KUWAIT: As Kuwait marks the centenary of academic scholarship programs, which saw its sons and daughters head abroad to gain knowledge and skills, the state continues to invest in such schemes to meet challenges and build a better future. In 1924, Kuwait sent its very first scholarship delegation to Baghdad, Iraq, which included seven students: Sheikh Fahad Salem Al-Sabah, Mohammad Al-Dosiri, Khaled Al-Adsani, Ahmad Al-Ali, Abdulkareem Al-Ali, Abdullah Al-Abduljaleel, and Salman Al-Enezi.

The state is currently reworking measures to overhaul the negative aspects of the scholarship program and further develop them to avoid wasting of finances and elevate the level of academia and knowledge seeking. Tasked with the tremendous responsibility, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr Adel Al-Adwani had assigned a committee to look into the matter to achieve the national development goals for education, especially within scholarship programs.

The minister said that the task was daunting; however, it should not stand in the way of finding serious and fundamental solutions for scholarship programs, which caused undeniable waste of financial resources. Creating solutions for scholarship problems would help develop Kuwait’s youth foundation, achieving the goals set by the Kuwait Vision 2035 in meeting demands of the job market and establishing a strong foundation for education. According to a 2023 annual report by the State Audit Bureau, some 4,432 students academically faltered between 2020 and 2022, a number overshadowing similar statistics in 2013-14 and 2017-18 with only 2,634.

Faltering causes woes for students who could not continue their academic quest in addition to affecting their parents financially. The State of Kuwait has set a considerable budget for scholarships and also provides scholarship students with a monthly allowance in accordance with the country of scholarship. Students with A merit scholarships also have a monthly bonus of 50 percent on top of their monthly allowance, while students with B merit scholarships get around a 25 percent bonus.

While expenses are on the rise, the state has made it clear that any losses from the higher education budget must be dealt with; therefore, the government will come out with a study that sets plans for annual scholarships to avoid wastefulness and also focus on the academic policies beneficial for students and Kuwait.

The Ministry of Higher Education had established several initiatives, including the Al-Deera (country) system, which academically linked Kuwaiti cultural bureaus abroad. The scholarships are also within Kuwait to help provide more options to students. It is worthy to note that Kuwait is eager to create a system for academic development able to face challenges, progressing skills of citizens and institutes in accordance with the 2024-25 annual development plan. — KUNA