XClose

UCL News

Menu

UCL Student Ambassador joins UK delegation to Kuwait

15 December 2008

Links:

Jack Davies ucl.ac.uk/international/" target="_self">UCL International Office
  • Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu, UCL Pro-Provost for Africa & the Middle East
  • UCL Students Abroad
  • University of Kuwait
  • Kuwait Embassy Cultural Office

    • Jack Davies, a 2nd Year LLB student in UCL Laws, is one of six British students who will travel to Kuwait as guests of Kuwait University from 16-23 December, as part of an initiative of the Kuwait University to improve its relations with selected UK universities. The trip is sponsored by the London Embassy of the State of Kuwait, which is meeting the full cost of flights, travel and accommodation.

    UCL has long had strong links with the country: around twenty Kuwaiti students are currently studying at UCL, and representatives from UCL have been visiting the country for the past ten years - attending education exhibitions, giving public presentations and visiting schools. Dr David Stevens, the Head of the UCL International Office, and Professor Vince Emery (Pro-Provost, South Asia & the Middle East) have also visited the Ministry of Higher Education, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) and Kuwait University. 

    The Kuwaiti Cultural Attaché, Dr Fayiz Aldhafeeri, alerted UCL to this opportunity, which the International Office advertised to the existing UCL Student Ambassadors. A panel consisting of Nigel Percival (Director of UCL Educational Liaison), Professor Emery and Dr Stevens selected Jack Davies to be UCL's nominee. Jack was eventually selected by the Kuwaiti Embassy to be one of the six delegates, following the submission of nominations from a number of UK universities. It is going to be a busy trip - the plan is for the delegates to meet Professor Abdullah Al-Fheed, the President of Kuwait University, on Wednesday, and the rest of their stay is going to include visits to the National Assembly, Kuwait Museum, the Kuwait Institute for the Advancement of Science, Kuwait TV, the British Embassy, the Women's Cultural Society, popular markets and other cultural and scientific sites.

    Kuwait University

    Dr Stevens says: "We are excited by this wonderful opportunity provided by Kuwait University and Dr Fayiz Aldhafeeri to strengthen the relationship between our countries and our universities. Jack is an excellent candidate; not only will he benefit from the experience personally, but I am convinced that he will bring benefits to the group and be an excellent ambassador for UCL and for the UK."

    Jack Davies speaks German, French and Japanese. Before coming to UCL, he was a very active member of the Air Training Corps for over five years, reaching the rank of Flight Sergeant, and was involved in much ATC-initiated voluntary work in his local community which led to his acquisition of a BTEC in Public Services. He is the Speaker Secretary of the UCL Law Society Committee, and has been a UCL Student Ambassador since his matriculation in 2007. 

    Jack said: "I am hugely excited by the forthcoming visit to Kuwait, and honoured by this amazing opportunity to represent UCL, which is one of the world's best universities and really the global university. I relish immersing myself in other cultures and, having never been to Kuwait, I am delighted to have the chance to visit such an incredible, unique part of the world."

    For more information, please see the links at the top of this page.

    Images:
    Jack Davies (top)
    Kuwait University (above), courtesy of and (c) Kuwait University (KUWEB image repository).