Cross-Sectoral Dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) actively promotes cross-sectoral collaboration and dialogue to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at both the national and international levels. In alignment with SDG 17.2.2, the University regularly engages with government bodies, non-governmental organizations, industry leaders, and international institutions through conferences, symposiums, and public forums focused on sustainability, innovation, and policy development.
These events provide a vital platform for knowledge exchange, multi-stakeholder engagement, and strategic collaboration, enabling GUST to contribute to discussions that shape sustainable practices across sectors. By connecting academia with public and private entities, the University fosters an environment where research, policy, and community initiatives come together to address complex societal challenges.
Through its continued participation and leadership in SDG-focused dialogues, GUST reinforces its role as a hub for sustainability-driven partnerships, empowering diverse sectors to work collectively toward a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for Kuwait and the wider region.
| Action | Summary |
|---|---|
| Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) | Agreements between GUST and other insitutions outlining terms and conditions, as well as initiatives to be exchanged and collaborated on. |
| Additional Forms of Partnerships and Collaborations | Such as official conferences, competitions, etc. |
| Other Initiatives and Activities | Such as field visits, seminars, etc. |
| Action: | Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) |
| Summary: | Agreements between GUST and other insitutions outlining terms and conditions, as well as initiatives to be exchanged and collaborated on. |
| Action: | Additional Forms of Partnerships and Collaborations |
| Summary: | Such as official conferences, competitions, etc. |
| Action: | Other Initiatives and Activities |
| Summary: | Such as field visits, seminars, etc. |
Memorandums of Understanding
Supporting Entrepreneurship and Experiential Learning through the GUST–GFH Capital Kuwait Partnership
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with GFH Capital Kuwait to establish a framework for collaboration in entrepreneurship, innovation, education and student development. The partnership is designed to support future talent in Kuwait through academic collaboration, industry engagement and experiential learning opportunities.
The partnership provides for cooperation in several areas, including:
- Support for the GUST Startup Lab: GFH Kuwait will work with GUST’s Startup Lab to support selected programs, bootcamps, mentorship initiatives and annual events focused on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Student internships: GFH Kuwait will provide internship and learning opportunities that allow GUST students to develop practical experience in finance, investment and business management.
- “Live Your Major” initiative: GUST and GFH Kuwait will jointly develop a program that connects students’ academic disciplines with career-oriented, real-world projects.
- Mentorship and industry engagement: GFH Kuwait may provide mentors, executives and industry speakers to participate in GUST academic and entrepreneurship programs, offering students professional insight and career guidance.
Strategic Partnership with Gulf Bank for Employability, Internships and Continuing Education
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with Gulf Bank to establish a structured collaboration focused on internships, employment opportunities, talent acquisition activities and continuing education. The agreement was entered into on 9 February 2025.
The partnership supports several areas of student and professional development, including:
- Internship opportunities: Gulf Bank may provide internships for GUST students in areas related to its business operations, offering practical training aligned with students’ academic programs and the Bank’s operational needs.
- Graduate employment opportunities: GUST graduates may receive priority consideration for relevant entry-level positions, subject to Gulf Bank’s recruitment and eligibility requirements.
- Talent acquisition activities: Gulf Bank may participate in GUST career fairs, orientation sessions and other recruitment-related events, providing students and graduates with information on career opportunities and recruitment processes.
- Continuing education: Gulf Bank employees are eligible for a 25% tuition discount on selected GUST academic programs offered through the University’s continuing education initiatives.
Strategic Partnership with Kuwait International Bank (KIB) for Innovation and Student Development
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Kuwait International Bank (KIB) to establish a collaborative partnership focused on innovation, incubation, student development, and employability. The agreement brings together GUST's academic resources and student talent with KIB's expertise in digital innovation and the banking sector.
Under the partnership, GUST and KIB agreed to collaborate innovation bootcamps, internship and Co-op opportunities, future employment opportunities.
Contribution to Sustainable development:
- enhancing students' practical and professional skills
- promoting innovation and entrepreneurship
- expanding experiential-learning opportunities
- improving graduate employability and career readiness
- strengthening university–industry knowledge exchange
- developing human capital relevant to Kuwait's evolving digital and financial sectors
Strategic Partnership with Commercial Bank of Kuwait (Al-Tijari) for Lifelong Learning, Employability and Professional Development
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Commercial Bank of Kuwait (Al-Tijari) in 2025 to strengthen collaboration in career development, lifelong learning, professional education, student recruitment, and knowledge exchange. The agreement establishes a structured relationship between the University and the banking sector to support both GUST students and CBK employees.
Scope of colllaboration includes:
- Career development and recruitment
- Internships
- Professional development
- Workshops and knowledge exchange
- Industry exposure
- Career engagement
- Testing and assessment
Advancing Industry Engagement and Student Development through the GUST–GE Vernova Partnership
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with GE Vernova Technology Centre Kuwait (GEKTC) to establish a collaborative framework focused on student development, industry exposure, academic engagement and technology-related learning opportunities. The agreement was entered into on 21 November 2024. A joint Steering Committee, composed of representatives from both GUST and GEKTC, is established under the agreement to guide and monitor the collaboration. The committee is expected to meet quarterly and oversee the implementation of activities arising from the partnership.
The partnership provides for cooperation in several areas of mutual interest, including:
- internship and mentorship opportunities for GUST undergraduate students across departments at GE Vernova Technology Centre Kuwait
- encouraging students to undertake academic projects related to GEKTC’s areas of expertise
- organizing site visits for GUST students to GEKTC facilities in Kuwait
- involving GEKTC’s corporate social responsibility initiatives in GUST student activities.
Additional Forms of Partnerships and Collaborations
Cross-Sector Partnership through Higher-Education Sport
GUST’s participation in the Warba Bank League for Higher Education in March 2024 demonstrates collaboration between higher-education institutions, the private sector and the wider sports community. The league brings together universities and external partners, including Warba Bank, to support student participation, physical activity and university sport.Through such initiatives, GUST strengthens partnerships beyond the University and contributes to collaborative efforts that promote student well-being, engagement and healthy lifestyles across the higher-education community.
Participation in the 22nd Sustainability International Conference – United Nations Headquarters, Geneva
In 2024, representatives from Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) participated in the 22nd Sustainability International Conference, organized by the World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD) in collaboration with the United Nations, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The event, themed “How to Accelerate the Pace of the Agenda 2030 Implementation at Half-Way to Its Finishing Line,” convened international experts, policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to explore strategies for advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
GUST’s participation in this global forum demonstrates its active role in cross-sectoral dialogue and policy-driven collaboration on sustainability. By engaging with government representatives, NGOs, and international institutions, GUST contributed academic insight and research perspectives to high-level discussions on accelerating SDG implementation. This involvement reinforces the University’s position as a regional academic partner in global sustainability governance, fostering knowledge exchange, innovation, and cooperative action toward achieving the UN 2030 Agenda.
Partnership with BGS Honors Society, IMA, and ACCA on Sustainability Initiatives
In 2025, the College of Business Administration at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) partnered with the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Honors Society, the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to advance education, ethics, and sustainability in business practices. These partnerships brought together academic experts, industry leaders, and international organizations through joint conferences, workshops, and professional dialogues aimed at strengthening accountability and sustainable management.
This initiative directly supports SDG 17.2.2 by fostering meaningful cross-sectoral engagement among academia, professional associations, and global sustainability advocates. Through these collaborations, GUST facilitated knowledge exchange and policy-relevant discussions on ethical leadership, sustainable finance, and corporate responsibility. The University’s active role in these dialogues reinforces its commitment to building global partnerships that promote transparent governance and sustainable economic growth.
Collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Knowledge Journey in Kuwait
As part of GUST’s active engagement with international organizations advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr. Omar Gibreel represented the University at the Knowledge Journey in Kuwait, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2025. The event brought together experts, policymakers, and academics to discuss strategies for sustainable innovation, digital transformation, and inclusive education in Kuwait and the wider region.
Dr. Gibreel’s presentation, “Fostering AI Literacy and Knowledge Management for Society 5.0: Skills for Sustainable, Smart, and Inclusive Communities,” underscored the importance of AI literacy and digital competence in achieving sustainable and equitable development. He also presented his co-authored research, “Development and Validation of the Prompt Engineering Competence Scale (PECS),” conducted with Prof. Ibrahim Arpaci, introducing a validated model for assessing skills essential to the age of generative AI.
This collaboration with the UNDP exemplifies SDG 17.2.2 by promoting cross-sectoral dialogue between academia, government, and international organizations, and supports SDG 17.2.3 through the exchange of global knowledge and best practices. By advancing conversations on AI, education, and sustainability, GUST continues to play a central role in strengthening policy-relevant research and capacity building in alignment with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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.”
Other Initiaives and Activities
SLB Field Visit
On 24 November 2025, engineering students from GUST visited SLB (Schlumberger), one of the world’s leading energy technology companies, for an immersive field experience focused on innovation and sustainability. During the visit, students engaged directly with SLB engineers and industry specialists, gaining insight into modern energy solutions, environmental impact monitoring, responsible resource management, and the technologies driving the global shift toward low-carbon systems. By creating a space where students, faculty, and industry professionals could exchange ideas and discuss real-world sustainability challenges, this visit serves as a clear example of SDG 17.2.2. Through partnerships like this, GUST strengthens its role as a connector between academia and industry, helping future engineers understand the practical pathways toward achieving national and global sustainability goals.
PIC Future Leads Academy Seminar
In November 2025, GUST hosted a seminar led by the Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) that focused on bridging the gap between industry and academia. The session brought together PIC representatives, faculty, and students for an in-depth discussion on real-world industry challenges, evolving workforce needs, and the role of academic institutions in preparing future professionals. By creating a platform where national industry leaders can engage directly with the university community, GUST supports SDG 17.2.2, which emphasizes cross-sectoral dialogue for sustainable development. This seminar not only enriched students’ understanding of Kuwait’s energy and industrial landscape but also strengthened ongoing cooperation that contributes to the country’s broader innovation and sustainability goals.
NBK Headquarters Visit
On 1 December 2025, GUST students visited the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Headquarters for an immersive educational experience that connected the academic community with one of the country’s most influential financial institutions. During the visit, students gained firsthand insight into NBK’s operations, innovation strategies, and emerging sustainability practices within the banking sector. NBK representatives engaged students in discussions about financial technology, economic development, and the skills needed for future careers in finance and business.
By facilitating direct interaction between students and national industry leaders, this visit aligns with SDG 17.2.2, as it fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and partnership between the university and key local institutions. Through experiences like this, GUST helps students understand how national organizations contribute to Kuwait’s economic and sustainable development goals while strengthening long-term institutional relationships.
GUST Hosts UNESCO School Awards Closing Ceremony
Under the Patronage of the Ministry of Education Dr. Hamed Al-Azmi, and in a joint effort between GUST’s Center for Teaching, Learning and Research, the National Commission of Culture and Education representing UNESCO, GUST hosted the closing ceremony of the UNESCO accredited schools in Kuwait.
The event welcomed many leading educators and administrators, including GUST President, Professor Walid Bouhamra, Dean of the College of Business Administration, Professor Antonis Simintiras, Al-Sheikha Sheikha Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, patron of the event and schools, a representative from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, and Nadia Al-Wazzan, Director of the Kuwait National Commission for Education - UNESCO, Science and Culture,as well as students from all the accredited UNESCO schools. During the event, students from each school gave short performances ranging from poetry to plays to shadow shows.
GUST is always happy to support the local educational committee and encourage the youth to excel in both their education and honing their talents.
