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Vice President’s Message

The Research Sector continues its journey on a developmental path, implementing its established programs, facilitating faculty members in pursuing advanced and innovative research, and enhancing collaborative ties within the framework of existing research support rules and regulations. With its commitment to sustain growth in faculty research, RS efforts will always be directed to harnessing faculty members caliber, competence and potential for achieving original, innovative and high quality research, that tackle priorities and issues of national, economic, educational, health, social and environmental significance.

A climate is also being created through flexible and facilitative approach, for which RS is currently reviewing the existing grant support by-laws to make the system more pliable to researchers needs. And in another vital move, RS initiated faculty visits during the current academic year as a significant step towards boosting researchers confidence in the grant support system, encouraging them to raise the problems they face and present their concerns and suggestions through free-flow of discussions. For RS, faculty visits mark a fundamental initiative towards promoting a better understanding of research rules and regulations, enhancing researchers role as active partners in the institutional research development through new ideas and initiatives, and encouraging their increased participation and performance in institutional research.

RS inclined towards harnessing faculty members caliber, competence and potential for achieving research of high quality

While RS thrust is on encouraging priority and interdisciplinary research, it is also driven towards expanding its collaborative base through signing MOUs with various public and private sectors, as RS always seeks to increase its partners in the research development process to achieve the desired values and goals of KU’s Strategic plan 2018-2022, and the State’s Plan 2035, which revolves around aspects of distinction, quality, presence and sustainability.

On the research publication front, statistics exhibited a clear surge in KU published research in JCR ranked journals resulted from funded research in Q1 to Q4 journals of impact. on the other hand, statistics showed a significant decrease in research papers published in unrefereed journals, which is a clear indicator to the role played by the research rewards incentives in promoting publications in high impact journals. Moreover, our decisions concerning the approval of research funding constantly enhance the amount of research projects, and we also work on developing our infrastructure assets for facilitating researchers to accomplish advanced, analytical, and experimental research that yields outputs of international quality and credibility that would elevate the international standing of KU among distinguished universities worldwide.

RS enduring commitment remains on sustaining the grants process, supporting researchers and elevating institutional research

The basic and fundamental commitment of RS remains insuring the continuity of the research grants system, and focusing on elevating institutional research through the application of highest standards of quality, integrity, and scientific excellence. To achieve that goal, RS had a packed calendar of events, signifying the pace and momentum of activities during the academic year 2018/2019 such as ceremonial honoring of the winners of Researcher Awards, SPSS workshops, RIG orientation session, first KU Inventions Forum, annual poster day, and many more. In addition, RS is currently working on the issuance of the Intellectual Property Rights protection law. Specifics of all activities and events are outlined in this issue of the OVPR’s research newsletter, presenting a refreshing new image and outlook of RS latest developments, relaying valued information for the benefit of the scientific community and vast readership, keeping them informed and updated on scientific and research developments at Kuwait University.

Vice President for Research