We were overjoyed when work began at the new university in Al-Shadadiya. We were dazzled by its magnificent architecture, crafted by some of the most brilliant engineers and designers. The dream seemed realized, and we watched groups of our students entering its colleges with pride. But our true joy will only come when excellence is also achieved in education itself. Everyone knows that higher education in Kuwait suffers from a lack of quality—and it is this development, not architectural grandeur, that we need most if we are to rise to the level of prestigious global universities whose pride lies in meeting international standards of educational quality.
If we look at Kuwait’s ranking in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index, which is published annually and covers 137 countries worldwide—assessing the quality of the educational system, institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health, basic education, market efficiency, labor efficiency, capital market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, and innovation—we find that Kuwait, like some other Arab states such as Syria and Iraq, is absent from the advanced rankings.
The index relies on a series of criteria: education enrollment rates at secondary and higher levels; quality of education, including the system as a whole, scientific and sports education, and the management of schools and institutions; as well as vocational training, which measures the availability of specialized local training services and the extent of employee development programs.
As for Kuwait’s performance, the Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018 revealed that the quality of higher education and training in Kuwait fell to 95th place out of 137 countries, after ranking 94th the year before, leaving it at the bottom among Gulf states. Meanwhile, the UAE ranked 36th globally, Qatar 37th, Saudi Arabia 43rd, and Oman 71st.
Even more concerning is that while Kuwait relies heavily on business schools to help achieve Kuwait Vision 2035 and transform the country into a financial and investment hub, the quality of Kuwait’s business schools has dropped significantly—ranking 111th worldwide, after previously ranking 92nd, 86th, and 87th in the three preceding years.
This shocking level of educational quality raises serious concerns and greater challenges. What are we missing in order to achieve high-quality education comparable to that of other nations? Why has higher education in Kuwait fallen so low, bringing shame to our universities—especially now, as we inaugurate a new university whose architectural splendor is beyond words?
Yes, the buildings are grand, but what we truly need is quality education. To those responsible for higher education: just as you have been generous with lavish spending on architecture, be generous in raising the standards of education itself.
