkader Al-Mursal, Marketing Manager of Yiaco Medical Center, is also a 2008 graduate of AUK, and saw a perfect opportunity to get involved with AUK again as an alumnus.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 1st May 2013

Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2013