News
18, Jul 2020
AUK Holds Virtual Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2020 Under the Patronage of the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait
AUK held a virtual graduation commencement for the Class of 2020 on Saturday the 18th of July, 2020 where 286 students—67 from the College of Arts and Sciences, 114 from the College of Business and Economics, and 105 from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences—officially became AUK graduates, amongst whom were 7 graduates with highest honors, 18 with high honors, and 14 with honors. The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait.
AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad gave an opening speech welcoming His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, parents, and graduates on behalf of the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah and the members of AUK’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Awwad then proceeded to praise the graduates’ efforts in overcoming unpredictable circumstances, “Throughout the pandemic, our priority first and foremost was your security and safety, and instructional continuity to enable you all to complete your degrees...And you accomplished all of this while completing your courses online and virtually engaging with our faculty and staff. Many of you also completed your degrees in the fall and you were working and taking care of others. You all took AUK into your homes whether online, in spirit or in your actions,” she said.
The commencement keynote address was given by the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in which he emphasizes the importance of education, “The world is developing at an astounding rate, particularly in light of the Corona pandemic, which makes it imperative for us to keep pace with this development through the digital transformations across all country sectors, especially in the educational sector. Revising the education system in Kuwait is no longer a matter for debate, nor can it be delayed. Amending curricula and developing them in line with the labor market has become a pressing national necessity for building the future homeland,” he said.
Following the keynote address, the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar addressed the graduates, stating, “We are a community that comes together to ensure the success of every one of its members. This was evident in the last few months, when you embraced these challenges as a community, and completed your studies online. And we are indeed very proud of your resilience and perseverance in these exceptional times.” Dr. Muzaffar then moved on to introduce the class valedictorian. Earning a BA in Social & Behavioral Sciences with a GPA of 3.94 on a 4.0 scale, Aisha Adel AlSaqabi shared the most valuable lesson that she learned from her education at the University, “If I had one takeaway from AUK, it is that it has taught me to be fearless. Not to be silent or passive but to be vocal and active, to be loud about the things I deem important and how to investigate the big questions of life that often left me uncomfortable but always led me to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”
The event then proceeded to the part of the ceremony most anticipated by the graduates—the conferral of their earned degrees by the president. The graduates’ names were then called after a brief message from their respective college deans—Dean Ali Charara for the College of Arts and Sciences; Dean Ralph Palliam for the College of Business & Economics; and Dean Amir Zeid for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The ceremony closed with the president congratulating the graduates and wishing them well with their future endeavors. The full ceremony can be viewed on AUK’s Instagram account @AUK_Official and YouTube channel AUK Videos.
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AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad gave an opening speech welcoming His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, parents, and graduates on behalf of the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sheikha Dana Nasser Al-Sabah and the members of AUK’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Awwad then proceeded to praise the graduates’ efforts in overcoming unpredictable circumstances, “Throughout the pandemic, our priority first and foremost was your security and safety, and instructional continuity to enable you all to complete your degrees...And you accomplished all of this while completing your courses online and virtually engaging with our faculty and staff. Many of you also completed your degrees in the fall and you were working and taking care of others. You all took AUK into your homes whether online, in spirit or in your actions,” she said.
The commencement keynote address was given by the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in which he emphasizes the importance of education, “The world is developing at an astounding rate, particularly in light of the Corona pandemic, which makes it imperative for us to keep pace with this development through the digital transformations across all country sectors, especially in the educational sector. Revising the education system in Kuwait is no longer a matter for debate, nor can it be delayed. Amending curricula and developing them in line with the labor market has become a pressing national necessity for building the future homeland,” he said.
Following the keynote address, the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Hanan Muzaffar addressed the graduates, stating, “We are a community that comes together to ensure the success of every one of its members. This was evident in the last few months, when you embraced these challenges as a community, and completed your studies online. And we are indeed very proud of your resilience and perseverance in these exceptional times.” Dr. Muzaffar then moved on to introduce the class valedictorian. Earning a BA in Social & Behavioral Sciences with a GPA of 3.94 on a 4.0 scale, Aisha Adel AlSaqabi shared the most valuable lesson that she learned from her education at the University, “If I had one takeaway from AUK, it is that it has taught me to be fearless. Not to be silent or passive but to be vocal and active, to be loud about the things I deem important and how to investigate the big questions of life that often left me uncomfortable but always led me to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”
The event then proceeded to the part of the ceremony most anticipated by the graduates—the conferral of their earned degrees by the president. The graduates’ names were then called after a brief message from their respective college deans—Dean Ali Charara for the College of Arts and Sciences; Dean Ralph Palliam for the College of Business & Economics; and Dean Amir Zeid for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The ceremony closed with the president congratulating the graduates and wishing them well with their future endeavors. The full ceremony can be viewed on AUK’s Instagram account @AUK_Official and YouTube channel AUK Videos.
12, Jul 2020
AUK to Host Virtual Graduation for the Class of 2020 Under the Patronage of H.H the Prime Minister
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) will be holding a virtual graduation commencement in mid-July in celebration of the class of 2020 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait. The ceremony, will feature 286 graduates from the University’s College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Economics, and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
On this occasion, which marks the 15th commencement for AUK, President of AUK, Dr. Rawda Awwad, extended congratulations to the graduating class, emphasizing that “the virtual ceremony aims to unite the campus community along with the graduates’ families and friends in celebration of a successful journey through university and commending the graduates’ efforts in overcoming unpredictable circumstances to earn their respective degrees.”
His Highness Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait
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14, Jun 2020
AUK Accepts Online Applications for Admission
The Executive Vice President of the American University of Kuwait (AUK), Amal Al-Binali, has announced yesterday that the University is now accepting applications for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester which is set to begin on November 15th of this year. The University has developed a virtual experience whereby applicants can go through the entire admissions process from the safety and security of their own homes.
Applicants are now able to take their placement tests through AUK’s Online Proctoring Program to ensure their safety under the current circumstances.
Maher Dabbouseh, Director of Admissions, said, “We understand applying to Universities is a very grueling process, especially during this pandemic. We’ve taken all the necessary measures to ensure applicants receive all the help they need from their own homes. Our counselors are ready to answer any questions they may have.”
AUK, which is partnered with the Ivy League institution Dartmouth College, offers 16 different bachelor’s programs in business administration, humanities, social sciences, and engineering. Uniquely located in Salmiya, the urban campus is a hub for students to explore their surroundings while engaging in the modern curricula of their studies. The University offers over 50 extracurricular activities from sports and recreational hobbies, to memberships in international organizations that aim to enhance the students’ interpersonal and professional abilities.
The University also has distinguished alumni—4300 graduates as of the 2018/2019 academic year—who have pursued graduate degrees from 20 countries, are sought for competitive job opportunities, and have become skilled entrepreneurs managing the most successful businesses in the country in the food & beverage, fitness, arts and entertainment media industries.
The American University of Kuwait received its institutional accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC)—Ministry of Higher Education in the State of Kuwait, as of February 1, 2006. In addition, the AUK Intensive English Program is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA); the College of Business & Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); the College of Arts & Sciences is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE); the BSc degree program in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET); the BE degree program in Computer Engineering and the BE degree program in Electrical Engineering are both accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Prospective students can visit the AUK website at www.auk.edu.kw to apply or request a virtual meeting with one of the University’s admissions counselors to get a better understanding of the process.
Applicants are now able to take their placement tests through AUK’s Online Proctoring Program to ensure their safety under the current circumstances.
Maher Dabbouseh, Director of Admissions, said, “We understand applying to Universities is a very grueling process, especially during this pandemic. We’ve taken all the necessary measures to ensure applicants receive all the help they need from their own homes. Our counselors are ready to answer any questions they may have.”
AUK, which is partnered with the Ivy League institution Dartmouth College, offers 16 different bachelor’s programs in business administration, humanities, social sciences, and engineering. Uniquely located in Salmiya, the urban campus is a hub for students to explore their surroundings while engaging in the modern curricula of their studies. The University offers over 50 extracurricular activities from sports and recreational hobbies, to memberships in international organizations that aim to enhance the students’ interpersonal and professional abilities.
The University also has distinguished alumni—4300 graduates as of the 2018/2019 academic year—who have pursued graduate degrees from 20 countries, are sought for competitive job opportunities, and have become skilled entrepreneurs managing the most successful businesses in the country in the food & beverage, fitness, arts and entertainment media industries.
The American University of Kuwait received its institutional accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC)—Ministry of Higher Education in the State of Kuwait, as of February 1, 2006. In addition, the AUK Intensive English Program is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA); the College of Business & Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); the College of Arts & Sciences is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE); the BSc degree program in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET); the BE degree program in Computer Engineering and the BE degree program in Electrical Engineering are both accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Prospective students can visit the AUK website at www.auk.edu.kw to apply or request a virtual meeting with one of the University’s admissions counselors to get a better understanding of the process.
Amal Al-Binali, Executive Vice President of the American University of Kuwait (AUK)
11, Jun 2020
AUK Hosts e-Ceremony to Announce President & Deans’ Honor Roll for Fall 2019
AUK held its semi-annual President & Deans’ Honor Roll ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of top student achievers for Fall 2019. The ceremony was broadcast online on the University’s social media accounts where AUK President Dr. Rawda Awwad; Dr. Ali Charara, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Amir Zeid, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences; and Dr. Ralph Palliam, Dean of the College of Business and Economics were featured to congratulate the students on their achievements in different categories. The e-ceremony brought in an impressive amount of views from the University community as well as the general public.
Commencing with opening remarks from Dr. Awwad, she praised the awardees and commended their academic achievements. The names of the honor students from the different categories were then called by the president and respective college deans.
45 students were awarded a place on the President's Honor Roll—a high distinction exclusively awarded to those who maintained a 4.0 GPA for the semester, while a total of 108 students were recognized for achieving the Dean's Honor List—a distinction awarded to students who maintained a minimum GPA of 3.7.
To view the eCeremony, follow AUK official social media accounts @auk_official
Commencing with opening remarks from Dr. Awwad, she praised the awardees and commended their academic achievements. The names of the honor students from the different categories were then called by the president and respective college deans.
45 students were awarded a place on the President's Honor Roll—a high distinction exclusively awarded to those who maintained a 4.0 GPA for the semester, while a total of 108 students were recognized for achieving the Dean's Honor List—a distinction awarded to students who maintained a minimum GPA of 3.7.
To view the eCeremony, follow AUK official social media accounts @auk_official
President’s Honor Roll
Khalid Al-Kharafi
Kaouthar Chebli
Munirah Al-Majdali
Sedra Al-Tujjar
Naya Kassis
Bashayer AlAnjari
Chloe Ramey
Dina Al-Sayed
David Muharib
Zaina AlFadalah
Nora Alaati
Habiba Anwar
Hasan Hajiyah
Fadheela Al-Sabah
Susanna Al-Mufti
Sara Zayed
Farah Issa
Nagam Abu Ghoush
Aisha Al Saqabi
Saja Brejia
Farida Mohamed
Zuhair Ali
Farah Mobayed
Nashrah Quraishi
Nour Harb
Rafia Tabaa
Amer Khosla
Urooj Mudassar
Farhanaz Padpood
Rawan Nabaa
Amal Kahwaji
Anwar As'ad
Sarah Saad
Reham Kablaoui
Reem Qasem
Amer Alazemi
Dawood Boland
Hala Abou Harb
Dallya Mulla Hwaech
David Liang
Mohammed Al-Odat
Abdolaziz Avarian
Ali Darwiche
Ahmad Al-Dulaie
Abdalla Elgohary
Dean’s Honor Roll, College of Arts and Sciences
Nada ElGamal
Ahmed Al-Zankawi
Tesneem Al-Rashed
Lara Jadayel
Sarah Behbehani
Serli Bedirian
Ayshah Al-Kandari
Al-Jawhara Al-Sabah
Dalal Al-Failakawi
Maryam Ramadhan
Dana Alasfoor
Shamlan Al-Hasawi
Basmah Al-Shami
Hana Nassar
Rawan Shalhoub
Alamira Sarah Kiki
Nouf Alenezi
Vironika Faragalla
Abdulaziz Redha
Joana Shihadeh
Durfishan Rushda
Kawthar Sadat Mousavi
Noura Bounassif
Lara Abdelhaleem
Stephen Sapp
Johar Ali
Roa'a Alawneh
Fatima alzahraa Al-Sarraf
Nourhan Nour
Malak Hussain
Zamaneh Faezi
Huseen BuOlayyan
Ayat AlSarraf
Rawan Boutaiban
Ahmad Al-Sarraf
Rawyah Al-Awadhi
Melissa AbouFarraj
Nour Al-Naqi
Kholood AlKholy
Jumanah AL-Nahham
Jana Al-Dawoud
Rawan Behbehani
Anwar AlMousawi
Ruqayah AlNaqi
Seif AlAghbar
Athraa Al-Ghadhban
Kumail Ibraheem
Zahraa Ali
Janna Al Roomi
Nagham Kheder
Bisher Al-Jundi
Basma Khedr
Nazih AlDanab
Dean’s Honor List, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Tahani Al-Ajmi
Fatema Leri
Yousef AlRashidi
Laila AlHaddad
Mohammad Fatehallah
Asmaa Lulu
Sawsan AlHerz
Sara ElDeken
Noha Mahmoud
Noura Allahow
Haniah Al-Tabaa
Manar Atiyeh
Sarah Al-Baqshi
Farah Hamoudah
Mariam Khalil
Bader Al-Jumaah
Jumanah Husain
Hamad Al-Hendi
Anwar AlAjmi
Ahlam Dashti
Anas El-Ghabra
Turki AlAjmi
Lubna Al-Jayyar
Ali Alsarraf
Ali Abouzeid
Amir AlAghbar
Malak Ahmed
Haya Al-Korki
Aisha Madouh
Rassim Melaab
Mustafa Karkour
Tala Al-Qassar
Fatima Matook
Ahmad Sanjar
Rawan Abosedo
Majed AlDhafeeri
Faisal Bouqrais
Ahmed AboElhiba
Shamlan AlFozan
Sohail Aluru
Husain AlBaghli
Zeinab Deris
Hassan Shahzad
Sakina Badri
Hana Ghonim
Dean’s Honor List, College of Business and Economics
Zuhair Ali
Farah Mobayed
Nashrah Quraishi
Nour Harb
Rafia Tabaa
Amer Khosla
Urooj Mudassar
Farhanaz Padpood
Rawan Nabaa
Amal Kahwaji
Dr. Rawda Awwad, AUK President
Dr. Ali Charara, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Ralph Palliam, Dean of the College of Business and Economics
Dr. Amir Zeid, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
09, May 2020
AUK’s Center for Continuing Education Launches Online Virtual Training
The Center for Continuing Education (CCE) at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) is pleased to announce the launch of online training courses via virtual classroom.
CCE-AUK offers a range of online courses, including:
International Exam Preparation courses for:
The courses will be offered through a virtual classroom with experienced CCE instructors who create an authentic experience in which participants enjoy the same level of engagement that they would in a real-life classroom. Sessions are dynamic and interactive, with course content delivered through training manuals, PowerPoint presentations, supplementary practice, group discussions, and a wide range of activities.
For more information about CCE-AUK training courses and programs, please contact us via message on WhatsApp 62224839.
About CCE:
CCE was established in 2004 and, in addition to offering language courses in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, offers an array of courses and workshops aimed to assist in the personal and professional development of individuals and groups within the public and private sectors. Course offerings are specifically tailored to meet the needs of their clients, whether they are independent groups or corporations.
CCE-AUK offers a range of online courses, including:
- General English training for all levels of language ability
- AUK Teacher Training Certificate in Educational Training (TTC1)
International Exam Preparation courses for:
- IELTS
- GMAT
- PMP (Project Management Professional)
The courses will be offered through a virtual classroom with experienced CCE instructors who create an authentic experience in which participants enjoy the same level of engagement that they would in a real-life classroom. Sessions are dynamic and interactive, with course content delivered through training manuals, PowerPoint presentations, supplementary practice, group discussions, and a wide range of activities.
For more information about CCE-AUK training courses and programs, please contact us via message on WhatsApp 62224839.
About CCE:
CCE was established in 2004 and, in addition to offering language courses in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, offers an array of courses and workshops aimed to assist in the personal and professional development of individuals and groups within the public and private sectors. Course offerings are specifically tailored to meet the needs of their clients, whether they are independent groups or corporations.
14, Apr 2020
AUK Extends its eLearning Plans to Include the Summer Semester
The American University of Kuwait has announced the extension of its eLearning services to include the Summer semester of 2019-2020. The decision came after the University had launched its Spring eLearning operations which generated high student turnout and positive feedback.
The online summer registration option will be offered for students who wish to complete summer courses toward an uninterrupted educational plan. According to the AUK calendar, Summer eLearning operations will take place between June 14, 2020 until July 23, 2020.
The launch of the eLearning platform is conducive to furthering the liberal arts philosophy in which the University has been founded—new experiences in learning and developing new forms of communication will allow students to develop their interpersonal as well as technical skills while retaining the contents of their program courses.
The online summer registration option will be offered for students who wish to complete summer courses toward an uninterrupted educational plan. According to the AUK calendar, Summer eLearning operations will take place between June 14, 2020 until July 23, 2020.
The launch of the eLearning platform is conducive to furthering the liberal arts philosophy in which the University has been founded—new experiences in learning and developing new forms of communication will allow students to develop their interpersonal as well as technical skills while retaining the contents of their program courses.
12, Apr 2020
AUK Students Engage in Online Learning
As part of its instructional continuity plan, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) has officially launched its eLearning system yesterday as an alternative for students and potential graduates who wish to continue their studies online during the Spring 2020 semester. The decision to move forward with the online approach came shortly after the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education’s directive to offer online learning opportunities as an option for students to complete the current academic year.
The AUK eLearning system has been developed with a learner-centered approach which accommodates both synchronous and asynchronous forms of instruction through a combination of online applications that have been thoroughly piloted throughout the past 5 weeks in coordination with the University’s accreditation agencies and partner institution, Dartmouth College. The AUK technical teams ensured that all applications can be used across devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. “The efforts that have been put forth during the past few weeks in preparing for the range of the AUK calendar options inclusive of the optional eLearning, and training, is reflective of our teams’ unflinching commitment to our students' success as well as to our university mission. Our faculty have been at the forefront, as have been the administrative areas. I am deeply grateful to everyone involved,” said AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad.
The AUK eLearning process will last for the duration of 7 weeks, from April 12 to June 4th, 2020. Students who opt out of eLearning course(s) will be able to complete the Spring 2020 semester on campus in August once normal operations resume.
In order to ensure that students' virtual engagement is as close to inclusive of an all-rounded university experience, all AUK administrative services have been fully mobilized to support students and faculty. This includes, the AUK Library, Center for Teaching Excellence, tutoring services, the writing center, student advising, and student counseling services. In addition, a new AUK eLearning website page as well as social media accounts have been activated to provide round-the-clock information and answers to frequently asked questions.
The launch of the eLearning platform is conducive to furthering the liberal arts philosophy in which the University has been founded—new experiences in learning and developing new forms of communication will allow students to develop their interpersonal as well as technical skills while retaining the contents of their program courses.
The AUK eLearning system has been developed with a learner-centered approach which accommodates both synchronous and asynchronous forms of instruction through a combination of online applications that have been thoroughly piloted throughout the past 5 weeks in coordination with the University’s accreditation agencies and partner institution, Dartmouth College. The AUK technical teams ensured that all applications can be used across devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. “The efforts that have been put forth during the past few weeks in preparing for the range of the AUK calendar options inclusive of the optional eLearning, and training, is reflective of our teams’ unflinching commitment to our students' success as well as to our university mission. Our faculty have been at the forefront, as have been the administrative areas. I am deeply grateful to everyone involved,” said AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad.
The AUK eLearning process will last for the duration of 7 weeks, from April 12 to June 4th, 2020. Students who opt out of eLearning course(s) will be able to complete the Spring 2020 semester on campus in August once normal operations resume.
In order to ensure that students' virtual engagement is as close to inclusive of an all-rounded university experience, all AUK administrative services have been fully mobilized to support students and faculty. This includes, the AUK Library, Center for Teaching Excellence, tutoring services, the writing center, student advising, and student counseling services. In addition, a new AUK eLearning website page as well as social media accounts have been activated to provide round-the-clock information and answers to frequently asked questions.
The launch of the eLearning platform is conducive to furthering the liberal arts philosophy in which the University has been founded—new experiences in learning and developing new forms of communication will allow students to develop their interpersonal as well as technical skills while retaining the contents of their program courses.
Dr. Rawda Awwad, AUK President
24, Feb 2020
CTE Inaugurates its First Workshop
The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at AUK held its first workshop for the University’s faculty entitled, Classroom Assessment Techniques: Quick Strategies for Checking the Cognitive and Emotional Pulse of Your Class, conducted by Dr. Maha Bali, Associate Professor of Practice at the Center for Teaching and Learning at the American University in Cairo (AUC). The premise of the workshop centered on classroom assessment techniques (CATs) which are simple techniques that provide feedback on how well students are learning, which faculty members can easily collect and quickly act upon. Different CATs can give the faculty member insight on how well students are absorbing course-related knowledge and skills, students’ attitudes, values and self-awareness, and their feedback and reactions to teaching methods. The workshop discussed the benefits and challenges of using CATs and discussed the merits in light of particular teaching goals.
Commenting on the diversity of CATs, Dr. Bali said, "There is always value in hearing about another faculty member's lived experiences in teaching, and how their students responded to their approach. These practical tips can be so much more useful than anything you read about in a book about teaching."
Meanwhile, CTE Director, Basema Dana emphasized the role of the Center to serve faculty’s purpose in the University, “The heart of CTE is its relationships with faculty. I truly believe that faculty members can define their own notion of excellence. CTE is "A Space for Faculty" that enables them to realize their potential and provide them with the instruments and resources to make it possible.”
About the Center for Teaching Excellence:
The Center for Teaching Excellence aims to provide AUK faculty with continuous support and resources necessary to apply modern curricula to their classrooms and promote a holistic educational culture that allows faculty to utilize technology while harnessing the best methods of teaching to ensure constructive and active learning environments.
Commenting on the diversity of CATs, Dr. Bali said, "There is always value in hearing about another faculty member's lived experiences in teaching, and how their students responded to their approach. These practical tips can be so much more useful than anything you read about in a book about teaching."
Meanwhile, CTE Director, Basema Dana emphasized the role of the Center to serve faculty’s purpose in the University, “The heart of CTE is its relationships with faculty. I truly believe that faculty members can define their own notion of excellence. CTE is "A Space for Faculty" that enables them to realize their potential and provide them with the instruments and resources to make it possible.”
About the Center for Teaching Excellence:
The Center for Teaching Excellence aims to provide AUK faculty with continuous support and resources necessary to apply modern curricula to their classrooms and promote a holistic educational culture that allows faculty to utilize technology while harnessing the best methods of teaching to ensure constructive and active learning environments.
Dr. Maha Bali conducting the workshop
General photo of the workshop
17, Feb 2020
AUK Library Hosts AMICAL Conference
AUK hosted the American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (AMICAL) conference with the theme digital transformation at international liberal arts institutions: innovation, collaboration & sustainability.
The conference was opened by Asma Al-Kanan, AUK university librarian and Dr. Rawda Awwad, AUK president who stressed the importance of universities keeping up-to-date with the latest technology to improve teaching methods and boost learning, “For the ‘transformative’ aspects of this goal to be achieved, the institutional leadership must understand that today almost all strategic planning objectives are buttressed by technology; therefore, there absolutely must be a long-term institutional commitment that makes available significant resources.” Siva Vaidhyanathan, professor of media studies and director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia served as the conference’s keynote speaker.
Attended by 115 people from 20 countries around the world, the four-day conference consisted of workshops, lectures, discussions, a poster and technology showcase that facilitated sharing ideas, learning, and responding to changes in learning and research practices. Al-Kanan commented on the success of the conference’s mission, saying, “It was a wonderful opportunity for participants from different liberal arts institutions to network and learn from the experiences, challenges, and success stories of one another. AMICAL has definitely helped build a learning community whereby good ideas are nurtured and supported for the betterment of all member institutions.”
Also in attendance was AMICAL Consortium director, Jeff Gima who remarked on the uniqueness of the organization, “How many events are there that bring together a critical mass of librarians, faculty, and technologists from international liberal arts institutions to respond collaboratively to the changing environments of learning and scholarship? I only know of one: the AMICAL Conference. AMICAL 2020, focused on digital transformation, was a perfect example of this, and the collective energy of collaborative ideas being generated across institutional lines, and across professional roles, was palpable.”
The AMICAL Consortium’s mission is to advance learning, teaching and research through the collaborative development of library and information services and curricular resources at member institutions. AMICAL is an international consortium of 29 American‐modeled institutions in 22 different countries.
The conference was opened by Asma Al-Kanan, AUK university librarian and Dr. Rawda Awwad, AUK president who stressed the importance of universities keeping up-to-date with the latest technology to improve teaching methods and boost learning, “For the ‘transformative’ aspects of this goal to be achieved, the institutional leadership must understand that today almost all strategic planning objectives are buttressed by technology; therefore, there absolutely must be a long-term institutional commitment that makes available significant resources.” Siva Vaidhyanathan, professor of media studies and director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia served as the conference’s keynote speaker.
Attended by 115 people from 20 countries around the world, the four-day conference consisted of workshops, lectures, discussions, a poster and technology showcase that facilitated sharing ideas, learning, and responding to changes in learning and research practices. Al-Kanan commented on the success of the conference’s mission, saying, “It was a wonderful opportunity for participants from different liberal arts institutions to network and learn from the experiences, challenges, and success stories of one another. AMICAL has definitely helped build a learning community whereby good ideas are nurtured and supported for the betterment of all member institutions.”
Also in attendance was AMICAL Consortium director, Jeff Gima who remarked on the uniqueness of the organization, “How many events are there that bring together a critical mass of librarians, faculty, and technologists from international liberal arts institutions to respond collaboratively to the changing environments of learning and scholarship? I only know of one: the AMICAL Conference. AMICAL 2020, focused on digital transformation, was a perfect example of this, and the collective energy of collaborative ideas being generated across institutional lines, and across professional roles, was palpable.”
The AMICAL Consortium’s mission is to advance learning, teaching and research through the collaborative development of library and information services and curricular resources at member institutions. AMICAL is an international consortium of 29 American‐modeled institutions in 22 different countries.
AUK librarian, Asma Al-Kanan opening the conference
AUK President, Dr. Rawda Awwad giving an opening speech
AMICAL Consortium director, Jeff Gima addressing the conference attendees
AMICAL 2020 keynote speaker, Siva Vaidhyanathan, professor of media studies and director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia
17, Feb 2020
Dr. Khalid Adnan Receives Harvard Fellowship
AUK Assistant Professor of Economics, Dr. Khalid Adnan has been granted a research fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School. His research will focus on export-diversification-led growth in a knowledge economy framework. In particular, using a knowledge-led growth model, he will conduct quantitative and qualitative research to study the impact of export-diversification on economic growth, and the potential transformation to knowledge-intensive economy in Kuwait and GCC countries over the past two decades.
For the past two decades, economic development policy in high per capita income countries—especially in countries where exports represent a large percentage of national income such as the case in Kuwait and other GCC countries—have focused on diversifying their export-base to achieve sustainable development in their economies. Countries in the GCC region have taken considerable steps to diversify their incomes away from the natural resource-base. Export diversification leads to [in theory] knowledge spillovers that contribute to the building of human capital in those countries, however, there has been evidence to the contrary in GCC countries. Expanding on this topic, Dr. Khalid explains the purpose of his research, “My research will attempt to identify the structural components that contribute to the transformation of Kuwait and other GCC countries to Knowledge Economies. In doing so, this research will help us better understand the structural barriers to export-diversification in Kuwait and the Gulf, and will inform future research in sustainable economic development on the region.”
The fellowship is from February 2020 until the end of May 2020. Dr. Khalid will be giving lectures and presentations to Harvard faculty and students on his research, and authoring a working paper outlining his findings.
For the past two decades, economic development policy in high per capita income countries—especially in countries where exports represent a large percentage of national income such as the case in Kuwait and other GCC countries—have focused on diversifying their export-base to achieve sustainable development in their economies. Countries in the GCC region have taken considerable steps to diversify their incomes away from the natural resource-base. Export diversification leads to [in theory] knowledge spillovers that contribute to the building of human capital in those countries, however, there has been evidence to the contrary in GCC countries. Expanding on this topic, Dr. Khalid explains the purpose of his research, “My research will attempt to identify the structural components that contribute to the transformation of Kuwait and other GCC countries to Knowledge Economies. In doing so, this research will help us better understand the structural barriers to export-diversification in Kuwait and the Gulf, and will inform future research in sustainable economic development on the region.”
The fellowship is from February 2020 until the end of May 2020. Dr. Khalid will be giving lectures and presentations to Harvard faculty and students on his research, and authoring a working paper outlining his findings.
Dr. Khalid Adnan, Assistant Professor of Economics at AUK
