When Tribalism and Nepotism Sweep Through the University of Kuwait!
Amid the University of Kuwait’s numerous and mostly solvable problems, tribal conflicts, non-academic challenges, nepotism, and exceptions have come to the forefront, exhausting the academic institution and putting its scientific and civic values to a genuine test.
Naturally, the university’s accumulated problems cannot be resolved in a day or a month; therefore, we somewhat excuse the university’s president, Dr. Dina Al-Milhim.
However, the university is now approaching the second year since she assumed office, without the academic community observing any fundamental change in several key files, while many department heads and deans continue to serve in acting capacities.
Security News
Press Releases
News Archive
The continuation of acting appointments has generated new tensions, such as those occurring at the College of Dentistry, for example, following the appointment of a non-Kuwaiti academic to head the Department of Preventive Sciences and Growth and Development Sciences.
Questions are also being raised that require institutional verification regarding allegations of favoritism and procedures for academic promotion and research. These files should be subject to professional and transparent investigation, especially given the established principle that Kuwaiti faculty members should be given priority for administrative positions when they meet the required conditions and qualifications.
Pressures stemming from nepotism, tribalism, and sectarianism have affected several colleges within the university. We had hoped the administration would curb this spread to prevent the defeat of academic, scientific, and civic values.
Unfortunately, the winds of tribalism and sectarian quota-fighting remain present in some academic departments, a scene reminiscent of the tribal, political, and social squabbles witnessed by the National Assembly in 2024 and other councils.
Problems, conflicts, and nepotism within the university, particularly in the College of Arts and specifically the Department of History, have not subsided. According to circulating information, some negative manifestations have extended to files concerning scholarships and appointments.
Is it conceivable that a study scholarship was approved for the child of a faculty member, despite scientific and academic reservations raised by the relevant department, and documented professional and objective objections to the scholarship? Were these objections handled in accordance with regulations and academic standards, or were other considerations more influential?
Another file deserves clarification: an employee at the Ministry of Education obtained a PhD from an Arab university whose accreditation is questioned. He subsequently applied for appointment in the Department of History and was later promoted to assistant professor, citing a court ruling.
However, the Office of Fatwa and Legislation notified the university regarding Appeal No. 180/2024 Administrative, filed by the university, in which a decision was issued to suspend the enforcement of the contested ruling.
What happened next?
Did the appeal ruling remain confined to the drawers of the university administration and the General Secretariat? Was its mandate implemented? Were the circumstances investigated and inquiries conducted into the procedures preceding and following the case?
In the same context, and without rushing to detail every aspect, the book "History of the Saudi State," published in 2025, has emerged. Academic and historical criticisms regarding this book warrant specialized, scientific, and neutral review. We will return to this in detail if necessary, provided the university administration does not address the matter.
Questions are also being raised regarding the decision to adopt this same book as a course requirement in the Department of History. It has become apparent that the publishing house does not possess a copy of the book, nor is there a copy in the student library. These are facts the university administration could easily verify and clarify to the public and the academic community.
We place this information and these questions before the university president, to resolve the issue of leadership positions and bring an end to the system of interim appointments, in accordance with precise, transparent, and rigorous academic and scholarly standards, and to curb tribalism and external interference in academic decisions, lest tribal affiliations and other forms of patronage undermine the values of the academic institution, with repercussions extending to the state and society at large.
