| Kuwait University | |
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| Motto: | Rabee Zidnee 'Ilman (Lord, Increase My Knowledge) |
| Established | October 8, 1966 |
| Type: | Public |
| President: | Prof. Abdullah Al-Fheed |
| Faculty: | 1,052 |
| Undergraduates: | 20,326 |
| Postgraduates: | 1,362 |
| Location | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| Campus: | Urban, 380 acres (1.5 km²) |
| Website: | http://www.kuniv.edu/ |
Kuwait University (KU) was established in October 1966 , five years after Kuwait's independence from Britain, pursuant to an Amiri Decree, which postulated organization of higher education in Kuwait. Initially, KU commenced functioning with only two faculties, namely the faculty of science, arts and education; and a women's college.[1] The university had 418 students enrolled and 31 faculty members. By (2005), the university had grown to have more than 19,000 students enrolled and over 1,000 members of faculty. KU has also increased its number of colleges which now consist of:
- College of Allied Health Sciences (separated from College of Medicine in June 1982)
- College of Arts (separated on October 1967)
- College of Business Administration (est. as College of Economics and Political Science in April 1967)
- College of Dentistry (est. May 1996)
- College of Education (est. May 1980)
- College of Engineering and Petroleum (est. December 1974 ) - approved by ABET
- College of Law (est. April 1967)
- College of Medicine (est. July 1973)
- College of Pharmacy (est. February 1996)
- College of Sciences (separated on October 1967)
- College of Shari’a and Islamic Studies (est. April 1967)
- College of Social Science (est. 1998)
- Women's College (est. October 1966)
Despite this dramatic increase, the fiscal year 1998/1999 decreased by about 10.5 million Kuwaiti Dinars by the fiscal year 1999/2000, ensuring the preservation of the university's resources.
Future Plans
Kuwait University has just planned a new 10 year project. The project involves construction of a new University City that will provide a modern campus with state of the art facilities for academic staff, students and other employees of Kuwait University. The Government of Kuwait has allocated 5.2 square kilometres of land in the Al Shadidiyah area for the project. The new campus will be co-educational with segregated facilities. It will include several faculties, dormitories, sports facilities and auditoriums as well as car parks for several thousand vehicles. There will also be a medical school and an associated 400-bed teaching hospital. The university city will be developed in stages over ten years and will eventually accommodate up to 40,000 students, permitting the consolidation of Kuwait University’s various existing campuses around the city. The campus will cost about $3 billion over ten years. The planning and design for the new university is being carried out by the Canadian Consortium of Architects and Buro Happold.
References
- ^ Miriam Joyce (1998). Kuwait, 1945-1996: an Anglo-American perspective. Routledge. ISBN 0714648639.
