The OVPR is headed by the Vice President for Research (OVPR), a multiple-responsibility Sector that oversees management and functionality of the following three constituent offices:
• Research Sector (RS), this office provides grants and services support to faculty research community for the pursuit of humanities, basic, applied, priority and solution-based research that holds significance for the state, society and community.
• Academic Publication Council (APC) is responsible for the preparation of KU's scientific journals, overseeing their production, release and marketing. A total of nine scientific journals are released and listed in international databases.
• Center for Gulf & Arabian Peninsula Studies (CGAPS) provides an active forum for specialized research on dominant Gulf/regional issues/concerns, organizes conference/seminars and builds requisite data archive.
With the inclusion of scientific research as an integral pillar of Kuwait University’s (KU) vision of higher education, realigning the fundamentals of Research Sector’s (RS) strategy with institutional mission became imperative to expedite development, and meet the requirements of national goals and priorities. This compelling obligation provided the framework for RS to redefine its vision and mission that would henceforth be instrumental in developing faculty research in line with Kuwait University’s vision “to be a leading university, distinct in higher education and scientific research,” and its mission focused on “Preparing individuals that are highly equipped with the knowledge necessary to carry out the nation’s developmental goals, and meet the needs of the modern era through quality in higher education and excellence in scientific research, and promoting community service.”
Quality, excellence, and community service, being the key drivers in this process, the institutional thrust on ensuring high academic and competitive research standards, provided the basis for setting the key parameters of RS vision and mission:
Vision
“To be the top research university in the region; effectively contributing to economic growth and national development in Kuwait.”
Mission
“To promote and facilitate scientific research, focusing on national priorities and interdisciplinary research, through grants and awards, external collaboration, technology transfer, commercialization and other innovative services.”
For the Research Sector, this mission spells a new outlook in developing faculty research that transpires innovation, addresses priorities, discovers new knowledge, finds solutions to national, industrial and human concerns, encourages partnerships, leads to ideas and spinoffs, and expedites social and economic development. A new scientific culture is thus going to be the hallmark of institutional research, spearheading the realization of RS strategic objectives by harnessing faculties expertise in pursuing research that is distinguished, and instrumental in elevating KU’s global presence and profile.
OVPR welcomes the faculty members to begin an inspiring phase of scientific research, it is worth recalling as to where we currently stand, and where we are headed, as we look for faculty members to be active participants and partners in developing institutional research through their ideas, initiatives and competence. A set of core objectives, underlining our mission, encompass RS hopes and aspirations for moving ahead with a purpose, and setting institutional research directions by mobilizing faculties efforts in pursuing original, innovative and high quality research that yields new knowledge and provides answers. There being a clear drive towards elevating, investing, and globalizing institutional research, within the framework of RS four-fold Strategic Objectives, which aim at:
1. Elevating the level of Scientific Research at KU
• Increasing scientific research productivity (both funded and unfunded) at KU.
• Encouraging faculty members to benefit from research grants, and enhancing performance and efficiency of work at RS.
• Motivating researchers particularly in pursuing research topics of priority interest to Kuwait.
• Adopting systems and standards for assessing the quality of research outcomes.
2. Investing and benefitting from research outcomes
• Benefitting from, and transferring research expertise, to the economic, social, industrial, and other sectors in Kuwait, to practically apply research and development in diverse fields.
3. Reaching prestigious level of global presence in research at Kuwait University
• Increasing participations and publications in international scientific conferences and journals.
• Expanding patent registration programs.
• Participating in reputed international scientific research rankings.
• Activating the role of media.
4. Development of scientific methodologies
• Signing memoranda of understanding (MOUs), partnership and research collaboration agreements with local and international research institutions, as well as economic, social, industrial, and other sectors in Kuwait.
• Organizing conferences, seminars, local and regional scientific meetings.
The accomplishment of these objectives is a challenge and an opportunity for identifying KU’s research strengths, developing faculty members creative potential, and engaging them in scientific ventures that discover new knowledge, while overseeing their adherence to the principles of originality, quality, and excellence in their research endeavors. RS believes this to be a befitting attribute towards elevating KU’s scientific standing through distinguished research that attains international recognition, based on parameters of quality and impact. In this process, RS would continue to foster and facilitate faculties efforts through advanced infrastructure, resources and an enduring research support system that creates a congenial climate, encouraging researchers to be innovative, while developing in them a natural instinct and passion for quality and excellence, the key factors for KU to register its international presence among elite institutions known for their scientific caliber and culture.