KUWAIT CITY, May 9: A member of the administrative body of Kuwait University’s Faculty Members Association Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hamoud lamented the decision to reduce faculty members in the next summer semester under the pretext of lack of budget, even though they were allowed last year, reports Aljarida daily. He said this during a press conference held by a number of members of the administrative body of the Faculty Members Association and representatives of the independent academic list concerning the reduction in the numbers and percentages of academic courses in the summer semester, as many professors were affected by this procedure.

The press conference was held at the association’s headquarters in Shuwaikh area in the presence of Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hamoud, Dr. Falah Al-Hajri, Dr. Amthaal Al-Huwailah and Abeer Al-Rifai. Dr. Al-Hamoud stressed the need for the university council to work on holding a meeting to select a committee for the next university rector, which is done through the director, deans and assistants, all of whom are acting, and all supervisory positions are also acting. He called for adhering to what was stipulated by the Fatwa and Legislation Department that the committee for selecting the director should be from within the university, and it is not permissible to have any external member in it, and without dictations from the Council of Public Universities to the university council to choose the committee that will choose the next director. Dr. Al-Hamoud said, “All members of the university council, including deans by designation, the director, and whoever wishes to run for the position of director, must not attend the meeting during which the committee will choose, because this is considered a conflict of interest and is an explicit violation of the law.”

He called for the need to represent the faculty members association in the university council at the next meeting during which a committee will be formed to choose the director, stressing that the faculty members should have a clear opinion on this issue based on the opinion of their association.