Kuwait urges United States to facilitate visas for students

SAN DIEGO: Kuwait Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Bader Al-Essa has urged US authorities to facilitate issuing visas for Kuwaiti citizens seeking academic studies in the nation. Minister Essa made the call at the conclusion ceremony of the 32nd National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) US Branch, held late on Saturday.

This year’s conference, themed ‘Kuwait’s dream is fulfilled with us,’ was successful by all standards, the minister said, expressing gratitude to the organizers for exerting tremendous efforts despite limited resources. He also congratulated ‘Al-Wihda’ group that won students’ elections held late on Friday, beating the ‘Student Future’ bloc. He urged NUKS’ newly-elected board members to help the students in reporting their problems to the ministry at home and find solutions to their issues rapidly.

Ambassadors abroad

Meanwhile, Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah, the State of Kuwait Ambassador to the US, expressed identical sentiments regarding successful outcome of the five-day convention and urged the students to bear in mind that they are practically ambassadors of their country abroad. “I urge you to abide by all American laws because this will facilitate your presence and support your studies in the country,” he told the young Kuwaitis.

He welcomed the eminent guest at the ceremony, the US Ambassador to Kuwait Douglas Silliman, expressing appreciation for services provided by the American diplomatic mission for the students seeking higher studies in the US.

The ambassador spoke to the students, urging them to be keen on serving Kuwait, rather than, merely, looking forward to what the homeland would give them. A graduate should not look after finishing studies for a job, instead he (she) should seek to create jobs, he opined.

Both the American ambassador and Minister Essa expressed condolences to family of a Kuwaiti student who had died in an accident in the US. They also wished recovery for another citizen who was injured in the accident. Moreover, they advised the students to be cautious while driving and respect the local traffic rules.

Important aspect

In a statement to KUNA, the US Ambassador affirmed that education constitutes one of the most important aspects in the US-Kuwaiti relationship. The United States is very proud of the relationship with Kuwait, as well as of the large number of Kuwaiti students receiving their education in several states. He added that Minister Essa had informed him that more than 11,500 Kuwaiti students were enrolled in the US universities.

“That is a very large number for Kuwait,” he said. “We believe that having such a large number of Kuwaiti students in the US provides not only a good education but also gives Kuwaiti students an opportunity to see a culture and an economy that is valued, innovation is valued,” he added.

Entrepreneurship, which stimulates social and economic change, has been the engine of the US economy for several hundred years.

This is very “beneficial” for Kuwait, because since the founding of the country 55 years ago, the government has tried to find ways to diversify the economy and have Kuwaitis do more than just work for the government. The US Ambassador, who flew in from New York to take part in the conference, hoped to see educational cooperation between the two countries “continue for many many years.” —KUNA