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The workshop was organized based on the vision of KFAS in support of a sustainable practical culture, and within the framework of the emergency response program for the COVID-19 pandemic, and in line with the strategic goals of the Ministry of Education. The workshop was held in order to highlight the success stories and research on the challenges facing distance learning in Kuwait, and also to discuss effective solutions that can be followed to successfully implement distance learning in Kuwait.

The workshop included two sessions, the first titled: “Electronic Higher Education – Challenges and Opportunities after the Effects of the Corona Pandemic,” and the second entitled: “General Education under the Conditions of the Corona Pandemic”.

The participation of Prof. Zabalawi came in the first session, where he highlighted the importance of working to develop distance learning and preparing instructors and students to succeed in it. He stressed the importance of training faculty members to prepare the teaching material to be compatible with the data of distance education, along with training students to use information and communication technology tools, and to interact with educational platforms.

Further in this regard, Prof. Zabalawi said: “Distance education includes visual and audio teaching material, data, and interaction between instructor and student; therefore, a training program must be provided for faculty members to enable them to prepare for the use of distance learning (e-learning) platforms”. Prof. Zabalawi also explained the first experience for ACK students with distance learning (e-learning) encouraged them to enroll in the following stages, meaning that the demand for the summer semester was greater than the demand for the spring-continuation semester. He also stressed that from ACK’s distance learning (e-learning) experience; successfully implementing a student-centric approach is easier in distance learning than in traditional classroom learning.

In conclusion, Prof. Zabalawi invited KFAS to collaborate with universities to work on developing projects to build laboratories that can be operated remotely to serve different specializations. He also highlighted the importance of focusing on the development of distance learning as it is uncertain when the COVID-19 pandemic will pass; therefore it is a necessity to be prepared in a serious and practical manner for distance learning in the coming semesters.

The Health and Safety Department at ACK prepared the health, safety and security guidelines and procedures for the safe return of the students and faculty members. Mandatory protocols are placed on ground to reduce the transmission of the communicable disease at the College, and a fully detailed booklet was shared with ACK community to enlighten them with the steps taken for reassurance.

The precautionary plan included a mandatory temperature check and mandatory personal protective equipment. All students entering the campus must be wearing masks and students were given face shields on their first day of resumption that will be part of their mandatory personal protective equipment. In addition, students were asked to practice social distancing and wash their hands regularly. To further raise awareness and ensure the safety of ACK’s community, awareness signage were placed around campus, regular sterilization of ACK's buildings, increase supplies of sanitizer, increase the frequency of cleaning, and as a monitoring measure the College designated a COVID-19 Compliance Officer who is responsible to fully monitor the adherence of all staff and students in the aviation building to all of the mentioned new protocols.

“We understand that some students are concerned about returning to campus while the pandemic is still on. At ACK, we are working so hard and in compliance with all the regulations issued by local authorities to ensure learning continues with the appropriate safety measures in place,” says Captain Abdul Hameed Al Refai, Senior Director – School of Aviation.

Founded in 2004, ACK is one of Kuwait’s leading higher education providers with over 400 employees. It has evolved to become a pioneer in providing higher education in the disciplines of Engineering, Aviation, Maritime and Business studies.

ACK is committed to establishing excellence in teaching, expanding its academic environment, and supporting research and innovation. In addition, ACK strives to provide a career nourishing experience for their staff members where career paths are clearly defined, staff recognition and engagement initiatives are utmost and professional development opportunities are identified and implemented.

Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results. Underpinning the standard is the Investors in People framework, reflecting the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry. Investors in People enables organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.

On this Occasion, CEO of Investors in People, Paul Devoy, said: “We’d like to congratulate the Australian College of Kuwait. Being accredited with “We invest in people” is a remarkable effort for any organisation, and places ACK in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”

From his end, the President of ACK, Professor Isam Zabalawi welcomed the news, congratulating the ACK community for its commitment and hard work.

“ACK cannot offer the best learning environment for students unless it has the best team of staff members,” Professor Isam Zabalawi said. “Individual dedication is not enough. There must also be a strong sense of teamwork. The one thing better than a team of champions is a champion team. This conforms with our value of enabling human potential within a culture of care. Retaining this accreditation reaffirms our commitment to attract, retain the best talent, and foster a healthy working environment. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Human Resources team for this great accomplishment.”

Posted on July. 21, 2020

Below link of the video:

Posted on July. 9, 2020