Education
Kuwait: Investing in human development
"As the number of Kuwaiti students leaving the country to continue their education continues to increase, a trend that looks set to continue, those students who choose to stay at home will likely be affected by a recent decision to boost enrolment at state-run Kuwait University (KU). Potential study-abroad participants had an opportunity to meet with representatives of international educational programs at the “Ambitious Future” forum, held July 11-13 in Kuwait City. Some 40 universities from the US, Europe and Arab countries exhibited at the event, targeted at high school graduates as well as post-graduate students. The conference was sponsored by the prime minister and organized by the executive authority of the National Union of Kuwait Students (NUKS). Minister of Education and Higher Education, Ahmad Al Mulaifi, spoke at the opening of the forum, calling upon Kuwaiti students to be “ambassadors” for their country, according to a report from KUNA, the state news agency. Bader Al Enezi, the chairman of NUKS Executive Authority, also spoke at the event, noting that every student can choose the program that best meets his or her needs. In early June, the KU Council, chaired by Al Mulaifi, announced that the number of students for the 2011/12 academic year would be capped at 6850. By comparison, in recent years more than 7000 students were typically accepted. In the days following the council’s decision, politicians and various organizations, including NUKS, criticized the policy change and demanded that the enrolment cap be lifted. For its part, the school defended the move to reduce the number of students. Abdullatif Al Badr, the university’s rector, released a press statement saying that the decision to cap enrolment was the result of an effort to maintain the quality of academics at the school. This issue was apparently settled in the weeks that followed with a u-turn by KU. On July 13, the university announced that the number of students would be increased to 8000. According to a report in the Kuwait Times, a “temporary campus” will be established to accommodate the additional students. New staff may also be hired. During his comments at the “Ambitious Future” forum, Al Mulaifi called for increasing the number of teachers at KU. Any expansion at KU may be costly for the government, but parliament’s education committee chairman, Jamaan Al Herbesh, has said that the government is ready to provide the necessary backing to allow all high school graduates to enroll at KU. Indeed, investing in education – whether by increasing the size of universities at home or by making sure that students are financially able to study abroad – is an important step for Kuwait to take. Source: Oxford Business Group
"RAK FTZ teams up with BIT to run college
"Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) has signed an agreement with Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) to take over operations from the Royal College of Applied Science & Technology (RCAST). It has resumed admissions for the new school year, a statement said. “We welcome this new opportunity to offer quality education to students based in Ras Al Khaimah,” said Oussama El Omari, chief executive officer of RAK FTZ. “With BIT as the new operator, ensuring the academic direction and quality of the institution, we are confident that this new era in the college’s history is going to usher in an unprecedented success in academic excellence.” As part of the agreement, BIT will offer academic programs at the undergraduate as well as postgraduate level. BIT aims to entice more students to enroll in the newly revamped university to increase its current 352-student population under the new management. Source: TradeArabia News
"Dubai Fashion school draws new talents
"Fashion school Esmod Dubai has revealed that students enrolling in the institution’s three-year fashion course are showing great potential and fashion is emerging as a popular career prospect among students in the Middle East.“We are very happy to see that incoming students of our fashion courses are showing greater potential. Esmod Dubai provides a unique avenue for students to study fashion and someday launch their own collection. With this trend, Dubai is certainly on track to produce a new breed of world-class and talented fashion designers,” said Tamara Hostal, director and founder of Esmod. The fashion school said the course has attracted students from different countries across the region and that enrollment is ongoing until September 25. The graduation fashion show by Esmod’s students inspired designers with the 20-plus themes presented by over 110 models to an audience of more than 1,000 during a public fashion show last June. The show affirmed the success of the school’s three-year program, the latest term of which will commence in a few weeks’ time. The program’s first year teaches freshmen basic techniques and prepares them for higher-level design; the second year exposes sophomores to various products and collections and hones their creativity; while the third year guides juniors through their chosen specialization such as ready to wear, haute couture and new couture, and helps them build their own personal collection. Source: TradeArabia News
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