Al-Mutawa: Kuwait University is a pioneer in implementing AI

Dr. Abdullah Al-Mutawa, Deputy Director of Academic Support Services at Kuwait University, stated that “Kuwait University is among the pioneering universities in applying artificial intelligence in higher education.” This remark came during Dr. Al-Mutawa’s participation in a dialogue seminar titled “Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education,” held as part of the fifth UNESCO Conference on Higher Education in Arab Countries, which kicked off in Doha on Monday.

Dr. Al-Mutawa emphasized that “the real transformation lies not in the tool itself, but in the governance of learning.” He noted that “Kuwait University is among the leading institutions in this field, having adopted a university-wide generative artificial intelligence regulation in November 2024.”

He clarified that the regulation did not ban such tools but rather established guidelines for their use in courses, requiring students to disclose the tools and prompts they employed. This ensures that artificial intelligence remains a disclosed and reviewed auxiliary tool in scientific research.

He explained that the university began by establishing governance frameworks and training faculty members before adopting these tools. It subsequently provided 4,500 generative AI (Gemini) licenses and AI agents to students and faculty. Dr. Al-Mutawa stressed that universities foster innovation through regulation rather than prohibition, as transparency reinforces academic integrity.

Furthermore, he indicated that Kuwait University chairs a committee, mandated by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), along with four other Gulf universities, to draft a unified GCC policy on the use of artificial intelligence in higher education and scientific research.

Addressing the gap between AI tools and education in the region, Dr. Al-Mutawa attributed it to outdated curricula and assessment methods. He noted that most models currently in use are foreign and closed, necessitating the development of a local language model in the region that understands the local language and educational context, while ensuring that student and researcher data remain under the control of regional institutions.

He called for redesigning assessment models that focus on process and critical thinking, as well as preparing educators before expanding the use of tools and sharing guidelines and models across the region.

The fifth UNESCO Conference on Higher Education in Arab Countries began on Monday in Doha under the theme “The New Landscape of Learning in Higher Education in Arab Countries.” The two-day event is organized by the Qatar Ministry of Education and Higher Education in collaboration with UNESCO and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

The conference brings together a distinguished group of academics, experts, policymakers, university representatives, and officials from regional and international organizations to discuss the key transformations and challenges facing the higher education sector and to envision its future beyond 2030, thereby enhancing the quality of education, scientific research, and innovation, and supporting the development of academic policies and practices.