Leaders from the American University of Kuwait traveled to 天美麻豆 this week to meet with and reaffirm their commitment to advancing liberal arts education in the Persian Gulf region and continuing cross-cultural collaborations between faculty, students, and staff at both institutions.
President Hanlon and AUK President Rawda Awwad signed a memorandum of understanding in a ceremony attended by representatives from both institutions Wednesday, extending the 20-year for another five years.
鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to see our relationship with AUK continue and grow. There are so many benefits to be drawn from this partnership, both for our students and our faculty, and any opportunity for our respective institutions to tap into each other鈥檚 talent is a win for us both,鈥 Hanlon said.
鈥淥ver the years, our relationship has grown stronger and more meaningful,鈥 said Awwad. 鈥淭hrough exchanges of faculty, students, and ideas, we have been able to broaden our perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world around us. This partnership has enriched the academic and cultural experiences of all involved and has opened doors to countless opportunities.鈥
Sheikha Dana Nasser Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the founder and chair of the board of trustees of AUK, got as far as New York but was unable to attend the ceremony because of a winter storm that hit New England.
Al Sabah, who founded AUK as the first co-educational liberal arts institution in the region, celebrated the collaboration in a statement, saying, 鈥淭he signing of this MOU signifies our shared dedication to continuing this partnership for many years to come. It is a testament to our mutual commitment to fostering academic excellence and promoting cultural understanding. We look forward to the many more fruitful collaborations that will arise from this partnership.鈥
Al Sabah for her pioneering work.
Also attending the ceremony from AUK was Amal Al-Binali, executive vice president of the university.
Hanlon and Awwad both acknowledged , the Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and Human Relations emeritus, as the driving force in establishing the partnership. 鈥淭he document we are signing today strengthens the strong bonds we鈥檝e forged over the last two decades. It paves the way for new initiatives,鈥 said Eickelman.
In the last two decades, 天美麻豆 and AUK faculty and students have traveled between campuses to participate in cross-cultural internships, fellowships, and research. More recently, 天美麻豆 and AUK have also developed a for-credit academic exchange to complement the existing noncredit, experiential learning internship, says Eickelman.
Also in attendance from 天美麻豆 were the chair of the ; , professor of marketing at the ; and Kerry Laufer, deputy director of the 天美麻豆-AUK Program.
To illustrate the vital collaboration between the institutions, Eickelman noted that, over spring term, 天美麻豆 Middle Eastern Studies major Brandon Mioduszewski 鈥25 will travel to Kuwait, where he will serve as a student coordinator for an undergraduate internship program with AUK鈥檚 International Relations Department. In addition, four interns from AUK will be at 天美麻豆 this summer, working with , the , and the .
