AUK Student wins award at Sciences Po

The Kuwait Program at Sciences Po and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) hosted a student paper competition whereby students from every university in Kuwait can submit a paper that discusses issues related to the Arab world or the Gulf region.

American University of Kuwait (AUK) senior international relations student Hussam Helmy submitted a paper entitled, (En) gendering Orientalism: The Representation of Women in Amin Maalouf’s Samarkand. The paper argues that the representation of women in Maalouf’s ostensibly postcolonial novel actually reinforces the very same imperialism and colonialism that it sets out to condemn.

Helmy expressed his gratitude, “I am honored to receive the SciencesPo Student Paper Award for my senior thesis paper, and I am very grateful for the opportunity afforded by KFAS and the Kuwait Program at SciencesPo. I am also deeply indebted to AUK and to my supervisor, Dr Angelica DeAngelis who provided strong guidance, endless encouragement, and indefatigable support throughout the research and writing process.” Chosen among six winners, Helmy was awarded a cash prize along with publishing his paper in the Sciences Po Kuwait Program website.

The Kuwait Program is a partnership between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and Sciences Po-a social sciences university in France. The American University of Kuwait also has a standing student exchange program with Sciences Po that allows students to study at one of the school’s seven urban campuses.