HANDS FREE
The Australian College of Kuwait is using innovative teaching methods and technology to prepare students for the challenges and questions of the future.
BIOGRAPHY
Prof. Isam Zabalawi is the President of ACK. With a PhD in electrical and electronics engineering from Leeds University, he specializes in analog and digital signal processing and communication techniques. Zabalawi is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a Higher Education Reform Expert (HERE), and a part of the European Commission and Erasmus+ (Tempus) Office, Jordan. His interests include the communication industry, information technology, technology transfer, and higher education development and reform.What makes project-based learning (PBL) such a unique methodology? What benefit can ACK graduates obtain from it?
PBL is an experiential, hands-on approach to education, which not only ensures that students gain requisite knowledge but also applied skills and a workplace team focused attitude. Within increasingly competitive and globalised markets, employers now expect graduates to be productive from day one. Therefore, the traditional emphasis on academic knowledge is not sufficient to empower students. To bridge this gap, PBL is a learning methodology that involves the application of classroom theory to a workplace related scenario. Students, either individually or preferably in groups, are assigned an ill-defined project. They are then required to interpret theory and undertake further research as needed to fine-tune the task and then develop an industry standard solution.
To what extent is ACK implementing the CDIO approach and what motivated the decision to apply it to ACK?
CDIO is a holistic, experiential approach to learning that links the lifecycle phases of conceiving, designing, implementing, and operating a product, system, service, or process. CDIO may be regarded as an umbrella model that takes into account the wider formation of students so they are not just technically competent but also have the ability to sit back and consider, as a contributory team player, workplace situations from an evolving lifecycle perspective. This involves taking an embryonic idea through all the various steps associated with research, design, development and introduction, through to final ongoing operation. Beneath the umbrella approach of CDIO, various methodologies have been used to apply the model within particular learning contexts. At ACK, CDIO has been applied through PBL, internships, either locally or outside Kuwait, as a result of our membership of the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE).
How is ACK promoting diversity within its institution? What have been the benefits of it creating a global and international community within the institution?
The name 'Australian College of Kuwait' confirms the link between our local infrastructure with the international community through the highly regarded Australian education system. Currently, the ACK family includes over 3000 students from 34 nationalities and over 400 staff from 47 nationalities. As a result, there is a rich diversity of cultures and backgrounds on campus. The Student Life team organizes a cultural celebration each year and invites all students and staff from any background to have an information booth and communal activities to raise awareness and understanding of their culture and traditions. Each semester, the Student Life staff arrange for participation of ACK student teams in international sporting competitions and other gatherings. Faculty are actively encouraged and supported to attend and present papers at international educational and professional conferences across the globe.
What are your expectations for the year ahead?
Every student and every staff member at ACK is important. Accordingly, from an infrastructure perspective, we are doing our best to continuously improve the learning and living environment for all, recognizing that they spend more time at ACK than they do anywhere else during the semester. Later in 2019, ACK will co-host the third Symposia of Private Higher Education - Road to Excellence (SPHERE) event in association with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). The central theme is e-learning, and this topic is of special interest to ACK as our programs across engineering, business, aviation, and maritime studies are all directly influenced by advancements in knowledge, technology, and electronic communications.
HANDS FREE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Adel Abdul Wahab Al-Majed , Chairman, Kuwait Banking Association (KBA)
Through a broad array of information, specialized committees, staff expertise, and other resources, KBA supports Kuwait's banks as they perform their critical role in energizing the economy and helping communities thrive.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Director General, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA)
KDIPA adopts a proactive approach to attract value-added direct investments supported by an integrated promotional strategy serving Kuwait's developmental goals in line with its National Vision 2035.
read articleCommuniqué
Legal Reform and Infrastructure Projects Spell Opportunity for Foreign Investors
Along with the introduction and modernization of new laws and regulations, the vision of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into an international center for commerce and industry by 2035 is already being implemented through Kuwait's National Development Plan. Coupled with the promulgation of progressive FDI regulations, these new opportunities spell positive news for foreign companies looking to conduct business in Kuwait.
read articleFocus: Developing connectivity
Connecting the Dots
Today, connectivity is hardly indispensible for individuals and the companies where they work. Kuwait's smart cities, considered elsewhere in the book, will thrive on it, and meanwhile the nation continues to register notable business deals from the informatics sector.
read articleInterview
Khalid Abbas , Country Manager-Kuwait, Unilever
Contributing to the improved health and wellbeing of communities and reducing environmental footprint are key priorities for Unilever, which is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of up to 1 billion people globally by 2020.
read articleInterview
Mohammed Yousif Soud Al-Sabah , Board Chairman & Director, Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR)
PAAAFR has adapted a package of policies to face challenges inherent to deserts, hot climate, and water scarcity, bringing Kuwait closer to achieving national food security, one step at a time.
read articleInterview
Yang Chunsen, Vice President/ Chief Representative, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East (CSCME) Kuwait
CSCME is a technology-driven company that leverages its R&D and long-standing partnership with the government to increase its participation in the future development of Kuwait.
read article
