Menu
Kuwait is a small, oil-rich country located in the Middle East on the northeast Arabian Peninsula with a population of approximately 4.3 million. It borders the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The flat, sandy Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. The government system is a constitutional emirate; the chief of state is the emir or sheikh, and the head of government is the prime minister. Kuwait has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Kuwait is a member of the League of Arab States (Arab League) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Kuwait’s 2035 vision aims on transforming Kuwait into a financial and trade hub regionally and internationally, and becoming more attractive to investors. Kuwait’s national development plan is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) 2030.
See Visit Kuwait and Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” for more information.
The United States and Kuwait have enjoyed a long history of friendship and cooperation, rooted in shared values, democratic traditions, and institutional relationships. The U.S. supports Kuwait’s sovereignty and security, as well as its multilateral diplomatic efforts to build greater cooperation among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The U.S. is one of Kuwait’s largest suppliers of goods and services, and Kuwait is one of the largest markets for the U.S. in the Middle East. Kuwait and the U.S. belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Kuwait is a participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
See U.S. Department of State for more information.
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory assesses that travelers should exercise normal precautions. Criminal activity is low. Nonetheless, reported incidents include petty theft, car break-ins, and harassment or sexual assault of women traveling alone.
See U.S. Department of State and OSAC for more information.
In the Gulf region, Kuwait was among the first countries to establish a higher education and research system. It comprises public and private higher education institutions and research institutes. The higher education system is regulated by the Ministry of Higher Education (MHE).
The country’s sole public university, Kuwait University, was established in 1966 and offers courses focused on scientific and educational specializations, social sciences and humanities. In 2018, there were 18 private universities in Kuwait offering a varied number of courses. Due to increasing demand for higher education, the Kuwaiti government granted permits for nine new private universities with foreign affiliations to be established over the coming years, including AIU.
Generally, an undergraduate degree encompasses general education, advanced and elective studies with degree specialization. The bachelor’s degree generally lasts for 4 years and requires completion of 120 semester credits.
Kuwait currently sends the third-largest number of students to U.S. universities and colleges from the Middle East/North Africa region, and in 2019-29, Kuwait represented the 19th-largest number of students from any foreign country, at 8,375. Very few U.S. students, however, study in Kuwait.
Kuwait is a small, oil-rich country located in the Middle East on the northeast Arabian Peninsula with a population of approximately 4.3 million. It borders the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The flat, sandy Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. The government system is a constitutional emirate; the chief of state is the emir or sheikh, and the head of government is the prime minister. Kuwait has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Kuwait is a member of the League of Arab States (Arab League) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Kuwait’s 2035 vision aims on transforming Kuwait into a financial and trade hub regionally and internationally, and becoming more attractive to investors. Kuwait’s national development plan is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) 2030.
See Visit Kuwait and Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” for more information.
The United States and Kuwait have enjoyed a long history of friendship and cooperation, rooted in shared values, democratic traditions, and institutional relationships. The U.S. supports Kuwait’s sovereignty and security, as well as its multilateral diplomatic efforts to build greater cooperation among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The U.S. is one of Kuwait’s largest suppliers of goods and services, and Kuwait is one of the largest markets for the U.S. in the Middle East. Kuwait and the U.S. belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Kuwait is a participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
See U.S. Department of State for more information.
In the Gulf region, Kuwait was among the first countries to establish a higher education and research system. It comprises public and private higher education institutions and research institutes. The higher education system is regulated by the Ministry of Higher Education (MHE).
The country’s sole public university, Kuwait University, was established in 1966 and offers courses focused on scientific and educational specializations, social sciences and humanities. In 2018, there were 18 private universities in Kuwait offering a varied number of courses. Due to increasing demand for higher education, the Kuwaiti government granted permits for nine new private universities with foreign affiliations to be established over the coming years, including AIU.
Generally, an undergraduate degree encompasses general education, advanced and elective studies with degree specialization. The bachelor’s degree generally lasts for 4 years and requires completion of 120 semester credits.
Kuwait currently sends the third-largest number of students to U.S. universities and colleges from the Middle East/North Africa region, and in 2019-29, Kuwait represented the 19th-largest number of students from any foreign country, at 8,375. Very few U.S. students, however, study in Kuwait.
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory assesses that travelers should exercise normal precautions. Criminal activity is low. Nonetheless, reported incidents include petty theft, car break-ins, and harassment or sexual assault of women traveling alone.
See U.S. Department of State and OSAC for more information.
An experienced global researcher and administrator, Mark Beirn brings a critical approach to risk management, factoring structural racism and identity-based violence into his rubric for supporting equitable global mobility.
Specialization Areas:
– Global Risk Management
– Education Abroad
– Diversity, Equity, Inclusion in International Education
– Health and Safety
– Curriculum Development
Stephen Appiah-Padi is an international educator with several years of teaching and administrative experience in both 4 and 2-year HEIs. An experienced global education practitioner-scholar, with a demonstrated history of success in the field.
Dr. Appiah-Padi has a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada in Educational Policy & Administration with a specialization in International/Intercultural Education.
At Northwestern College, he provided oversight in the administration of education abroad and international student services. In Lansing, Michigan, he first oversaw diversity and intercultural education at Lansing Community College, and later created the Center for International and Intercultural Education (CIIE) which merged intercultural engagement and international education programs of the institution, and he became its first director. Additionally, Dr. Appiah-Padi taught a course, “Diversity in the American Workplace”, to undergraduate management students of the College. In his current position, he provides leadership and vision in advancing strategic internationalization initiatives, including international partnerships and study abroad programs at Bucknell University.
Dr Appiah-Padi has created and facilitated several workshops for faculty and staff development in higher education and in business organizations. He has presented at several national and international conferences. In NAFSA, among several volunteer leadership positions, he has served as Dean of the Fundamentals of Intercultural Communication Workshop, the Leadership Development Committee member, Chair of the Africa Special Interest Group, and a Fellow of the Global Fellowship Program for mentoring emerging leaders of internationalization in African HEIs. He currently serves as a member of the NAFSA Board of Directors.
Specialization Areas:
– Education Abroad
– International education leadership development
– Intercultural education and engagement
– International partnerships and linkages
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.
Dr. Rosa Almoguera has worked as an international educator for over twenty years. She was trained as a Hispanic Philologist at the Universidad Complutense, in Madrid, and did her M.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. Her Ph.D., from Universidad Complutense included a field study and edition of written balladry “Romancero”. During many years Rosa combined teaching and her role as a senior administrator at the Fundación Ortega-Marañón in Toledo, Spain. At the Foundation, Rosa directed and, in many cases created, programs for the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, Princeton, Ohio State, Arcadia, and the University of Chicago. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, University of Portland, and Interamericana de Puerto Rico.
Beginning in 2016, Rosa works as an international education consultant for both public and private European and US higher education institutions. Rosa has been successful in developing new partnerships and programs, as well as helping improve already existing ones.
Rosa is a member of Forum and NAFSA and has presented with higher education professionals on innovative academic and research programming, STEM in study abroad and Nationalism in Europe. Rosa is currently completing the final Professional Certification from the Forum on Education Abroad.
Specialization Areas:
– Student services
– Education abroad programming
– Institutional partnerships
– Education and training
