KUWAIT: Kuwait University will accept 7,953 students in all its colleges for the 2022-2023 academic year, including foreign students for a fee. Kuwait University Council approved the numbers proposed by the admission and registration deanship, acting Kuwait University Secretary General and official spokesman Dr Murdhi Al-Ayyash said following a meeting held Monday under the chairmanship of Rector Dr Yousuf Al-Roumi.

Ayyash said the council accepted the proposed number of students, while authorizing the rector for any change in the numbers. He said the council also accepted a proposal of the office of the deputy rector for planning with regards to regulations for accepting foreign students in various specialties in exchange of fees.

This is one of the practical initiatives that aims at strengthening the ranking of Kuwait University, because it is one of the international ranking indicators required by higher education establishments. Ayyash said the basic rules for acceptance and transfer at Kuwait University were approved for the 2022-2023 academic year, besides amending articles 6 and 8 of its teaching faculty affairs rules.

Official sources said Kuwait University prepared a report on measures to improve its ranking among international universities, following criticism for a drop in its current ranking, which is not acceptable for a university that was established in 1966, while universities that were founded later are ahead of it. Sources said the remedial report included an item to increase the number of foreign students, as a lack of them is one of the reasons that caused the drop in the ranking.

They said Kuwait's plan to build a new government university called Abdullah Al-Salem University may ease the burden on Kuwait University in accepting students and it can expand in accepting foreign students like other regional and international universities. Sources said the university is not likely to admit foreign students for free and is expected to charge fees from them, the value of which will be determined later. Sources added admitting foreign students will not be at the expense of Kuwaiti students who meet the conditions for admittance.