AUM Commitment to SDGs led to a Good Practice as part of the International Quality Review by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK

The American University of the Middle East has successfully obtained global accreditation having completed QAA’s International Quality Review (IQR). IQR is a rigorous process which benchmarks global higher education institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The review took place from 05 to 08 June 2023 and was completed by a team of three independent reviewers. In making their conclusions, the review team confirmed that the University meets all 10 of the internal quality assurance standards in the ESG.

The review team also identified 11 examples of good practice including:

• Commitment to embedding UN Sustainable Development Goals in institutional processes, including the institutional quality assurance.

 Extract from the full report which is available here

Internal and external partnerships in the field of research, educational and training programs, academic programs:

Babson Collaborative

AUM is a member of the Babson Collaborative for Entrepreneurship Education (The Collaborative). The Collaborative is an institutional membership organization for colleges and universities seeking to increase capabilities and capacities for developing entrepreneurship education.

Strategic Cooperation HEC Montréal 

CHEA – CIQG

AUM Academic Fair: The Vision of a New Generation

The American University of the Middle East (AUM) held its 2018 Academic Fair on Wednesday 19 December at AUM Cultural Center. The exhibition included student graduation projects and various innovative ideas. 

Students from the College of Engineering and Technology introduced the latest technology and electronics in the field of engineering and robotics. They presented distinctive projects such as a robot for interpretation, Pepper the first social humanoid robot able to recognize faces and basic human emotions, Traffic controller system and prevention of road accidents, solar car design, solar panels for house energy storage and sale, Wireless communication systems, 3D game to teach children mathematics, renewable energy and others. 

While students from the College of Business Administration introduced applications and systems used to help companies increase sales by developing management models and data analysis. They also developed their own projects such as an electronic mirror that helps people pick out clothes and do exercises, electronic garment design machine. They also prepared marketing plans, research papers and case studies for several commercial companies. 

On the other hand, students from the Department of Liberal Arts highlighted many social problems such as racism, child education, and other social scourges. Furthermore, they presented solutions that could be fundamental for society development. Students also presented projects on human health and modern methods to prevent diseases. 

The academic fair included an art exhibition featuring 25 paintings handpicked from a collection of artistic works made by students, which unveil student hidden artistic and creative talents. Music also had its share in the exhibition as students from the music club played various pieces.

AUM Academic Fair is a yearly event that gives students the opportunity to showcase their talents, develop their knowledge and apply what they’ve learned during the academic year. 

AUM Fair offers a platform for students’ abilities 

During the event, the organizers considered that the academic fair has an important role in enabling students to enter the labor market, and thus encourage them to think in an innovative way to create non-traditional projects and ideas that contribute to the advancement of Kuwaiti and other societies. 

They noted that the exhibition is a real opportunity for students to demonstrate their abilities and exchange ideas with professors and colleagues to prove their negotiation, communication and teamwork skills.

AUM Academic Fair... the vision of a new generation 

For their part, students highlighted the importance of participating in the academic fair, which is a platform for exchanging ideas and experiences, pointing out that the projects reflect their attitudes and vision as a new generation seeking to develop technology and knowledge. 

Students also discussed the skills they acquired during the preparation of projects gaining extensive experience in managing tasks. The participants noted the support provided by the university and faculty members in particular, which provided them with the latest equipment to keep abreast of technological developments and necessary means for success.    

Career Fair at AUM Hosts 50 Local and International Companies

The American University of the Middle East (AUM) held its fifth annual Career Fair organized by the Career Development & Recruitment Center on Tuesday and Wednesday 17 and 18 April with the participation of 50 local and international companies.

AUM graduates rank high on employability

Representatives at the fair expressed their interest in meeting students given that AUM interns and employees show great practical skills and competencies. Hiring and recruitment officers at the fair attributed their participation to the long-standing and consistent relations between AUM and their industries.

Boursa Kuwait

Talent Planning Senior Officer at Boursa Kuwait, Mohammad Ashkanani, asserted that being at AUM Career Fair is a priority event for the company. “We look for energetic graduates who have advanced practical experience. AUM is one of the best universities in the region in preparing competent students as most of its graduates have a good understanding of Boursa Kuwait”.

Schlumberger

Ghazi Al Sharhan Regional Recruitment Manager at Schlumberger stressed on the importance they give to AUM events given the university’s strong presence and good reputation in the higher education sector. “We search for the best graduates, and AUM students are among the best in the region”, he said.

EQUATE

EQUATE representative at the fair, Dhari Al-Baghli, gave insight on the recruitment planning at the company saying they look to recruit ambitious youth especially industrial engineering and mechanical engineering graduates. Al-Baghli commended AUM graduates who are now employed at the company for the skills and the technical know-how they have upon joining the team.

Zain

Salwa Algabandi from Human Resources at Zain telecommunication said during the fair “we currently have a number of interns from AUM, and we usually hire a good percentage of AUM graduates in different departments. What distinguishes AUM graduates from other graduates in my opinion, is the great self-confidence and communication skills they have”.

Kuwait Oil Company

Administrative Affairs Manager at KOC, Ebtihal Al-Tourah explained during the event that KOC takes interest in career fairs as they are an opportunity to meet graduates and senior students and inform them of the vacancies at the company.

RSM Consulting

The company is always looking for competent graduates in accounting and financial auditing added Mohammed Etman, Recruitment Officer at RSM. “We believe that AUM students are well equipped in both functions and proof to that is our participation in the fair”, he said.

Burgan Bank

Soumaya Sabbagh, Recruitment Manager at Burgan Bank, applauded the sense of responsibility and commitment that AUM students have, as well as their enthusiasm to always learn something new.

Babtain Group

Group Recruitment Manager at Babtain Group, Sonar Al-Hajj, explained that AUM students have great skills and self-confidence. “We are happy to have them on board and to have good relations with AUM which continuously follows up with us to build successful relations with the private sector”, she confirmed.

Baker Hughes, a GE Company “AUM Career Fair is the only job career event we have participated in this year, and this is firm proof of our confidence in this university and the competence of its graduates,” said Amani Qishawi HR Business Partner at Baker Hughes.

VIVA

“Our participation in this fair is a priority given the caliber of graduates in human resources management we find at AUM”, Mohammad Al Shaiji, Talent Sourcing and Workforce Planning Manager said.

Al Ahli Bank

ABK Academy at Al Ahli Bank representatives noted the great turn out of students at the fair and the enthusiasm they show at the work place.

Kout Food Group

Kout Food Group were also present at the fair, Anitha Kidiyoor, Resourcing Manager said: “It is the third time we participate in AUM Career Fair and this goes to show our confidence in the skills and employability of its graduates. We look forward to have them on board”.

AUM Graduates represent private sector companies

The fair saw many AUM alumni take part as representatives of companies at the event. Hashel Al-Huwaishel, Associate Auditor – Assurance at EY is a graduate of Accounting from AUM. Al-Huwaishel introduced students to the vacancies at EY and answered questions on the required skills. “Our participation at the fair is to build a connection with soon to be graduates, especially that as AUM graduates we have proven ourselves in the job market. Now we hope to guide students so they can build a successful career path once they graduate,” he remarked.

Human Resources at VIVA, and AUM former students, Miriam Al Harbi and Asmaa ALasfour also attended the fair. Al Harbi, who holds an MBA from AUM, said she was happy to take part in the fair, adding that the extensive academic and student activities at AUM helped her build the needed skills and abilities in handling pressure at the work place.

Industrial Engineer at KOC Mezna AlShammari, also an AUM former student, spoke about the transition from the university to the job market. She added that the extensive training and project presentations during her years of study helped her outshine other job applicants and showcase great leadership skills and self-confidence.

Connecting graduates to the job market

Assistant Manager at the Career Development and Recruitment Center at AUM, Lolwa Albohamad, said the fair allows students and new graduates to explore job vacancies at local and international companies in Kuwait and puts them in direct contact with the hiring managers. Recruitment representatives also get a chance to know AUM students and their qualifications.

Year after year, the fair sees a greater number of companies and students that visit, she added. Companies from the oil, finance, industrial, contracting and other sectors are present at the Fair during which seminars on job opportunities and the job market are ongoing.

The goal of the Career Development and Recruitment Center is to build good relations with the job market and help fill the gap between academic curricula and actual market needs. This happens by understanding the job requirements at different companies and translating them into skills that graduates learn. The center seeks to support and assist students and graduates by preparing them to enter the job market through different workshops and information sessions. Leadership, communication, innovation, work ethics and entrepreneurship are few of many topics that students are exposed to during the academic year to help them build a successful career, Albohamad said.

AUM Academic Fair Promotes Innovation and Creativity

Students from the College of Engineering and the College of Business Administration at the American University of the Middle East (AUM) participated in the 2017 Academic Fair organized on AUM campus in Egaila. 

The two-day fair included cultural and science competitions and events including an exhibition for AUM Art Club student and several performances by the Music Club students.

 AUM Academic Fair is a yearly event that gives students the opportunity to showcase their talents, develop their knowledge and apply what they’ve learned during the academic year. 

AUM: An education hub

The fair is an opportunity for students to showcase their innovative and critical thinking skills through projects and activities that seek to fill the gap between the advancement we see today and the demands of modern life, organizers said. 

Students are encouraged to work as a team and use what they learnt in different disciplines. 

The Academic Fair is one of different student events that fall under AUM’s vision of empowering the young generation in the field of innovation and creativity, increase their knowledge, build a strong character and develop their technical skills. 

AUM Fair offers a platform for the exchange of ideas

During the event, students stressed the fair is an opportunity for them to interact and come up with practical problem solving ideas. Their research topics focused on renewable energy, robotics, programming, and how to address business challenges among others. 

Students presented their projects during the fair and stressed on the support they receive at AUM and the responsibility they feel after having to manage the design, research, development and execution of their academic projects. 

Graduating students presented their final projects as other students also took part in the fair where they showcased projects that combine innovative ideas with the latest in technology. 

AUM students: A model generation

AUM’s educational philosophy stands on a firm belief of supporting students through a state of the art campus and experienced faculty to allow them to pave the way for a better future.

 AUM is committed to educating a model generation and many achievements have so far been accomplished. AUM students recently won first place in the Huawei ICT Skill Competition 2017 in Kuwait, which qualified them for the final stage of the competition that will be held at Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen, China.

AUM participates in the 10th International Conference on Women Leaders

AUM participated in the 10th International Conference on Women Leaders in Science, Technology and Engineering (WLSTE+10) hosted by the Kuwait Foundation for the Development of Sciences (KFSA). The conference was held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, in the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development in Kuwait in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the US State Department.

AUM faculty, Dr. Elda Cina and Dr. Wiem Abdelbaki, attended the conference as well as AUM students Razan Al Far and Rand Younes, who had the opportunity to share their future plans with other participants, and take part in the “Starting Career Outside Academia” workshop held during the conference.

AUM‘s participation in the conference comes in view of its firm belief in the role of women in leadership, and the success women inspire in the different fields of science. AUM’s vision for a strong community stands on the importance of empowering women and allowing them access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education so that they can lead successful roles in any sector and industry.

AUM’s continuous efforts in developing an educated and responsible generation answer an educational philosophy that encourages women to showcase their scientific skills and proficiency so they can have a prosperous career and help build a better future.

The conference focused on emerging insights that can motivate sustainable solutions and expand women networking platforms in Kuwait and around the world.

This event helps to further the mission of the university in generating gender equality, increasing the participation of women in our society and in the workplace.

AUM Students Selected as Finalists in Babson’s 2021 GLOBAL STUDENT CHALLENGE

AUM students participated in the 2021 Global Student Challenge organized by Babson Collaborative.
Before competing internationally with teams from 15 countries, AUM organized a university-based competition as a live event held on March 10th, where 21 students divided into 8 teams competed among each other. The top three ideas were selected to advance to the semi-final. AUM representative teams that reached the semi-finals and competed internationally were: iShield, Ecophilic, and Pave Green.

“Pave Green” team represented by AUM’ers, Muneera AlJeeran, Amani Halaldeen, and Jasem AlSalem were selected as finalists of the Global Student Challenge as part of the top 10 teams out of the 178 teams participating in the competition. Pave Green’s project, titled “Paving the way to a sustainable future in Kuwait”, touched upon several goals of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The challenge is a real-world test of students’ abilities to apply the lessons learning in their courses as they will be utilizing the concepts learned in entrepreneurship classes at their universities. Participating students applied their knowledge of opportunity identification and assessment resulting in feasibility analysis of a new business concept. Each business concept addressed one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in a way that could ultimately result in the creation of a new for-profit or nonprofit venture.

This achievement reinforces the University’s efforts towards integrating sustainability in all functions of the institution and to build a generation of responsible citizens who are ready to create an impact in the community by solving some of the world’s most complex issues. It is worth noting that AUM has been ranked as the most green and sustainable university in Kuwait, 22nd in the Arab Region, and 302nd globally, in the 2020 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. Additionally, the University has recently become a member of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative that comprises over 850 leading business and management schools across 95 countries around the world that are committed to building a more sustainable future by implementing the six principles and supporting the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The American University of the Middle East Sets a New Regional Record at the “RobotChallenge” Competition in China

Students from the College of Engineering and Technology at the American University of the Middle East (AUM) achieved an unprecedented reginal record in the 15th edition of the “RobotChallenge” competition held at the Beijing University of Science and Technology in China from 10 to 12 August 2018. This competition is organized annually by the Austrian Society for Innovative Computer Sciences (INNOC) in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science.

“RobotChallenge” is an international platform that promotes the exchange of ideas and innovations among participants and experts. It aims to encourage new talents to develop their abilities in science and research, by working in the fields of informatics, electronics, mechanics and artificial intelligence.

The event brought together 2288 participants from 223 institutions, including universities from 30 different countries such as the United States of America, Germany, France, Austria, China, Switzerland, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Korea, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The contestants set up 1478 robots to compete before a judicial panel including 445 referees.

The American University of the Middle East was represented by students: Rand Younis (Computer Engineering), Razan Al Far (Computer Engineering), Mohammad Baalbaki (Electrical Engineering), Alaa AlHarbi (Electrical Engineering), Badreyah Farhan (Electrical Engineering), Ahmed Moustafa (Mechanical Engineering) and Mahdi AlFaraj (mechanical engineering), who competed in 11 challenges, under the supervision of their professors Dr. Samer Alkork, Dr. Sherif Said and Dr. Mohammad Abdolmaleki.

AUM students won the gold and bronze medals in the “Remote Air Race”, which involved 22 teams from China, Korea, Poland, Thailand, Latvia, Mexico and Kuwait. The students also won the silver medal in the “Autonomous Drone” competition in which 8 teams from Germany, China, and Kuwait competed, and the silver medal in the “Line Follower Adult” competition in which 12 teams from China, Egypt and Kuwait competed.

By winning a gold medal, two silver medals and a bronze medal in this competition, AUM students set a new regional record that was never achieved before by any institution from the GCC and Mena region since the launch of “RobotChallenge” competition in 2004.

AUM Students Win first places in IEOM Conference – Indonesia

Students from the American University of the Middle East (AUM) marked a new achievement during their participation in the 8th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management held in Indonesia.

AUM Industrial Engineering students participated in three competitions and won the first place in each one.

AUM students win over peers from more than 200 universities

Academics, researchers and practitioners from different industries took part in the conference which included more than 450 research papers and projects submitted by more than 200 universities from 60 countries such as: the University of Michigan and Lawrence Technological University – USA, University of Derby and Cranfield University – UK, University of Waterloo – Canada, University of Technology (UTM) – Malaysia, Lorraine University – France, Tsinghua University – China, The University of Tokyo – Japan, Massey University – New Zealand, Universidad de Monterrey- Mexico, Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) – India, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) – Indonesia, University of Johannesburg – South Africa, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals – KSA, and Qatar University.

This international conference is a platform where participants can exchange ideas and discuss recent developments in sciences. The conference is also meant to foster networking, collaboration and joint efforts among conference participants to advance the theory and practice in the field as well as identify major trends in Industrial Engineering and Operations Management.

AUM students win at IEOM for the second consecutive year

Nourhan Hasan, Yasmeen Shebeeb, Lina Hamdan, Samar Qurtom, and Afnan Hamadah presented their Simulation of Patient Flow and Healthcare Resources in a Hospital project, in the Simulation and PLM competition, and won first place.

Students Alaa Al-Shammari, Zahraa Kamal, Sahar Redha, Shahad Hussain, and Tuleen Nazzal also won first place with their Quality Improvement in Plastic Injection Molding Industry: Applying Lean Six Sigma to SME in Kuwait project in the Undergraduate Research competition.

As the Senior Capstone Design Poster competition, students Danah Abbas, Maryam Khajah, Maryam Al Ajami, Marwah Ashkanani, and Fatemah Bou Jaber won first place with their project titled: Developing a Decision Support System for University/ College Selection Problem for Kuwait.

AUM students won for the second year in a row as their participation in the IEOM conference last year in Morocco was also marked by similar achievements.

AUM Students Win first places in the 9th IEOM Conference

Students from the American University of the Middle East (AUM) won first places during their participation in the 9th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (IEOM), held in Bangkok, Thailand from 5 till 7 March 2019.

The conference was organized by IEOM Society International, in collaboration with the African Engineering Education Association (AEEA), the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES) and the Society of Cost and Quality Engineers (SCQE), the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering (IIIE), the Pakistan Society of Industrial Engineers (PSIE), and BKSTI: Agency for Cooperation of Higher Education of Industrial Engineering in Indonesia.

AUM Industrial Engineering students competed in five competitions and won four first places and one-second place.

Students Ghalyah AlMutairi, Fatemah Mhaisen, Rawan AlHumaidi, Mariam AlAjran, and Hawraa AlBather presented their “Developing Green Supply Chains for New Kuwait: A Strategic Approach” project, in the Supply Chain competition, and won the first place.

In the Senior Capstone Design Poster competition, students Nour AlEnezi, Noor Khourshed, Dalal AlBeshaier, Sharifah AlKandari, and Rawan AlElaj won the first place on their project about “Expanding Central Craft Company”.

AUM students Fatemah AlKhozam, Rahaf AlAjmi, Shareefah Haji, Hebah AlEnezi and Muneerah AlMetlaqem also secured the first place in the Simulation competition, presenting their “Improving the Fabrication and Welding Workshop at Oil Company for Better Worker Performance by Using Digital Human Modeling and Simulation” project.

As for the Undergraduate Student Paper Competition, students Bader AlMutawa, Ali Issawy, Osama Ahmad, Samer El Khatib, and Abdullah AlHaj Hasan presented their project about “Using SPC & EPC Unified Framework to Improve Production Disruptions in Manufacturing Industry” and came in the first place.

Furthermore, students Nojoud AlMutairi, Fay AlDallal, Masturah AlRasheedi, Sarah AlShadad, and Muneerah AlShadad won the second place in the Undergraduate Research competition on their “Developing a Mobile Application for safety Engineers for Detailed Hazard analysis” project.

Professor Don Reimer, Director at IEOM Society International, highlighted the importance of IEOM conference, which provides students from around the world with an opportunity to engage in real life situations in the industrial engineering field and be part of it through their innovative projects and ideas. In addition, IEOM conference helps students strengthen several skills such as leadership, communication and teamwork in a real competitive environment different from classroom experiences.

He added that students at IEOM are competing globally because they are able to offer diverse ideas from different communities and societies around the world. He also pointed out that this year IEOM conference includes more than 450 paper that have been accepted out of 700 paper submitted by universities from 60 countries around the world such as: USA, UK, China, Japan, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Portugal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Brazil, South Africa, KSA, UAE and Kuwait.

Reimer commented on AUM students’ win praising their commitment and hard work, pointing out that their preparations reflected a high academic level, and allowed them to compete and surpass other teams.

He concluded: “AUM faculty and students’ work is excellent and we encourage them to continue progressing and acquire more skills that will help them win any competition”.