Monthly Student Magazine

ACKINSIDE

APRIL/MAY 2018 ISSUE

Featuring the 1st Place Winners of Injaz’s 2018 “Company Program” Annual Competition

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IND INSIDEACK Wins 1st Place in Injaz’s Annual “Company Program” CompetitionRead more on Page 3!

Photography Club goes to Failaka IslandOrganized by Student Life.

ACK Participates in the World InterUniversities Championship – Euro Milano 2018Read more on Page 6.

5th ACK Health DayACK’s Health & Safety Department organized its semi-annual ACK Health Day themed “Nutrition”.

Recycling Day EventOrganized by ACK’s PR & Marketing Department.

Quick Chat: Ali Abdulkareem from ACK’s Volleyball TeamInterview by Sayuri Gunawardena.

Engineering Students’ Graduation Project Expo 2018Organized by the School of Engineering.

Kuwait’s First Major Concentrated Solar Power PlantEngineering students & faculty accompanied the Australian Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, His Excellency Jonathon Gilbert, to Shagaya Renewable Energy. Read more on page 13.

ACK’s 2nd Competition for Innovation & EntrepreneurshipOrganized by the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at ACK.

Fill in the Gap - Spring 2018Organized by the School of Business.

Welcoming International StudentsAmber Lewis from Deakin University, Australia visits ACK.

Art GalleryOrganized by Student Life.

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Table of Contents Design by Abdulaziz Al Tammar

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ACK WINS 1st PLACE IN INJAZINJAZ “COMPANY PROGRAM” ANNUAL COMPETITION

On 20th April 2018, Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) students recently won the Injaz “Company program” Annual Competition for High Schools and Universities in Kuwait. ACK students participated under the company named ‘KUN’ or ‘Be Yourself’. Students worked over 6 months period, after classes and including during their weekends, to finalize their entry.

The requirements for the competition included designing a company from scratch, starting with the need to raise capital, developing the product, marketing and selling, HR organization, tracking financials and finally closure of the company with dividend distribution. The students assembled all their information and data into a formal business report, as well as preparing a booth to showcase their products. The KUN team had to compete against other universities through their presentation as well as participate in an intensive interview with the judges.

The motivation behind the KUN business idea was to revive the richness and beauty of the Arabic Language through handmade arts, designs and calligraphy. It aimed to spread the power of identity and create a mindset that cherishes the language, civilization and tradition of a rich culture and invite people of curiosity to reflect on their vast cultural wealth. The students who represented ACK were: Adel Al Khulaifi, Mohammad Ayman Zaher, Kermel Essa, Shahad Dawara, Mahsa Rahimi, Zainab Huseni Jabla, Mohammad Hamadah, Maisam Khazal and Ahmad l-Behbehani.

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Students received mentor guidance from ACK faculty member Ms. Rola Mourdaa and Mr. Ahmad Nagi from the industry. ACK students outperformed their competitors in all aspects and as a result of their hard work over an extended period they secured 2 prizes: Best Social Impact Award and Best Company Award for the Year 2018.

ACK Mentor, Ms Mourdaa commented that the ACK students epitomized the ACK college spirit of enabling human potential within a culture of care. ACK will now represent Kuwait in the Regional Competition to be held in November, 2018.

INJAZ (CONTINUED)

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PHOTOGRAPHY CLUBTRIP TO FAILAKA The Photography Club at ACK took a

trip to Failaka Island with Abdulaziz Safar, Coordinator - Student Life. The students had a lot of diverse settings to take pictures of, including lakes, beach, boats, ruins, and nature.

The students practiced adjusting their camera settings to the different surroundings to make sure they get clear, highly quality shots.

They also practiced shooting while on a moving boat which included adjusting the shutter speed depending on the speed of the boat and the subject.

The students had a great time exploring the island and learning more about photography. For more information about the Photography Club at ACK, please email studentlife@ack.edu.kw.

Article by Abdulaziz Al Tammar - Student Magazine Photographer

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The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) participated in the “World InterUniversities Championship – Euro Milano 2018” held in Milan, Italy. The tournament witnessed participations from all over Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, North and South America in the four days championship with approximately 2,500 university students!

ACK was the only university participating from Kuwait and it was represented by its male and female Basketball teams, and female Volleyball team.

On this occasion, the Student Life’s Manager, Mr. Basel Dana, stated: “I would like to congratulate our students on this participation. We are very proud of all our athletes and wishing them all the best.”

ACK congratulates all its athletes while encouraging them to participate in sports and health-related activities which will benefit them in achieving their academic and non-academic goals.

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The Australian College of Kuwait recently held its 5th Health Day. A different theme is selected each semester with the current focus being on “Nutrition”. Over 20 different activities were organized by student groups to promote greater awareness by students, staff and their family members regarding the importance of a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event was ACK Student Council member,

Abdulnaser Saeed who did a fantastic job in engaging the audience.

The Health Days are special occasions for the wider ACK family to gather and have fun with a purpose. Special guest of honor at the event was the Australian Ambassador to Kuwait, His Excellency Jonathon Gilbert. He was greeted by ACK President, Professor Isam Zabalawi and Health Day Committee Chairperson, Mr. Abdulmohsen Al Rifai. Ambassador Gilbert expressed his delight at the

5th ACK HEALTH DAYOrganized by ACK’s Health & Safety Department and the School of Business

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energy and creativity of students in the organization and management of the many activities.

A very pleasing dimension to the Health Days is the growing attendance by children and younger siblings of students and staff. As part of its ongoing program of Social Responsibility, the college is committed to active involvement in projects that encourage people of all ages to live healthy and engaged lifestyles. Opposite are photos from the event including activities booths, student organizers and cheque presentation to Cancer Awareness Nation (CAN).

ACK Healthy Living Committee Chair, Mr. Abdulmohsen Al Rifai, noted that the Health Days each semester provide a rare opportunity for the whole campus to meet together. Some students from the School of Business take part in the organization for their course of study in Event Management. However, there are also many other students who become involved outside the curriculum and Mr. Al Rifai was full of praise for their college spirit. He commented: “At ACK, we place great emphasis on our students graduating not only with a qualification but also as rounded and connected members of the community.”

More information regarding the ACK Health Day Program is available from safetymatters@ack.edu.kw.

ACK HEALTH DAY (CONTINUED)

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RECYCLING DAY - SCHOOL OF ENGINEERINGRECYCLEREDUCEREUSE

Organized by ACK’s PR & Marketing Department, Engineering students held a Recycling Event on 5th April 2018 at ACK’s Aviation Hangar. The aim of the event is to engage students in learning about the environmental benefits of recycling, to promote community re-use and recycling initiatives, and reduce what we add to the waste stream.

Petroleum and Civil Engineering students under the supervision of Dr. Rana Malhas from the Petroleum Engineering Department and Eng. Sana Al-Azzeh from the Civil Engineering participated with their projects. The guest visitor was Engineer Sanaa Al Ghemias from Omniya.

Different ideas were presented like smart motor, stereo tire, recycled wooden chair, recycled vacuum cleaner, sustainable heater, agricultural robot, solar energy generator, sustainable concrete blocks, solar oven, mini bulb man, and decorative side lamps all purely from recycled materials.

ORGANIZED BY ACK’S PR & MARKETING DEPARTMENT

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1. How did you become interested in Volleyball?Ali: I’ve been playing Volleyball as a kid since I was 5 or 6 years old. I used to play it in the desert with family and friends. We saw all the adults playing so we wanted to join them. I started playing Volleyball for the fun of it because it’s a family kind of game and thats how my interest grew for the sport.

2. How long have you been playing?A: I’ve been playing Volleyball all my life but I started practicing it professionally since I was 13 years old. I’m 25 years old now. However, it has been an on and off practice in these 12 years.

3. What position do you play?A: For the ACK team I play as the Setter. Basically, I’m in charge of setting the ball for the spikers (hitters) to spike it into the opponent’s court.

4. What other sports do you play?A: I’m more of an individual sports person. Previously, I used to do bowling professionally. Now I do rock climbing. I got into rock climbing while I was abroad because I really enjoyed it competition-wise and body-building wise as well. And in a way, you can integrate it into Volleyball because it’s all about the back muscles.

5. What is your greatest strength and weakness when it comes to Volleyball?A: My greatest strength is that I’m willing to take risks and am willing to dive for the ball whenever I can. Also, I always want to work with the rest of the team. Weakness-wise, there are weaknesses everywhere and I don’t claim to be the perfect player. However, if I had to pick what skill I want to be better at, it would be setting because it’s crucial for winning games.

6. What’s your best memory of playing this sport?A: Joining the ACK Volleyball team. Although we didn’t have the best matches, we had a lot of fun. And hopefully, next year we come back even stronger than we are now.

ALI ABDULKAREEMby Sayuri Gunawardena

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ENGINEERING STUDENTS’

GRADUATION PROJECT EXPO

The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) held its 8th Engineering Students’ Graduation Project Exhibition under the patronage of Kuwait Society of Engineers Chairman Eng. Faisal AlAtel at the Sheikha Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmad Theatre and Hall. The exhibition showcasing 57 outstanding projects conducted by 217 students was inaugurated by Eng. AlAtel, Australian Ambassador to Kuwait, His Excellency Jonathan Gilbert, ACK Dean of School of Engineering, Dr. Mohammed AbdulNiby, ACK management and faculty as well as other distinguished guests.

“We are here to celebrate the achievements of our students in our 8th Engineering Students’ Graduation Project Exhibition for the Spring 2018 Semester. I would like to congratulate each and every student who has completed all these outstanding projects,” stated Dr. Abdul-Niby in his welcome remarks. He added that ACK emphasizes that the graduation project is a positive learning activity that will benefit the students in their educational careers while meeting a state-mandated requirement for the graduation. “I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support and hard work of our faculty members who have given the skills and attributes to the students to build solid foundations in their workplaces,” stated Dr. Abdul-Niby.

“I’m very impressed with the students. Australia and ACK have a long history of collaboration particularly in the field of Engineering. You would know already that Engineering is an Australian expertise. We have a huge energy and resource sector in Australia and as a result, we have many, many thousands of graduates through our Engineering schools working on that. I’m really pleased to say, increasingly we have good numbers of Kuwait engineers studying in Australia in the areas of electrical, structural, mechanical, the whole thing,” stated Gilbert.

Among the projects on showcase were Sustainable Art Gallery Museum, Pavement Management System, Monorail System, Power Electricity in Subway Tunnels, Solar Garage Door, Solar Powered Tricycle, Airport Taxing System, Design and Implementation of a Blind Cap, Automated Plants Irrigation Robot and many more.

The Australian Ambassador lauded the students’ projects particularly those projects on renewable energy. “All are fantastic but I want to put in a big plug for those students who worked on renewable energy, a number of solar projects and a number of wind projects. I think from my perspective sustainable energy is really important part of Kuwait’s future and you have sunshine for 10 months of the year. I know KISR is working very hard in terms of making this vision come alive but I think particularly in the area of solar power generation, there’s huge opportunity for Kuwait and actually Australia is very well positioned with a lot of expertise and resources to help them,” outlined Gilbert.

Text adapted from Arab Times - http://www.arabtimesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2018/may/04/20.pdf

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ENGINEERINGEXPO(CONTINUED)

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ACK ENGINEERING STUDENTS VISIT KUWAIT’S FIRST MAJOR CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PLANT

A group of ACK Electrical and Mechanical Engineering students and faculty were given the privilege of accompanying the Australian Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, His Excellency Jonathon Gilbert, to Shagaya Renewable Energy Park which is the first major concentrated solar power plant in Kuwait.

The delegation was warmly welcomed by the field visit organizers and experts, the Energy and Building Research Center (EBRC) from Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) and Australian engineering company, Worley Parsons.

During the field visit, ACK students learned more about the role of Shagaya’s solar and wind power capabilities designed to help reach Kuwait’s clean energy goal by visiting the Concentrated Solar Power Plant, Photovoltaics Solar Energy and the Wind Power Plant.

ACK sincerely thanks His Excellency Jonathon Gilbert, KISR and Worley Parsons for this valuable learning opportunity that showcased the future of sustainable energy in Kuwait and encouraged our students to consider a career in Kuwait’s energy sector.

Photo 1: Receiving the Workplace Health & Safety Briefing from Manuel before going out to the field. Photo 2: A close- up look at the 50MW Concentrated Solar Power Plant with Worley Parsons.Photo 3: Group photo at the 50MW Concentrated Solar Power Plant with Australian Embassy staff including H.E. Jonathon Gilbert and experts from KISR and Worley Parsons.Photo 4: Learning about the Solar Photovoltaics Plant with Australian engineering company, Worley Parsons.Photo 5: A conversation about the benefits of wind power at the Shagaya Wind Power Plant.Photo 6: Group photo at the Shagaya Wind Power Plant.

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ACK’S 2nd COMPETITION FORINNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(CIEACK) at ACK held its 2nd Annual Competition for Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Small and Medium Enterprises on 2nd May 2018 at ACK Auditorium.

The competition hosted Prof. Hussain Al Talafha, Deputy Director General, Arab Planning Institute from Arab Planning institute, Dr. Hamad Al Hasawi, Secretary General, Kuwait Banking Association and Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Hazza from National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development.

The speakers spoke about the importance of Small & Medium Business and their positive impact on the private sector and Kuwait Economy as whole. The Keynote speaker was Dr. Joachim Timlon from University of Applied Sciences for Management and Communication - Vienna, Austria who talked about the importance of added value and the method of delivering it to customers through having enough resources.

In the competition 15 groups of students from School of Business and School of Engineering presented their business ideas which provided solutions to existing environmental, social, educational and business problems.

It is worth mentioning that the winner of the first place was Ms. Fajer Al Qenai for her idea of “Every Drop Counts” that discusses a new way to save water. Awards were given to the winners of the first five places in order to encourage students to think and act in an innovative way.

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The School of Business recently held its ‘Fill in the Gap’ event where Business students have the opportunity to launch their new product ideas developed throughout the semester. Over 160 students launched more than 50 creative and innovative solutions that were judged by the following judges:

• Ms. Angela Loan – Deputy Head of Mission and Consul, Australian Embassy Kuwait.

• Ms. Madonna Ghanem – Manager of Biosphere Spa (ACK Alumni).

• Ms. Mariam Al Maraghi – Manager – Health & Safety Business Development, ACK.

Boubyan Bank sponsored the event and donated 1,000 KD which was awarded to the top three new product ideas. Pepsi Cola Kuwait also sponsored the event by providing free beverages including their new youth drink IZZE.

First prize went to ‘Lèvres’ who launched an Organic Lip Balm and Lip Scrub. Zainab Huseni Jabla, Mahsa Rahmi and Fatima Hasan were creators and owners of this business.

Second Place went to CHICKIK – a photo booth which produced instant digital photograph memories. Dalal Abdulaziz,

Eman Alshaye and Reem Alsharhan were the creators and owners of this business.

Finally, the third place went to ‘Kuwaiti Tan’ who launched a tanning product. Sarah Aladwani, Abdelwahab Almeeli, Salah Khaja and Abrahem Alrweeshed were the creators and owners of this business.

The Student Prize went to ‘Motivational Mugs’. The creators and owners of this business were Talal Alsayegh, Raghad Khalaf, Basel Khudur and Sara Alawadhi.

The competition helped students understand the basic requirements for developing a sound product and it gave them an opportunity to understand the marketing mix element required while developing a brand.

Congratulations to all the winners and of course all of the students that participated in this event. Well done to all of you. You made your Instructors proud.

We would also like to thank the Marketing Department for their support and of course Ayah Barakat who organized the event on behalf of the School of Business.

FILL IN THE GAPby Mr. Brian Thompson - Senior Instructor, School of Business

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Moving across the globe, from Australia to Kuwait, can be both exciting and slightly worrying but Australian student, Amber Lewis, has enjoyed every moment of her student abroad adventure in Kuwait. Before graduating from Deakin University (Australia) with a Bachelor of Arts (Middle East Studies), Amber is completing a student abroad semester at Kuwait University. The semester exchange is providing her with the valuable opportunity to practice her Arabic with native speakers and experience the Kuwaiti culture firsthand.

Amber recently took time out from her busy study schedule to visit ACK and tour the campus with Student Council Representative, Abdullah Alyaqout. “I am from Melbourne which is renowned for its arts, cafes, restaurants and events culture and I have enjoyed my time here so far. Kuwait is very different to Australia but I have found it has a rich culture, amazing food, and I have made great friends”, shared Amber.

For information regarding postgraduate study in Australia, visit the ACK International Cooperation Office located in F05, Building 1.

WELCOMING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Amber’s campus tour was conducted by ACK Student Council Representative, Abdullah Alyaqout

Amber tours ACK’s Boeing 737

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ART &PHOTOGRAPHY

Every semester, ACK encourages its artistic students to bring in some of their work that they have previously done or have done for this specific event to showcase their talents. On 1st May 2018, the Student Life Department organized its semi-annual Art Gallery display in the foyer of building 1. Students, staff and executive members came to the event to show their support and admiration for art.

On the same day, under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Hamid Al-Azmi, the General Authority for Applied Education and Training opened its 29th Common Art Exhibition of Higher Education Institutions at Al Shaheed Park. ACK Student Abdulaziz Al Tammar and Fatima Hassan represented the college by participating in the exhibition and were awarded certificates of participation for their exceptional work.

For more details regarding ACK’s Art Galleries, Art Club, and Photography Club, please contact Student Life at studentlife@ack.edu.kw.