KUWAIT: In alignment with Kuwait’s vision to improve the quality of education and as part of the institution’s social responsibility plan, the Australian University (AU) hosted the fifth edition of a forum aimed at elevating the ranking of education in the country across schools and universities. Additionally, the forum explored the methods aimed to bridge the gap between the education sector and the labor market.
In his opening speech, Prof. Isam Zabalawi, president of the Australian University, highlighted student engagement and well-being as the cornerstones for maximizing the effectiveness of the educational experience. He discussed their positive impact on both the professional labor force and the overall success of educational institutions.
Referring to AU’s strategy, Zabalawi reflected the university’s concern on constantly brining initiatives that contribute to students, faculty, and staff well-being as well as building an inclusive and engaging environment that unlocks human potential in achieving excellence in teaching, learning, and research. He further discussed the most effective methods utilized by AU to develop students’ engagement through constantly involving them to be part of research projects, co-curricular activities such as volunteer work, internships, and social clubs, as well as encouraging them to attend in campus events like seminars, workshops, and guest lectures.
Since proper education is the building block for a successful career future, Abdulaziz Al-Roomi, executive director of Boubyan Bank’s Human Resources Group, touched upon the main challenges facing fresh graduates in the work industry and the solutions that academic institutions and companies should implement to overcome these challenges. He highlighted Boubyan Bank’s 13-year history of training fresh graduates and equipping them with the necessary skills to achieve their desired career goals.
Most importantly, Roomi emphasized that even if interns do not secure a job at Boubyan Bank, the skills and hands-on experience they acquire enable them to compete in any industry or company they aspire to join. He mentioned two of Boubyan’s training programs, Bedina 7 and Career Prime, which demonstrate the bank’s commitment to investing in ambitious talents, contributing to their growth, and helping them achieve their career goals.
Esra Al-Eisa, an associate professor of industrial engineering at Kuwait University, highlighted the importance of happiness in creating an effective educational journey, using Finland as an example, where teaching happiness is part of the curriculum. She asserted that this can only be achieved with tutors providing unconditional support to students, addressing their struggles, and reviving the critical values needed to shape a positive educational experience.
She expressed her hope that Kuwait would return to the practices of the 1960s when happiness was an essential part of the educational experience, enriching aspects like art, social activities, and sports. However, she lamented that these elements are now often overlooked in favor of educational excellence, which she believes has negatively impacted the overall quality of education.
Rola Mourdaa, manager of Teaching and Learning center at the Australian University, highlighted the huge impact of Education in cultivating developed countries. She explored the key role played by the government, parents, students, and educational institutes in utilizing technology and research, along with the proper mentoring and learning techniques to develop an effective and sustainable educational experience. She referred to the joint responsibility possessed by all the previous stakeholders to raise the quality of education in Kuwait.