SDG17: PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global objectives designed to address a wide range of social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our world. SDG 17, "Partnership for the Goals," recognizes that achieving these ambitious targets requires collaborative efforts involving governments, businesses, civil society, and educational institutions like GUST Gulf University.
SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals - The Importance of Collaboration
SDG 17 emphasizes the need for strong partnerships and cooperation to mobilize resources, share knowledge, and drive progress across all the other SDGs. It recognizes that no single entity can accomplish these goals in isolation and calls for a global effort to create sustainable and equitable societies.
GUST Gulf University's Commitment to SDGs and SDG 17:
GUST Gulf University actively supports the SDGs, particularly SDG 17, through various initiatives:
- Curriculum Integration: GUST integrates SDGs into its curriculum, ensuring that students across various disciplines are educated about the global challenges outlined in the goals. This empowers future leaders with the knowledge and awareness needed to drive change.
- Research and Innovation: GUST conducts research aligned with the SDGs, contributing to the development of solutions to global challenges. Faculty and students engage in projects that address specific SDGs, from environmental conservation to social justice.
- Community Engagement: The university collaborates with local organizations, government agencies, and businesses to support SDG-related initiatives. This includes participating in community service projects, sustainability programs, and advocacy efforts.
- Awareness Campaigns: GUST organizes awareness campaigns, seminars, and events that promote the SDGs and encourage active participation from students, faculty, and the wider community. These initiatives raise awareness about the importance of sustainable development and inspire action.
- International Partnerships: GUST establishes partnerships with international universities and organizations to share best practices, research findings, and innovative solutions related to the SDGs. These collaborations broaden the university's impact on a global scale.
Gulf University for Science & Technology recognizes the critical importance of the SDGs and SDG 17, "Partnership for the Goals," in creating a sustainable and equitable future. By integrating the SDGs into its education, research, and community engagement efforts, GUST actively contributes to the global movement to address pressing challenges and build a better world for current and future generations. The university's commitment to collaboration and partnership underscores its dedication to the principles of sustainable development and the realization of the SDGs.
International Programs
The Office of International Programs (OIP) strives to promote and develop a wide range of educational opportunities for both students and faculty. The OIP works closely with top-ranked academic institutions and organizations around the world to establish formal partnerships and create opportunities for strategic cooperation. These arrangements assist GUST’s community as it continues to integrate into growing networks of global knowledge and continuous learning.
The OIP’s mission is to promote and develop a wide range of international and educational opportunities by establishing strategic partnerships with top-ranked academic institutions and organizations; enabling GUST students and faculty to integrate into the emerging global knowledge and learning network.
GUST students can choose from numerous study abroad programs to gain international and intercultural experiences, and enrich their understanding of different cultures and nations.
Moreover, GUST strategic partnerships support collaborative faculty research projects that foster engagement between GUST faculty and their peers at innovative, international academic institutions.
GUST is proud to maintain bilateral agreements with prestigious universities around the world.
University Partner Map
GUST as a premier university is committed to enhancing engagement with international educational institutions in the areas of education and research. GUST facilitates an array of international programs, including study abroad opportunities, faculty fellowships, and partnerships with universities around the world.
GUST Insurance Track Gains First CII Accreditation in Kuwait
GUST's Insurance track has been accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), making GUST the first university in Kuwait to be accredited by CII. Established in 1912, the CII is a professional body dedicated to building public trust in the insurance and financial planning profession by 'Securing and justifying the confidence of the public' in its members and the insurance sector as a whole, through setting standards of integrity, technical competence, and business capability.
Dr. Khaled Elmawazini, Head of Economics and Finance Department said, “GUST is the first Kuwaiti university accredited by CII, one of the most prestigious, globally recognized standard designation in the field of Insurance, founded in 1917. This accreditation allows our students to get exemptions for relevant exams and qualifications that can help them achieve CII qualifications faster than other students in Kuwait and Middle East.”
Prof. Jean-Paul Arnaout, Dean of the College of Business Administration, offered his warmest congratulations and expressed his sincere gratitude to Dr. Khaled Elmawazini and the Economics & Finance Department for this achievement. Prof. Jean-Paul noted, “At the CBA, we are always in a continuous improvement process, revising our curriculum when needed to equip our students with the skills needed by the industry. The CII accreditation is yet another recognition of our unceasing commitment to top-quality education.”
Other top universities accreditted by CII include University College London and University of Nottingham, while GUST and King Abdulaziz University are the only two universities in the GCC accredited by CII.
GUST Sponsors 11th QS Maple Conference
Kuwait City, 28 March 2021: Gulf University of Science and Technology sponsored the 11th QS Maple conference. The conference spanned three days between the 23rd and 25th of March, and it was also the second edition to be held virtually since its inception. QS Maple’s organizing partner for 2021 was Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad University, based in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The theme for this year’s edition was “The Future Today: Sustainable growth towards 2030”.
The goals of the conference included networking both professionally and on behalf of the institution, the opportunity to meet decision-makers and experts relevant to the Middle East and Africa in one place. Professional development by sharing best practices by a diverse set of institutions. As well as trend watching and research by engaging first-hand with knowledgeable participants from the region and beyond. Lastly, promotion of one’s institution to global peers for potential collaboration and all-round branding. The attendants included public officials and policymakers, senior or rising education administrators, professors, Ph.D. students, international quality assurance agencies, and various NGO’s.
Among the key guest speakers were Dr. Issaa H. AlAnsari, President of Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University; Haifa Al Kaylani, Founder & Chairman, Arab International Women’s Forum and Commissioner; Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director – Middle East, North Africa & South Asia, QS Quacquarelli Symonds; and Andrew MacFarlane, Rankings Manager, QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
GUST’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Bassam Alameddine said, “The conference is amongst the most adequate regional platforms that allows us to show fellow institutions of higher education the mission and values that GUST represents in the community. Strategically, it was important to disclose how far GUST has come since its inception and the ambitious future plans that we have as a leading institute in the GCC.”
QS MAPLE is designed for senior and rising higher education leaders, as well as academics, who are interested in the advancement of higher education in the Middle East and Africa in an international context. GUST’s sponsorship demonstrates its commitment to engaging with brilliant minds from around the world to exchange ideas and find innovative solutions to new-world problems.
AACSB Accreditation Extended
Kuwait City, 17 February 2021: The Gulf University for Science and Technology’s College of Business Administration’s AACSB accreditation has been extended for an additional five years. The extension further solidifies the university’s local and global position in providing premium education.
AACSB is a global non-profit association that has 1700 member organizations worldwide, as well as 840 accredited business schools worldwide. Its main mission is to set the standard for business education globally. Along with accreditations, AACSB holds numerous seminars for individuals and for its member organizations, as well as conferences, publications which include insight into business school data and current trends in business.
The Dean of the College of Business Administration, Dr. Jean-Paul Arnaout said, “The College of Business Administration (CBA) is delighted to announce the successful extension of AACSB accreditation of all the business degree programs offered by the school. Being AACSB-accredited is an achievement in that only 5% of the Business schools worldwide have earned this distinction, and a testament of the years of work by our faculty and staff, along with the success of our current students and alumni. Congratulations to the faculty, students, staff, and all supporters of the school!”
This accreditation is just one of many that GUST holds. In addition to the AACSB Business accreditation, GUST also holds accreditations from the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) for its English Foundation Program, the College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA) for its One Stop Student Advising Center, the National Association for Developmental Education(NADE) for its Math Foundation Unit, ABET Computing Accreditation Commission for its Computer Science Program, and the American Communications Association (ACA) for its Mass Communication and Media Department.
GUST breaks into QS International Rankings
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) announced that it has been inducted into the global rankings by one of the most influential international university rankings firms, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Limited. With this new milestone, GUST is the only private university in Kuwait to make the list, making it the top-ranked private educational institution in Kuwait.
This comes as a major achievement, as the university was previously only ranked among universities in the Arab region. Only two universities from Kuwait featured in the international ranking, with the other being Kuwait University. As a new entrant to this list, GUST is joined by only 46 other universities, which makes this achievement even more exceptional.
University President, Professor Walid Bouhamra said, “This is a remarkable achievement for our young university, especially as we try to navigate such unprecedented circumstances. Our focus from the very beginning has been on providing our students with a high-quality institution that is recognized as a pillar and hub of knowledge. This new accolade reflects the level of education GUST provides. Furthermore, being the only private university from Kuwait is a major triumph for us. This is a testimony to the success of our policies towards diversification, academic excellence, and focus on quality”.
GUST has featured in the QS University Rankings for the Arab Region since 2016, when the university was ranked as 73rd, and 49th the following year. This year, the university has improved to the extent that it is now featured in rankings that evaluate the strengths of all of the world’s higher education institutions. To feature on this list, the university is ranked according to specific measurements, namely, academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty index, and the number of international students.
With this, GUST remains the only private university in Kuwait to be internationally recognized in this manner for its academic prowess, and further highlights the dedication and calibre of its faculty, students, and staff. The QS ranking shows that GUST continues to maintain its leadership among private universities in Kuwait in key areas covered by the assessment.
Since 2016, GUSTs strategic goal is to enhance its position in the coming couple of years and to be listed in higher positions in the international rankings. QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and US News Best Global Universities provide one of the few external measures of university strength and can be a factor in how prospective students choose the right school.
GUST and KPC Announce Recipients for Sustainable Development Scholarship
Gulf University for Science and Technology announced last week that GUST alumni have been awarded the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Sustainable Development Scholarship to the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. The scholarship is the first of its kind for both institutions and is set to take place from November 23 to December 7. The scholarship covers all tuition fees as well as travel and subsistence costs and educational materials during the two-week training course.
The alumni were selected based on criteria set by the university and KPC. Notably, applicants had to have a GPA of 3.3 or above, graduated within the last two years, be Kuwaiti citizens, and be unemploymed throughout the duration of the program. The selected alumni are: Lojain AlOmani, Sara AlMusallam, Samaa AlSaif, Ghadna AlKhamees, Munirah AlMailam, Shaikha AlMatouq, Budoor AlKhaledi, Bodoor AlZanki, and Yousef AlMunayes.
GUST President, Professor Walid Bouhamra, and KPC PR Manager, Jamal Al-Sanoosi met with the recipients to congratulate them and express their excitement for the program. Also present at the meeting were Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Fahed Al-Sumait, Vice President for Professional Development and Community Services, Dr. Ahmed Al-Darbas, Dean of the College of Business Administration, Prof. Antonis Simintiras, Head of the Business Administration Department, Dr. Ahmed El-Melegy, Initiative Members, Dr. Osama Al-Falah and Dr. Garvan Whelan, as well as International Program Coordinator, Nabae Asfar.
The students will be attending daily courses on Sustainable Development which crystallizes key concepts and provides the alumni with the opportunity to apply them to their geographical context of Kuwait and across various sectors, in particular, energy. All classes will be held at the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex.
The sessions have been assembled into an intensive course with a distinct and cumulative set of learning outcomes, and will be delivered through purpose-designed teaching and learning activities. The first week will include an introduction of the historical and contemporary debates on sustainable development as a whole, help the students understand the origin of sustainable development and its current manifestations in business, policy and politics; as well as apply a selection of economic and non-economic frameworks to understand and analyze sustainable development issues, in particular around the energy policy. The second week will focus on transformations to sustainable development where students will get to understand the systemic changes required to deliver the 17 sustainable development goals as set by the United Nations, the role of power and politics in their realization, and to develop an appreciation of the economic, social, and historical roots of social and environmental injustice.
By the end of the course students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of sustainable development concepts and frameworks, and have the ability to apply them at different levels and in different contexts.
Although this is the first scholarship for alumni, it is a valuable addition to GUST’s multiple study abroad programs available to its students. Other similar opportunities include the Summer Scholarship Program to the University of Missouri – St. Louis and George Washington University in the USA, and the MBA study abroad course which most recently took place at the Freie University in Berlin, Germany.
New Agreement with National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Appointing GUST as a “Training Partner” for NBK Academy - Wave 6.
New Agreement with National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Appointing GUST as a “Training Partner” for NBK Academy - Wave 6.
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) launched the sixth batch of NBK Academy for newly hired young Kuwaitis with GUST being appointed as a “Training Partner” in Kuwait.
NBK Academy aims to train and develop the professional skills of young Kuwaitis as part of NBK’s strategy to attract and develop national human resources. GUST will provide customized training solutions upon the need of NBK.
The agreement has been signed at NBK Human Resources Head Office by Mr. Emad Al Ablani, NBK Deputy General Manager of Human Resources and Dr. Osama Al-Hares, Director - Centre of Alumni & Corporate Relations (CACR) at GUST.
Mr. Al Ablani said: “NBK Academy is the first initiative of its kind in the private sector in Kuwait, and is part of NBK’s strategy to attract young Kuwaitis by offering them a range of career and professional development opportunities.”
On his part, Dr. Al-Hares praised the strong relations linking GUST and National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) since 2007 adding that NBK Academy is a great example of how a corporate academy can transcend the traditional roles prescriptions of the learning function, develop a passion for learning, and be the motivation for every graduate starting his or her career path.
NBK Academy programs run for five months and are specially tailored to provide trainees with theoretical and practical skills covering the different aspects of the banking industry.
GUST is the Exclusive Academic Partner for Boubyan Bank’s “ITQAN Academy”.
Boubyan Bank (the FASTEST GROWING BANK IN KUWAIT) announced the launch of its ITQAN Academy in cooperation with GUST, which will act as a center for developing the Bank’s human resources in an academic way by providing the most advanced specialized programs, administrative sciences and programs accredited by international institutions, all in compliance with the Bank’s business environment and the Shari’ah.
Dr. AbdulRahman Al-Muhailan: “The Agreement stems from our commitment and cooperation with a leading
Kuwaiti Bank for developing human resources”.
In this respect, Dr. Abdul-Rahman Al-Muhailan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at GUST said that the Agreement stems from our commitment and cooperation with civil community institutions and a leading Kuwaiti bank for developing the human capabilities and the best utilization of performance development in the different aspects of life; being the effective factor to upgrade our institutions. The process of development and enhancement of training using GUST’s academic programs such as MBA program as well as advanced technological learning methodologies such as e-learning, which Boubyan ITQAN Academy seeks to include within its programs, is indeed a source of pride for us and we appreciate that Boubyan Bank’s Management is aware of the importance of qualifying the promising future generations of this nation.
Commenting on the Agreement signed with GUST, Mr. Adel Abdul-Wahab Al-Majed, Chairman & MD of Boubyan Bank said: “The Management of Boubyan Bank believes in the importance of human resources, being the key driver for realizing any success or achievement” adding that investment in development the staff’s capabilities from all levels and imparting them with required experience is regarded as a cornerstone for the Bank’s plans targeting more development and part of its main strategy to be the bank of choice in the area of Islamic banking services.
Al-Majed stressed the importance of this step which puts the Bank among the institutions giving due care to their human resources, expressing, at the same time, his appreciation of the role to be played by GUST in participating with the Bank in developing its human resources. He also indicated that the launch of ITQAN Academy would not have been completed without the cooperation and alliance with a partner with special capabilities and expertise, and therefore our choice fell upon GUST which is accredited by the University of Missouri at St. Louis (UMSL), and thus signed an agreement with it to act as the Exclusive Academic Partner in Kuwait for establishing ITQAN Academy.
Mr. Adel Al-Majed: “ITQAN Academy aims at creating young Kuwaiti cadres and building their
careers by providing the opportunities to receive high qualifications”.
Al-Majed pointed out that the Academy aims at qualifying the aspiring the Kuwaiti youth and fresh graduates to work at Boubyan Bank in a way that provides them with opportunities for promotion and building their career as well as giving them the privilege of getting in touch with the Academy’s cadre, which are specialized and experienced in giving training programs accredited by international agencies.
On his part, GM- Human Resources Group, Mr. Adel Al-Hammad said that the Academy will provide training opportunities for a whole year to the Bank’s staff in many fields such as specialized training programs in financial management, business administration, communication skills, human resources development, self-development as well as advanced, distinguished programs in customer service and professional banking product sales.
Al-Hammad added that Boubyan Bank strives to be the employer of choice for Kuwaiti fresh graduates by providing a work environment encouraging the development of the capabilities of the youth and giving the opportunity for career development to talented trainees within a carefully planned scientific framework under the supervision of ITQAN Academy work team. In addition, the programs of ITQAN Academy are based on the Blended Learning Approach comprising training courses, on-the-job training, job rotation, guidance and instruction, e-learning and assessment centers.
He also indicated that the Bank strives to invest in the Kuwaiti youth through providing training programs and academic curricula fitting the banking business and qualifying them to obtain part of the MBA program as the Academy trainees fulfilling specific conditions will be able to obtain 24 accredited academic credits of the MBA provided by GUST, and these accredited credits will be in match with the basic work requirements in Boubyan. Moreover, trainees will be given the opportunity to complete the remaining accredited credits of the MBA at GUST in order to obtain the certificate, if they so desire.
GUST collaborates with London School of Economics & Political Science
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) is collaborating with the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) on several ongoing projects among them the DiSTO Project and the creation of the DiSTO-Kuwait Chapter with a group of GUST professors, as well as a research collaboration with GUST professor, Dr. Rania Al-Nakib to explore how democratic citizenship is shaped by education in Kuwait.
The first collaboration is with LSE Professor, Dr. Ellen Helsper, who leads the global project “from digital skills to tangible outcomes” (DiSTO). The project aims to develop and improve global measures of people’s digital skills and engagement, as well as the types of outcomes they derive from these. It has been run in numerous countries around the world and its scales have also been incorporated into such projects as the World Internet Project, the International Telecommunications Union, the Global Kids Online, the UK Nominet Trust project, Benessere Digitale (Italy), and many others.
DiSTO-Kuwait, the local chapter of Prof. Helpser’s project, is run by a team from GUST, which includes Dr. Fahed Al Sumait, GUST Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Albaraa AlTourah, Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Mass Communication and Media (MCM) Department, Dr. Jibril Latif, Assistant Professor MCM Department, Nouf Al-Saif, Teaching Assistant and part-time instructor in MCM. At the same time, the GUST team is partnering with the World of Opinions Survey firm in Kuwait, which is one of the country’s leading survey companies who will help assist with interviewer training and fieldwork planning. Finally, GUST will also include approximately 20 volunteers from the GUST student community and beyond to receive data-collection training and assist with the national-level data collection which is planned for February-March 2020. This not only aids in collecting accurate information, but also helps to prepare the next generation of prospective researchers to engage with pressing social concerns and address these through the application of quality methodologies.
Professor Helsper spent a week in Kuwait conducting workshops and training sessions, meeting key stakeholders, and coordinating activities with the DiSTO-Kuwait team. Among the organizations she met with to discuss the project and evaluate the ICT situation in Kuwait were the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Zain Telecommunication Company, the GUST Center for Teaching, Learning and Research (CTLR), and faculty from the Information Science Department at the College of Computing Sciences and Engineering at Kuwait University.
Project Leader, Professor Ellen Helsper, said, “I’m very pleased to have had the opportunity to expand my project into Kuwait, and interact with experts and the upcoming generation of leaders who will no doubt be shaping the development of Kuwait’s digital footprint and usage. It is important that we keep our fingers on the pulse and continue to examine the role the internet plays in different aspects of our lives.”
Also during her visit, Prof. Helsper delivered a lecture at GUST on the global evidence for socio-digital inequalities gathered through the DiSTO projects. She introduced the DiSTO project and explained how it helps to develop and improve measures and models of people’s digital skills, digital engagement, and outcomes of Information and Communications Technologies. The goal of the lecture was to examine which interventions are most effective in preparing everyone for a digital future.
Dr. Fahed Al-Sumait, GUST Vice President for Academic Affairs and Co-PI for the DiSTO-Kuwait project: “We are honored to be working with the world-renowned expert, Dr. Ellen Helsper, to conduct such cutting-edge research about Kuwait’s readiness for an increasingly digital future. Kuwait is one of the most digitally connected in the world in terms of ICT infrastructure and mobile usage, but we currently do not have much information about which people and communities are benefiting most from this situation and who is being left behind. Through this research, we hope to gain a better idea of the conditions on the ground so we can identify possible actions that can be taken to help improve the quality of people’s lives as it relates to digital technologies.”
Professor Helsper has extensive experience in the world of digital inequalities and methodologies in media and communication research, and is known for her work in the UK Kids Online Project, UK Kids Online Project, her consultancy work with OSSWatch (Oxford University), Ofcom, the BBC and Plan International, and her role as Survey Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII, University of Oxford) where she managed and analyzed the biennial Oxford Internet Surveys (OxIS), the UK partner in the World Internet Project. She is a graduate of media psychology from Utrecht University, and has had her articles published in journals such as International Journal of Communication, European Journal of Communication, and Journal of Children and Media.
A second major collaboration project between the two universities is lead in Kuwait by Dr. Rania Al-Nakib, Assistant Professor at GUST’s Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, who is collaborating with Dr. Sam Mejias, Research Fellow at the LSE on a research project entitled, Empowering Democratic Citizenship through Education: Exploring Rights-Based Approaches to Educational Policymaking in Kuwait. This study is being funded by a grant from LSE’s Middle East Center.
GUST Department of Humanities & Social Sciences Assistant Professor, Dr. Rania Al Nakib, said, “We are exploring how schools have become contested ideological sites in which both explicit and ‘hidden’ structures and curricula can hinder the development of democratic citizenship norms and practices, the proposed study aims to assess the extent to which citizenship education approaches, that emphasize rights and responsibilities and extra-national citizenship, may motivate young people to participate in democratic processes in Kuwait. We are also interested in understanding how teachers functioning in a service delivery role understand the purposes, possibilities, and tensions of rights-based education approaches for building a democratic citizenry.”
The study utilizes both multidisciplinary and multi-method approaches that combines desk research and discourse analysis with qualitative and quantitative data collection. The research will draw on methodological approaches of critical discourse analysis, content analysis, and ethnographic social constructionism.
Dr. Mejias will be visiting Kuwait next month to join Dr. Al-Nakib for the first round of fieldwork in Kuwaiti public and private schools. Moreover, their first paper from this collaboration, entitled Discourses of Minimalist and Maximalist Citizenship in the Lives of Kuwaiti Youth, exploring youth-led democratic initiatives in Kuwait, has been accepted to the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) annual conference, which will be held in San Francisco in April. They will also be hosting workshops at LSE and at GUST.
Founded in 1895, the London School of Economics is a public research university joined the University of London in 1900, and established its first degree courses under the support and backing of the University in 1901. Today, it ranks #1 in the world for thought leadership in management, #2 in the world for social sciences and management according to the latest QS World University Rankings. It is also currently ranked #1 in the UK for research in business and management studies.
GUST Holds Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Seminar with Field Experts
GUST's Accounting and MIS Department held an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) seminar on its campus this week with expert Alexander Leach, Senior Education Manager at ACCA Middle East. The main aim of the seminar was to introduce students to potential career opportunities in the field and what developments to look forward to in 2020s.
Like many professions, the accounting industry is changing at a rapid pace, where global trends are reshaping its existence. The seminar highlighted ACCA’s Future of Careers Report which considers the trends impacting professional accounting careers and their future, as well as helps identify potential broader areas of career opportunities.
Mr. Leach covered various areas of the subject matter and was able to help students, staff and faculty members better understand the drivers of change impactingaccounting careers, locate emerging areas of career opportunity, and how they can navigate their careers in an evolving landscape.
The university is continuously collaborating with field experts in the community and the profession to exchange knowledge and experience with our students. This is to be able to provide a well-rounded educational experience that brings together theoretical knowledge and practical application.
GUST Teams Wins First Place at Warba Bank’s Rowad Innovation Program
GUST students were awarded First Place at the closing ceremony of the Warba Bank Rowad Innovation Program. The four students competed against three other local university teams for the prize after a 10-week program of customized workshops and lectures led by Warba Bank coordinated through our Office of Student Life, which kicked off in September 2019. The goal of the program is to support the innovation of banking services and come up with creative solutions in the Islamic banking sector.
The participating GUST students were: Nouf Alghannam, Reem Mohamed, Sarah Alalban, Sundos Al Ashqar. The students were selected in September 2019 from the university by a Warba Bank Committee to enter the program. Over the 10 weeks, they completed workshops and lectures to learn all the information they need to know in the banking field, such as the different services and products currently available in order to successfully complete the assignment. The other participating universities wereKuwait University, Australian College of Kuwait, and the American University of Kuwait.
During the closing ceremony, the students had to pitch their idea to a panel of industry experts, and were evaluated based on their final presentation, innovative & fresh thinking, the practicality of implementing their ideas, and team effort in meeting all delivery requirements. The GUST team was awarded the first place prize for their innovative ideas and stellar presentation. The grand prize was KD5,000 and KD2,500 for the runners-up.
GUST President, Professor Walid Bouhamra, Vice President for Professional Development and Community Services, Dr. Ahmad Al-Darbas, Senior Manager of the Community Engagement and Communications Division, Anwar Al-Sabah, and Head of the Office of Student Life, Aseel Abounemah, subsequently met with the students following their win to congratulate them on this outstanding achievement.
GUST President, Professor Walid Bouhamra, said, “The creativity and determination of our students, armed with the knowledge they receive at GUST, is a powerful equation as demonstrated by their outstanding performance. I am confident that their success in the future is assured, and I wish them the very best of success.”
GUST continuously encourages and supports its students in all extracurricular activities that can develop and shape their character and their development for after they graduate. It prizes a both academic performance and community driven activities for a well-rounded educational experience.
GUST Hosts Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award 2019 Closing Ceremony
GUST hosted the closing ceremony of the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award, under the patronage and attendance of Sheikha Aida Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, on its campus last week. The event was led by Himma Tech and the Kuwait Innovation Center. The event was also attended by GUST Board of Trustees Chairman, Mr. Mohammad Al-Bahar, alongside management representatives from local universities, and all the students who participated in the qualifying hackathons.
The event started with a showcase of the top three projects from each participating university, including: GUST, Australian College of Kuwait, Algonquin College, Arab Open University, Kuwait University, Kuwait College of Science & Technology, and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training. The projects were all viewed by Sheikha Aida Salem Al-Ali as well as all the representatives from the local universities.
The ceremony was opened with a few speeches from the Awards Organizing Committee Chair, Engineer Bassam Al-Shammari, as well as the Founder of Himma Tech, Jassem Al-Mutawa, and the CEO of Kuwait Innovation Center, Engineer Mohammad Al-Rifae. The audience also to view a behind the scenes video that showcased all the students hardwork over the last few weeks to reach this stage.
The first-place winners from all universities got the chance to present their projects to the audience live as well, all of which were designed and implemented physical and digital products that promote positive social impact. GUST’s winning, Lulwah AlDyouly, Dalal AlMaghrabi, Zahraa Mahdi, Omar Tawfik and Ahmad AlDabak, presented their project the ‘Heat Glove’ which is tech glove that can sense the temperature of various objects, intended for the use in the industrial sector. The team has qualified to compete with the rest of the winners to compete in the regional competition as one team representing Kuwait.
The competition launched in 2001 in Kuwait and has since expanded into include competitors from around the world. The main aim of the prize is to encourage and promote the creation of digital solutions and innovation. GUST is always encouraging and supporting its students to take advantage of such opportunities and push their own boundaries, in order to develop and grow not only academically, but individually as well.
