Kuwaiti students awarded scientific research prize from French varsity
Team makes study tour to Toyota City
KUWAIT CITY, May 30, (KUNA): Two Kuwaiti female students have been awarded a distinction prize in scientific research from the French University of Sciences Po Paris, as part of an annual competition, the Kuwait University said on Monday.
Huda Al Rasheed and Moneera Al-Rukhis, from the College of Business Administration at the Kuwait University won the prize for the post-graduate researches in economics, a statement added.
The prize is part of partnership between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and Sciences Po Paris that aims to promote research and bolster students’ capabilities.
The two students, together with four others, have been chosen from among 180 MA students from around the world, the statement said.
Their two papers were prepared under supervision of professor Naif Al-Shemmari from the College of Business Administration economics department.
Al-Rukhis’s paper addressed the impact of gender inequality on economic growth in the Arab region. She used data from 19 Arab countries covering the period 1990-2014.
Al Rasheed tackled the relation between direct foreign investment and economic growth in the Arab region, through analyzing indirect effects.
The paper focused on the impact of institutional obstacles on the flow of foreign investments to the region.
Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti delegation of manufacturing professionals made a study tour to Toyota City in central Japan, where they learned Toyota Motor Corp’s famous lean production system and innovative technologies.
At Toyota’s Motomachi Plant and Kaikan Museum, they discovered how different models of Toyota cars are produced on the same production line to promptly respond to customer orders.
The group was led by Dr Souhaila Al-Mutawa, faculty member of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Kuwait University. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after the tour, Dr Al-Mutawa explained that Toyota applies the principles of “lean manufacturing system,” also known as the Toyota Production System. It is a management concept based on two key principles — Jidoka, which is translated as “automation with a human touch,” and the Just-in-Time system, according to Dr Al-Mutawa. The system is widely considered as one of the most efficient self-correcting manufacturing systems in the world.
The group learned how body parts are welded using high technology robotic arms. “I was captivated with the welding robots as they moved smoothly through the air without any wasted motion,” said Yaser Al-Kazemi, an engineer at Kuwait University.
The delegation also observed the final stages of the assembly line. “I was impressed with how each component arrives only when needed,” said Mohammad Nabil, a plant maintenance engineer at the refrigeration industries company Coolex. “This process is complicated by the fact that diverse models of vehicles which require different components are produced on the same assembly line,” Nabil added.
The visit ended in the museum, where Dr Al-Mutawa and the delegates viewed the latest Toyota vehicle models, the single seat concept vehicle (i-unit), and Toyota’s violin playing robot that was unveiled at the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
The 11-member team has just wrapped up their unique tour to Japan after visiting a number of manufacturing-related facilities and factories. According to Dr Al-Mutawa, the goal of their technical trip was to create a lasting impression through first-hand experience.