KUWAIT UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION

Kuwait University is a public university funded by the Kuwaiti Government and is currently the only public government university in Kuwait. The university was established in 1966, five years after the State of Kuwait achieved full sovereignty. The establishment of the University marked the Kuwaiti Government's firm commitment to education and research, pursuits vital to the development and survival of the newfound nation.

Throughout its years of operation Kuwait University expanded from a small institution of 418 students and a teaching faculty of 31, to a multi-campus educational complex housing more than 39,000 students, and faculty numbering more than 1600, of which 78% are Kuwaiti nationals. Concurrently, the University's budget, principally appropriated by the Kuwaiti Government, has also risen sharply from approximately 1.3 to more than 300 million Kuwaiti Dinars in the 50-year period since the university’s inception, a 230-fold increase. Such a sharp increase is evidence of the Kuwaiti Government’s commitment to furnishing faculty and students with state-of-the-art facilities and educational modalities. A comprehensive strategic plan to upgrade and expand existing campuses in order to accommodate all prospective student intake is currently in the final implementation stage. This plan is underwritten by an Emiri Decree to establish a new campus, Sabah Al-Salem University Campus, by the end of 2019.

MISSION

To prepare a prominent human capital characterized by their exceptional knowledge, to meet the development requirements, to keep pace with the latest information and technology in higher education, and to lead in scientific research while upgrading in serving the community.

VISION

Kuwait University is a national pioneering university with outstanding qualifications in higher education and scientific research.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of Kuwait University’s educational system are:

• To prepare specialists in various fields of knowledge in light of professional, Arabic and Islamic ethical values.
• Encourage scientific and applied research that serves the progress of society and humanity.
• Promote and foster academic work related to Arabian Gulf, Arabian Peninsula, Islamic and international studies.
• Contribute to the technical and cultural advancement of local society.
• Strengthen cultural and scientific interaction with local and international universities and institutions.

ORGANIZATION

Kuwait University operates under an Independent University Council headed by the Minister of Education and Higher Education. The University’s Charter assigns to the Independent University Council purview over policy issuance and control. The charter also assigns to the President, the Chief Executive Officer of the University, responsibility for policy implementation and administration of the University. Other highly-responsible University officials include the Secretary General in charge of Administrative and Financial Affairs and five Vice-Presidents in charge of Academic Affairs, Research, Planning, Academic Support Services and Medical Sciences respectively. The executive body of the University is comprised of the Deans Committee headed by the President, along with the Secretary General, Vice-Presidents, and Deans as active members.

The academic organization of the University includes fifteen Undergraduate Academic Colleges and a Graduate Studies College. The existing undergraduate colleges are: College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Social Sciences, College of Pharmacy, College of Education, College of Administrative Sciences (Formerly College of Commerce, Economics, and Political Science), College of Engineering and Petroleum, College of Science, College of Allied Health Sciences and Nursing, College of Arts ,College of Law, College of Shari'a and Islamic Studies and College of Life Sciences. Recently two more colleges, the College of Architecture and the College of Computer Science and Engineering, were established.

The College of Graduate Studies awards various master’s Degrees in several disciplines in the Arts, Basic Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Sciences and Technology, Education, Engineering, Law, Environmental Sciences, Medical Sciences Nutrition, Shari’a and Islamic Studies, and Social Sciences. A Master’s Degree in Architecture was also recently approved. The college also awards a higher diploma in Public Administration. The College of Graduate Studies awards a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry and Mathematics (Basic Sciences), Microbiology, Pathology and Physiology (Medical Sciences) and in Comparative Jurisprudence & Sources (Shari’a and Islamic Studies). More than 2000 students are enrolled in various graduate programs, from which 220 students are enrolled in engineering graduate programs. The College of Engineering and Petroleum offers master’s Degrees in: Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Petroleum, Systems and Process Control Engineering.

The College of Graduate Studies also offers two joint master’s programs offered in partnership with other KU colleges:

• M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences (Engineering, Science and Law).
• M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences (Engineering and Science).

The university’s Language Center is the technical and administrative authority responsible for classroom instruction of all foreign language courses at the University, including Arabic language courses for foreign students. Foreign language courses (mainly English) are obligatory and satisfy part of the University’s general education requirements for graduation. The Center also develops general frameworks concerning foreign language instruction objectives and methods, all tailored according to the needs of each college. It also prepares and develops teaching materials compatible with the requirements of each respective college. The Language Center is administered by the College of Arts.

Kuwait University, apart from its Colleges of Law and Medicine, follows a course credit system. University programs are offered over two primary 15-week semesters in the fall and spring in addition to a summer session. The university’s official language of instruction is Arabic except in the Colleges of Science, Engineering and Petroleum, Life Sciences, Medicine, Allied Health Sciences and Nursing, Pharmacy, Administrative Sciences, Dentistry, Architecture, and the College of Computer Science and Engineering, where English is the language of instruction.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PETROLEUM

The College of Engineering and Petroleum (CEP) at Kuwait University is committed to providing quality engineering education geared for the twenty first century. The college’s educational programs reflect both local societal needs and the vision of administration and faculty to make the College a leading college of engineering in the Middle East. The College mission, vision, and goals are designed to reflect this and are presented below.

MISSION

The mission of the College of Engineering and Petroleum at Kuwait University is:

• To provide students with quality engineering education.
• To advance and disseminate knowledge.
• And to lead the society in enhancing its welfare.

VISION

The vision of the College is to become the leading College of engineering in the Middle East, recognized for its outstanding education, research and outreach programs and for the quality, character and integrity of its graduates

GOALS

The goals of the CEP are:

• To create a dynamic academic environment where faculty, students and staff cooperate in preparing individuals for successful careers.
• To keep pace with scientific and technological progress in engineering, and to contribute to its advancement to address the immediate and long-term needs of society.
• To provide outreach programs that meet continuing education and training needs of the country and the region.

BRIEF HISTORY

Kuwait University’s institutional mission to develop human capital and shape local progress and development prompted its leadership to establish the College of Engineering and Petroleum in September of 1975. Initially the college featured three Departments: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering; a year later the Department of Chemical Engineering was added. The Computer Engineering program was introduced in 1985 within the Electrical Engineering Department, thereby changing the department’s name to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Department of Petroleum Engineering was founded in the Fall of 1989. The Industrial and Systems Engineering Program was introduced within the Mechanical Engineering Department in September 1994 accompanying a change in department name to the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. In September 1997, the College of Engineering and Petroleum established the Architecture Department. In September 2000, the Computer Engineering Department was formally separated from the Electrical Engineering Department, and in September 2001 the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department was formally separated from the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Currently, the College awards Bachelor of Science degrees in six engineering majors: Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Industrial and Management Systems, Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering. Graduate programs leading to Master of Science degrees in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering were introduced in September of 1985. The graduate program leading to the Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering was created in September 1994 and the graduate program leading to a Master of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering was created in September 2001. Further, a Master of Science degree in Systems and Process Control Engineering was created in 2013. Multidisciplinary graduate programs provide the students with the ability to enroll in integrated programs, such as the Master’s in Environmental Sciences, and the Master’s in Geosciences.

Since its establishment in 1975, the College of Engineering and Petroleum succeeded in becoming one of the top engineering schools in the region. The number of undergraduate students registered in the College has increased from 127 students in 1975 to more than 3500 in 2014/2015, Approximately 11000 students have thus far graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees, and more than 1000 students have graduated with Master of Science degrees in the various engineering disciplines offered. Faculty size grew significantly over the College’s 40-year history, with an 18-fold increase seen in 2014 as compared to the original faculty size of 12 in 1975.

Particular attention has been devoted to the College scholarship program, where the CEP sponsors highly qualified Kuwaiti nationals in their pursuit of doctoral degrees from leading educational institutions abroad. It is to the credit of this program that approximately 85 % of current CEP engineering faculty are Kuwaiti nationals.

In October 2000, the Office of Academic Assessment (OAA) was established in the college under the supervision of the Office of the Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs. The OAA is designed to undertake continuous academic assessment for the purpose of ensuring academic excellence across the College’s various educational offerings. All engineering programs at Kuwait University are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (http://www.abet.org).

ORGANIZATION

The College Council is the central policymaking body of the College of Engineering and Petroleum. The College Dean, the Chief Executive Officer of the College, is assisted by three Vice-Deans each respectively in charge of Academic affairs, Student Affairs, and Consultation and Career Development. The academic organization of the College includes six departments and an English Language Unit. The College’s supporting units include the: Administrative Office, Engineering Training and Alumni Center, Engineering Library, Office of Automation and Multimedia, E-government Center, Office of Academic Assessment and Transportation Center. The executive body of the College is comprised of the Chairmen Committee headed by the Dean, with Vice-Deans and Department Chairmen as active members.

THE COLLEGE COUNCIL

The College of Engineering and Petroleum strives to adapt its academic programs and research activities to the needs of local government and private industries. In that spirit, the College Council was established in 1994 comprised of experienced members from the public and private sectors, and the College’s Dean, vice-deans, and department chairs. The primary objectives of the council are:

• To familiarize the engineering profession, through its representatives on the council, with the capabilities of the college and the expertise of its faculty.
• To develop a joint strategy for emphasizing the role of the college in meeting the needs of Kuwaiti society through research, consultations, and continuing education programs.
• To identify and incorporate the views of the engineering profession on such vital issues as: the quality of the academic programs offered by ALL and the level of preparation of its graduates; the engineering manpower requirements; the need for new engineering disciplines, etc.