GUST Contributes to Kuwait’s Implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
• GUST contributes to four of seventeen UNDP Goals
• GUST is the only private university to participate at the event
Kuwait City, 25 October 2016: Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) announced today their participation in United Nations Day, which took place at the Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah Building at UN House in West Mishref. This year’s event focused on emphasizing the theme “National Implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030” – four of which GUST directly contributes to. At the event, invitees from the public and private sectors were in attendance, in addition to leaders in academia and civil society organizations.
Established only 15 years ago, GUST plays a major role in the implementation of four of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs), which are designed on the basis of the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection, and represent the key objectives that must be met in order to eradicate poverty, combat the impact of climate change, and ensure a peaceful world. As a university, GUST contributes by providing Kuwait with quality education, decent work & economy growth, industry, innovation & infrastructure, and partnerships for the goals.
More specifically, GUST sets itself apart from competing universities locally by having five US accreditations for various degrees and departments, a Student Success Center, a Center for Professional Advancement & Continuing Education, offers five different scholarships, a library with 120,000 academic journals, 204,164 eBooks, 19,561 book titles, and 2,110 titles worth of AV materials, a 1:20 faculty to student ratio, holds a yearly career fair, partners with various local organizations for internships, international student exchange programs, and offers a student employment program via its Office of Student Life. What’s more, GUST also runs a Research and Development Office, is home to the Global Studies Center, which conducts research on cross-national political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental issues of critical importance, the Gulf Financial Center, which is one of the most advanced virtual trading rooms in the Middle East that allows students to learn by trading stocks virtually and exploring how the financial system works first hand. In addition, GUST’s College of Arts and Sciences maintains an output of 60-65 academic publications a year, and the university has at its disposal a TV studio, a radio studio, Mac Labs, and physics, chemistry, and biology labs – all in-house. Furthermore, the university runs an e-learning service, which provides students with 24 hour assistance. Lastly, GUST currently maintains partnerships with nine different universities from seven different countries across three continents.
GUST President, Professor Donald Bates, said, “Observing United Nations Day provides an opportunity to reaffirm the University’s commitment to the ideals of the UN. We have a duty to improve our community, and do everything we can to ensure that Kuwait has a bright and prosperous future. We have a wealth of resources, and our most valuable asset – our people, who are are qualified and doing their best to achieve these goals. I am proud to head an institution that has taken a leading role in the future of this country, and the only private university to participate at this event.”
Further to GUST’s current achievements, the University is currently working on plans which will allow for the introduction of new degrees, attract more highly qualified instructors, and contribute more to ensure the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
