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The Music and Drama Program at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) presented its annual Fall theatre production, Becky's New Car, at the Black Box Theatre, located on University campus. This production of the Steven Dietz play was directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre/Drama, Dr. Kathleen R. Downs, under the auspice of the Music and Drama Department.
Dietz's play revolves around Becky Foster, a middle-aged housewife who feels under-appreciated at work and at home. She struggles to find direction in her life while attempting to not hurt the people she loves in the process. Steven Dietz's play balances slapstick humor and genuine pathos as the characters confront their issues.
The production included performances by some veteran AUK actors, including Tori Danner, Omar Al-Farsi, Mohammed Al-Saeed, Abdulmajid El-Kassem, Samer Abou Zeid, Nada Amr Helmy, and Yousef Al Neyef as understudy.
The show also introduced newcomer Sundes Al-Blushi to the University's theatre community. Myriam Qutop returned as the Stage Manager for Becky's New Car, while veteran AUK actor Eamon Issa served as an apprentice to Dr. Downs.
The play relied on a crew comprised of students managing different areas of responsibilities, such as lighting, stage design, props, costumes, and sound. The crew transformed the stage and characters every scene, making it easier for the actors to get into character and perform.
The production crew included Taymour Khajah, who managed the lights, Renad Al-Roudham was responsible for costumes, Heya Al-Jouda handled the props, Seetah Yousef was the Asstistant Stage Manager, and Ken Downs was responsible for sound and set design. Publicity for the production was managed by Hani Nasser, Sundes Al Blushi, Sarah Al Khuswey and Rebab Shamaa, and the poster was designed by Abdulmajid El-Kassem.
Students from Dr. Downs' DRAM 360 course made up part of the theatrical ensemble. The rest of the company consisted of volunteers who met for six weeks during the semester, and immersed themselves in the characters they portrayed. All of the members helped each other with their various duties as they worked together to produce the show, which played five sold-out performances.
The Department of Music and Drama offers a wide range of opportunities for both beginning and advanced students within the context of a liberal arts education. The Music and Drama faculty of talented professionals work closely with students to prepare them for campus concerts and plays, and to academically challenge them in courses on performing arts. The department fosters artistic proficiency, cultural appreciation, a sense of community, and a lifelong commitment to the arts.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 9th December 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
Images from the Play
In October, Members from AUK's Learning Support Services attended The Wonderful World of Writing Centers, a conference organized by the International Writing Centers Association & National Conference on Peer tutoring in Writing (IWCA/ NCPTW) in Orlando, Florida, to explore new trends in the tutoring and writing center communities and develop ideas for research. The AUK team attended around 40 sessions and had the opportunity to meet their peers from around the world. Hanouf Al Juhail, Assistant Director of Learning Support Services at AUK, was one of the people to participate in the conference. She explained that after attending the conference she has become eager to implement some of the techniques she picked up from there in AUK's LSS units. Hala Botros, AUK's Writing Center's Academic Support Specialist, attended the conference with Hanouf. "It has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience for me. It increased my knowledge of the different roles writing centers have in shaping their communities and promoting literacy".
The Writing Center at the American University of Kuwait promotes an understanding of writing as a way of thinking, learning, and communicating. The Writing Center hosts one-on-one consultations where students, staff, and faculty explore ideas through the written word in both English and Arabic. Students visiting the Writing Center for help at any stage of their writing receive a sounding board for their ideas, a voice of conscience for their sentence-level transgressions, and a reader's response to their writing. The Writing Center's overarching goal is to inspire a love for reading and writing in the AUK community.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 8th December 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
The College of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Kuwait announced that the Department of Art and Graphic Design at AUK will host the Middle East Design Educators Association (MEDEA) 2014 Symposium in December 2014. This is the first MEDEA Symposium in Kuwait. MEDEA Board Members from universities around the MENA region will conduct workshops for students and participate in roundtable discussions with design educators in Kuwait. The AUK MEDEA Board member is Assistant Professor Marcella Kulchisky of the Art and Graphic Design Department.
"We are very pleased to host this event," said Dr. Rawda Awwad, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "Our AUK Art and Graphic Design Department is looking forward to this event with MEDEA. There is great interest in potential collaborative opportunities as well as faculty and student exchange initiatives with other institutions in the region."
Founded in 2008, the Middle East Design Educators Association serves as an inspirational and informational platform for design educators in the Middle East. MEDEA provides an opportunity to share ideas, methods, challenges and opportunities, and to foster dialogue between the design industry and those who educate the next generation of designers. MEDEA is affiliated with the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Design Educators Community located in the United States.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 1st December 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
Correspondents from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) visited Kuwait in November to interview members of the general public about the current situation in the Middle East. While in Kuwait, Dr. George Irani, Associate Professor of International Relations at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), invited Sasa Petricic, Middle East Correspondent for CBC, for a chance to meet with students from one of his classes and ask their opinions about the ISIS conflict, as well as the coalition forces. This experience provided the students with an opportunity to express their opinions eloquently and apply critical thinking skills, which the International Relations Program aims to instill in the students through the traditional liberal arts and interdisciplinary curricula.
The interviews have been aired and posted on the CBC website. To watch AUK students express their opinions, click here.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 27th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) values civic engagement and service to the community and believes it is important to help raise awareness about how best to intervene and support the mental health of people affected by conflict, especially in this region. This month, the department organized a lecture entitled, Responding to the Needs of Children and Adolescents Affected by Conflict and Displacement. Dr. Inka Weissbecker and Dr. Mohamed Elshazly, representatives from the International Medical Corp. (IMC), were invited to speak to a crowd of more than 100 attendees from the public about the psychosocial issues faced by children being raised in such conditions and what steps are being taken to help them.
Dr. Weissbecker is the Global Mental Health and Psychosocial Advisor for IMC. She began the lecture by talking about how IMC has a presence in 31 countries around the world that are considered conflict zones or areas struck by natural disasters. She explained that her role as a psychologist is to design and implement community-based mental psychosocial programs, highlighting that due to the limited human resources available, it is important to work closely with the social workers of those communities to help develop these programs to best serve the community.
Dr. Elshazly is a Psychiatrist Trainer for IMC. He spoke about his role as a psychiatrist in working with refugees, and those displaced by conflict, to identify what factors to consider when designing and implementing holistic psychosocial programs in conflict zones.
"We were fortunate to be able to host two mental health providers from IMC, a well-established nonprofit organization that responds to humanitarian disasters, who spoke about their experiences developing programs to address the psychosocial needs of individuals who have been affected by war," explained Dr. Nicholas Scull, Assistant Dean of the College of Arts & Science at AUK. "The fact that nearly 100 people attended the event suggests that there is a lot of local interest in addressing the mental health consequences of conflict," he said.
Inka Weissbecker, Ph.D., MPH, has completed field assignments in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza, Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Japan. She has been a contributor to several global IASC and WHO guidelines and working groups. She has also served as an NGO representative of the International Union of Psychological Science to the United Nations (ECOSOC and DPI). Her academic credentials include a PhD in Clinical Psychology specializing in health and public sector psychology from the University of Louisville and University of South Florida as well as an MPH in Global Health and Population Studies from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Mohamed Elshazly, MBBCh, MSc Neuropsychiatry, ABPsych, has more than a decade of experience in clinical mental health services, training and MHPSS services in emergencies, and worked with many INGOs in Cairo implementing such services for African, Syrian and Iraqi refugees. His academic credentials include a Master degree in Neuropsychiatry from Ain Shams University and Arab Board of Psychiatry from Arab Council of Medical Specialization. Dr. Elshazly is currently the Regional Host for the Middle East and North Africa at the mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) global coordination network (www.mhpss.net).
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 26th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
The Center for Research in Informatics, Sciences and Engineering (RISE) at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) held a lecture entitled "State of the Art Assessment of Large Rotating Machines: How Embedded Systems Make the Energy Supply Safer". The lecture was conducted by Dr. Bernhard Fruth, Chief Executive Officer of Maser Quartzelec Services, a leading international electrical engineering group based in Malaysia.
Dr. Fruth discussed the main measures and best practices pertaining to the safety and lifetime of power generators. He took the audience through the main stages involved in assessing, diagnosing, and repairing power generators and their accessories. According to Dr. Fruth, power generators operate at very high voltages, which deplete the generators over time. That being the case, the generators require regular assessment and maintenance, as their failure could lead to fatal consequences. "Clients usually ask me 'how is the health of my machines?' We, as 'machine doctors', provide our diagnosis based on specific parameters. Accordingly, we submit reports including our precise evaluations and calculations, that include probabilities of machine failures and recommendations for precautionary measures," said Dr. Fruth.
Throughout his talk, the speaker showed pictures and displayed demos that supported the importance of regular machine evaluations and assessments, especially for machines that have exceeded 20 years of operation. He also provided an overview of the contemporary technology used to monitor and assess power generators. According to Dr. Fruth, power plant monitoring can be performed onsite and remotely. The onsite watchdog system relies on workers to constantly monitor the machines and report any unusual indicators that may require intervention from technical teams. The remote system operates through automated sensors that monitor and detect machine performance and issue assessment reports. The role of computers is extremely important in this process, as they do not only provide statistical data, but also visual and auditory signals that allow engineers to diagnose problems while offsite.
Following the talk, Dr. Fruth spoke about the importance of student research in supporting the engineering industry. He explained that students possess an exploratory spirit and an enthusiastic attitude, which allows them to generate fresh ideas. He also stressed the importance of students' hands-on knowledge and training, explaining that handling machines and equipment requires very skillful craftspeople. Adding to this, Dr. Detlef Hummes, AUK Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, stressed the importance of creating connections between academia and industry. "The talk was very impressive because it showed how modern embedded systems can even affect a conservative technology like power generators. The extensive discussion indicates that demand on such topics is very high. So, we should frequently offer talks which cover subjects of industrial applications," he said.
Dr. Amir Zeid, Director of RISE, was pleased with the audience engagement, expressing that RISE lectures are meant to cover a wide range of multidisciplinary topics in order to encourage research and development across different departments at AUK.
Khaled M Al-Abdulqader, an undergraduate student seeking a degree in Computer Engineering, found the lecture relevant to his field of interest. "As the speaker talked, I started generating ideas for my future capstone project. We need student innovators here in Kuwait who understand the requirements of the country to be able to provide customized solutions that can be proposed to the industry," he said.
Dr. Bernhard Fruth has a PhD in High Voltage Technologies (Dr.-Ing. 1986) from the University of Technology, Aachen, Germany. Between 1987 and 1992, he held the position of Manager of the High Voltage Systems Group at ABB Corporate Research, Baden, Switzerland. In 1988 Dr. Fruth developed the first commercial partial discharge pattern recorder. He has entrepreneurial activities in the field of rotating machine diagnostics/partial discharge testing and monitoring systems and was Managing Director and CTO of PD Tech Power Engineering AG, Switzerland. Dr. Fruth is now the Chief Executive Officer of Maser Quartzelec Services Sdn Bhd, based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, since 2011. He has published more than 60 papers and contributions to international conferences and has been a member of the IEEE and IEC working groups. He is a member of ELECTROSUISSE and Swiss Engineering Society.
The AUK Center for Research in Informatics, Sciences, and Engineering (RISE) serves as AUK's primary source for research and development activities, a bridge to industry, and an important venue for community outreach. RISE adapts an integrative model by forging connections between academic disciplines, local & international innovators, academia & industry, as well as technology & society
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 19th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
Two Graphic Design students from the American University of Kuwait (AUK) participated in the International Symposium on Electronic Art Conference and Exhibition (ISEA2014) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Abdulaziz Al-Hoqal and Bashayer Al-Zayed submitted posters that were selected to be exhibited at the conference. Their posters were displayed at the American University of Dubai, Zayed University, as well as other participating universities in Dubai, throughout the duration of the conference.
Abdulaziz submitted an entry entitled "Engines of Difference" for the category "Technology, Science & Art". His piece consisted of a set of interactive posters that display virtual, 3D content once viewed through the lens of a smartphone camera. Meanwhile, Bashayer's entry came in the form of an infographic poster for the "Connecting Worlds/Linking Ideas" category. Her poster, Social Media Usage in the Middle East, displayed a ranking of the popularity of social media outlets amongst countries in the Middle East.
"Being such an important international conference and exhibition, and the fact that our students were the only ones from Kuwait who attended, and actually participated in, ISEA2014, is a testimony to the Art & Graphic Design Department of AUK," said Professor Rita Merheb, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at AUK. "This gave us very good exposure in the region, especially since our department is relatively new. This puts us on equal grounds with other, much older and well-established Art & Graphic Design departments of universities in the region," she explained.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 19th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Labor Syndicate organizes the annual Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Award for Journalistic Excellence contest to encourage young journalists around Kuwait to display talent and professionalism in their delivery of information to the masses. The American University of Kuwait (AUK) sponsored the contest for the second consecutive year, and as part of the sponsorship, offered award recipients an opportunity to attend a 3-day media workshop offered by the AUK Department of Communication and Media (COMM). The purpose of the contest is to encourage good practices in the media and to support young Journalists. As a premier private educational institute in Kuwait, AUK is keen to support educational initiatives and share the knowledge and skills of its experienced instructors with the community.
The 3-day workshop was created and conducted by AUK professors of communications, Dr. Mohamed Satti and Dr. Mohammad Akbar. The first day of the workshop covered Broadcast Journalism, while the second day focused on Integrated Marketing Communications. On the last day of the workshop, attendees participated in an open discussion and performed practical exercises.
"AUK has consistently been supportive of this competition, which aims to promote best practices within the different fields in journalism and mass communications and to develop the skills of young Kuwaiti journalists." expressed Mr. Ayman Al-Ali, Chairman of KUNA Labor Syndicate and Chairman of the Award Organizing Committee. "After a second successful year of AUK's sponsorship of our winners, we look forward to further collaboration opportunities with AUK this year, and in the years to come," he added.
The Department of Communication and Media was pleased to provide training to these journalists. "It is also always gratifying to interact with practicing reporters. Our hope is that our relationship with Sheikh Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah Award for Journalistic Excellence continues for many years to come," Dr. Satti explained, stressing that this year's collaboration with the competition was mutually beneficial to all.
Following the workshop, a ceremony was held to present the attendees with certificates of participation. Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Rawda Awwad, along with Mr. Ayman Al Ali, distributed the certificates to the participants.
Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Award for Journalistic Excellence was founded 7 years ago and took the name of the late, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, with the support and blessing of the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, Prime Minister, who has spared no effort in the development of this award, which aims to encourage excellence journalist and for the first time the Kuwaiti youth, also create a spirit of competition to take them to the ranks of the highest levels of the global media.
The new cycle for this year's contest has been launched last October, 2014. Contestants can make their submissions in the various areas of mass communications until 23 January, 2015. For more details, please refer the contest flyer below.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 13th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
This Fall, His Excellency Archbishop Petar Rajic, Vatican Ambassador-Apostolic Nuncio in Kuwait, visited the American University of Kuwait (AUK) to give a talk to students registered in Special Topics: Vatican Diplomacy, a course offered by the Department of International Relations about the Holy See and the role it plays in the region. This marks the second consecutive year in which the Archbishop visited AUK to speak of the history of the Holy See and the strong bond it shares with Kuwait and other countries in the Arabian Peninsula.
Archbishop Rajic began his talk by offering an overview of the Holy See, the universal government of the Catholic Church, as an active participant in international diplomacy. Rajic explained that his mission in Kuwait serves 2 purposes; to serve as the Pope's emissary to the State of Kuwait, and to attend to the pastoral care of the Catholic community in the country. As an ambassador to the Vatican, he also spoke of the relationship between the Holy See and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, explaining that, in October 1968, Kuwait became the first country in the Gulf with whom the Holy See established diplomatic relations.
Associate Professor George Emile Irani, the instructor of the Special Topics course, explained that the purpose of the course is to explore and analyze the diplomacy and role played by the Holy See; an influential actor in international relations. "Archbishop Rajic's talk shed the light on the mission and goals of the Holy See and his role with both the government and the Catholic Church in Kuwait. Students who attended the talk had the opportunity to engage with the Archbishop following his talk, which they found very useful and pertinent to the term papers they are planning to work on," Dr. Irani said.
AUK shares an excellent relationship with Archbishop Rajic and the Holy See. The Archbishop has visited AUK on numerous occasions and has given lectures and participated in forums organized by the Department of International Relations.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 13th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
The Department of Music and Drama at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) held an open talk and documentary screening of "Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt" led by Dr. Virginia Danielson, an ethnomusicologist, and Director of Libraries at New York University, Abu Dhabi Campus. As a specialist in Middle Eastern music, Danielson served as principal advisor to the film, which was one of two documentary films premiered at the New York Film Festival in 1996.
Danielson noted that "A Voice Like Egypt" is the first documentary filmed about Umm Kulthum with the aim of introducing the chanteuse to an American audience. The documentary does not only show glimpses of Umm Kulthum's life as a peasant child who became a legendary singer of wealth and fame, but also connects her life and music to the history and politics of Egypt during a period of great change. When Umm Kulthum died in 1975, 4 million mourners flooded the streets of Cairo to pay tribute. During her illustrious career, she visited and performed in Kuwait twice. According to the documentary producers, the recordings of Umm Kulthum outsell every other Arab female vocalist to date.
Dr. Lisa Urkevich, Chair of the Department of Music and Drama noted the significance of the event to both students and outside guests. "The discussion and film viewing were a real revelation to so many students, some of whom had never heard of Umm Kulthum. She wasn't just a singer from Egypt; she was an icon that represented the entire Arab world during a period of cultural change and political revolution. Following the viewing, students wanted to know more and engaged Dr. Danielson in a lively discussion. Parents and outside guests, who knew of Umm Kulthum and her powerful songs, were moved in a different fashion as the evening brought back a flood of memories. Many left warm-hearted, but teary-eyed following the scenes of Umm Kulthum's funeral," explained Dr. Urkevich.
Dr. Virginia Danielson is the former Richard F. French Librarian of the Loeb Music Library at Harvard University and the Curator of the University's Archive of World Music. Danielson is the author of the award-winning monograph 'The Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song and Egyptian Society in the 20th Century' (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997) and co-editor of The Middle East, volume 6 of 'The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music' (New York: Routledge, 2002). She has authored numerous articles on music of the Middle East, women in Middle Eastern music, and Muslim devotional music.
The Department of Music and Drama explores music and drama in the context of a liberal arts education through both academic study and active participation in performances. By educating students in theory and history and providing training in applied skills, the department fosters artistic proficiency, cultural appreciation, a sense of community, and a lifelong commitment to the arts.
Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 10th November 2014
Photography by the Office of Public Affairs (C) 2014
