KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education announced the launch of a national campaign under the slogan “Our Students Are a Nation’s Treasure” coinciding with the start of the new school year on Sunday. The initiative brings together 10 government agencies in a joint effort to protect students and provide a safe educational environment. In a statement issued Saturday, the ministry said the participating agencies include the Ministries of Interior, Information, Health, and Social Affairs, along with the General Fire Force, Juvenile Prosecution, Government Communication Center, Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and the Public Authority for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities.

The campaign aims to strengthen joint national action, safeguard students from security, behavioral and legal risks, and instill values of citizenship and belonging. According to the ministry, the campaign seeks to raise awareness among students on security, health and legal matters, while reinforcing positive behaviors that prevent risks. It also focuses on promoting psychological and physical well-being, equipping students with essential safety and prevention skills such as fire avoidance and safe handling of electrical appliances, and ensuring an inclusive environment for students with disabilities to succeed and integrate with their peers.

The campaign’s themes cover a wide range of issues, including traffic safety, rejection of school violence, promotion of tolerance, safe use of cyberspace, prevention of drugs and psychotropic substances, child protection and rights awareness, and the cultivation of educational and behavioral values that prepare a conscious generation to contribute to the country’s development.

The initiative targets students in public and private schools, special education institutions, as well as parents and teaching staff, to ensure comprehensive awareness across the educational community. Activities include lectures, awareness sessions, field visits, and media campaigns through traditional outlets and digital platforms.

The ministry stressed that the launch of this initiative reflects the unification of national efforts to shield students from risks and instill values of responsibility and adherence to the law. It also thanked Zain Telecommunications and Kuwait Finance House for their sponsorship, noting that their support reflects the importance of public-private cooperation under the goals of New Kuwait 2035.

Kuwait University

Meanwhile, Kuwait University announced it will receive 43,843 students at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year on Sunday, including 6,596 new admissions. The students are enrolled across 15 colleges offering a variety of scientific and literary specializations. In a press statement, the university confirmed its readiness for the new academic year, with facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, buildings, and parking areas fully prepared. It said all administrative and technical teams are mobilized to ensure a smooth educational process and a safe, supportive academic environment. Kuwait University extended its congratulations to faculty, staff, and students, wishing them a successful academic year marked by achievement and progress.- KUNA

DHAKA: A delegation from the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) concluded its inspection visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on Saturday, highlighting Kuwait’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to support refugees worldwide. Dr Naser Al-Tannak, Vice Chairman of KRCS, told KUNA in a phone interview that “this visit embodied the steadfast humanitarian approach of the State of Kuwait and its keenness to help those in need around the world, in line with the directives of the wise political leadership.”

He said the delegation’s program included a field tour of the camps, where it reviewed the “Building Resilience and Adaptation Capacity” project, funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

Al-Tannak explained that the project aims to construct 1,520 new shelters equipped with basic necessities to provide safer and more stable living conditions for refugee families. The visit also included meetings with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), attended by Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Ali Hamada, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in supporting refugees and alleviating their suffering.

The delegation held talks with Bangladeshi officials to review humanitarian developments on the ground. Al-Tannak emphasized that “the needs on the ground remain significant and require urgent international efforts to provide a decent life for the refugees.” He added that the camps host nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in difficult conditions, making sustained international support critically important.

Since 2017, KRCS projects in Bangladesh have covered food, shelter, health, water, education, and development initiatives in cooperation with local and international organizations. Al-Tannak said these efforts “reflect the comprehensiveness and diversity of Kuwait’s humanitarian initiatives, aligned with the basic needs of refugees.”

He also thanked partner organizations, including the Kuwait Embassy in Bangladesh, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. “This cooperation reflects the strength of the humanitarian partnership that distinguishes Kuwait and embodies its leading role in humanitarian and relief work globally,” he said. — KUNA

MANAMA: A team from Kuwait University’s College of Engineering and Petroleum has claimed second place at the Green Guardians Hackathon in Bahrain, a competition judged on the quality of ideas and depth of environmental awareness. The university said in a press statement that students from the Department of Chemical Engineering participated in the hackathon, organized by Injaz Bahrain at Exhibition World Bahrain last week. The event brought together more than 100 students from 15 Gulf universities.

The Kuwait University team ranked second out of 21 participating teams, with the competition focused on practical and innovative solutions to energy and environmental challenges, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

The team’s project, titled “Kuwait’s Path to Carbon Neutrality,” outlined a roadmap for sustainable energy in Kuwait. It proposed integrating solar energy with small nuclear reactors, engaging the private sector through power purchase agreements, and using green hydrogen as a means of energy storage to ensure supply sustainability and security.

According to the team’s model, Kuwait could achieve full carbon neutrality by 2060 by relying on 70 percent renewable energy and 20 percent nuclear energy—up from the current renewable energy share of just 0.14 percent—positioning the country as a regional leader in the transition to clean energy.

The winners were announced during the Global Water, Energy and Climate Change Congress held in Manama. Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals took first place, while University of Technology Bahrain won third.

Bahrain’s Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Climate Envoy Dr Mohammed bin Daina, praised the participants, saying: “The advanced level of ideas and depth of awareness presented by the teams is impressive. Initiatives like these are a platform to discover promising talent and help prepare a generation capable of leading sustainability efforts efficiently and effectively.”

The hackathon aims to enhance youth engagement in developing practical, sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. Projects focused on creating prototypes and technologies to improve water efficiency, advancing renewable energy ideas tailored to Gulf Cooperation Council countries’ goals, and designing climate resilience strategies and scalable initiatives. — KUNA