The Secretary of the Constituent Board of Directors of Abdullah Al-Salem University, Dr. Adel Al-Husseinan confirmed that what he called ‘the foundation program’ for operating the university in September will not face any problems and that the operational capacity is not less than 75% as of now.
Al-Husseinan told Al-Qabas daily that the foundation program is offered by the College of Integrative Studies, which the Council of Public Universities approved to establish. Those accepted will start studying in this college.
Dr. Al-Husseinan stated that the university needs about 60 professors for the operation of the facility as during the first stage, and appointment procedures and interviews are being completed in both the academic and administrative sectors, where the director of the admission and registration department has been placed, and the director of the information technology department is being appointed, and the appointment of rest of the department directors is in the preparation and procedural stage, indicating that the organizational structure of the university has been developed and approved by the Civil Service Council.
Dr Al-Husseinan said that the constituent board of directors exercises its duties and competencies in accordance with the law and as interpreted by the Fatwa and Legislation Department in line with the text of Public Universities Law No. 76 of 2019 which specifies the competences of the Public University Council in Article 11 thereof that the university council assumes the competencies of the Civil Service Council in the affairs of the academic staff or employees.
At the university, he indicated, there is a response from the Fatwa Department after its clarification, explaining the text includes all workers in the university, including the administrative and technical staff, while there is another interpretation as well from the fatwa and legislation department that the constituent board of directors exercises the powers of the university council.
He added that Article 12 of the Public Universities Law stipulates that a director for a public university be appointed from among the faculty members of the university, and therefore it is logical to appoint professors.
He went on to say that with the issuance of the decree forming the founding council of Abdullah Al-Salem University, the main task of the council is to establish and prepare the infrastructure and prepare the institution for operation, and this includes several responsibilities, including receiving sites and transferring property and other equipment, and therefore the matter needs committees and the use of human cadres, indicating that whoever represents the Abdullah Al-Salem University officially is the Chairman and Secretary of the Council until matters are handed over to the appointed administration.
Regarding the new university buildings, which the Public Universities Law states that the old Kuwait University buildings shall be handed over to Abdullah Al-Salem University, Al-Husseinan mentioned that no building has been officially received from Kuwait University yet, but only the Constituent Council is present at the Al-Khaldiya University site, and Kuwait University thankfully provided services to enable it to do its work.
Al-Husseinan said that government agencies grant an exception period of 3 years for direct appointment, but the founding board of directors made its decision not to make any appointment at the university without an announcement to achieve the principle of equal opportunity and to follow the law.
Dr. Adel Al-Husseinan indicated that the Constituent Board of Abdullah Al-Salem University is the first constituent council for a public university in Kuwait, and therefore the procedures and systems will be a beacon for the constituent councils of public universities in the future.
Al-Husseinan disclosed that the land of Kuwait University in Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City was transferred by force of law to Abdullah Al-Salem University, but the new university will not be able to start construction projects the size of this land without the presence of a specialized technical staff similar to the one in Kuwait University and the allocation of the necessary financial resources, estimating the time required to start with such a project is at least 4 years.