Students from the Architecture Department at the College of Architecture at Kuwait University contributed to winning the top three places in the “First Gulf Urban Planning Hackathon” competition held on the sidelines of the “October Urban Conference” and the First Gulf Housing Week in the Sultanate of Oman, which took place over 3 days from October 29-31, amid wide Gulf architectural and housing participation. They achieved a distinguished presence and effective participation within multiple groups, each consisting of students from various architecture and planning colleges in Gulf universities, and the three groups in which Architecture Department students participated occupied the top three places.
This competition is considered the first of its kind at the Arabian Gulf level. The hackathon participants were a group of nominated students selected based on tests and studied criteria to form 16 teams, with each team consisting of five participants from various universities and colleges in GCC countries in specializations of architecture, city planning, and other specializations related to urban planning.
In this regard, Acting Dean of the College of Architecture Dr. Adel Al-Moumen mentioned that the “THE MINISTRY GREEN BELT” team, represented by student Ghada Al-Alyan from Kuwait, won first place, while the “THE INDUSTRIAL GREEN BELT” team, represented by student Badriya Abdul Salam from Kuwait, won second place, and third place went to the “FENA’a” team, represented by student Abdullah Al-Aidan from Kuwait. He noted that the number of Kuwaiti students participating from the College of Architecture at Kuwait University was ten students from the elite outstanding college students, out of 80 participants in the competition.
Dr. Al-Moumen stated that these participations aim to enable the architecture student through engaging in international competitions, so they do not rely only on theoretical curricula, because practical experiences hone students’ skills and personalities and make them capable of engaging in the job market with merit. He confirmed that their interaction and participation with fellow students from GCC countries builds bridges of communication with the international architectural community, which gives them advanced practical and scientific experiences.
Dr. Al-Moumen extended sincere thanks to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in the Sultanate of Oman for their kind invitation to Architecture Department students at the College of Architecture at Kuwait University to participate in the Urban Planning Hackathon, and their keenness to select ten students according to specific criteria, including that the student’s cumulative GPA be among the highest at the department level. He also thanked Kuwait University for its constant interest in Architecture Department students by providing unlimited support, believing in the talents that architecture students possess, which need appropriate opportunities to emerge and play their vital role in the country’s development and progress journey.
For her part, Acting Head of the Architecture Department Dr. Sheikha Al-Mubaraki explained that the First Gulf Urban Planning Hackathon comes to strengthen cooperation between GCC countries, especially among university and college students in GCC countries in specializations of architecture, city planning, and other specializations related to urban planning. She praised the students’ awareness of the importance of participation and representing Kuwait University and being the best ambassadors for their country Kuwait in this distinguished international architectural competition, confirming that the educational outcome they acquired in the department led them to win the top places.
Dr. Al-Mubaraki addressed the importance of the motivational aspect for students, noting that it is the basic building block in the educational process and is an effective standard that includes a variety of educational foundations that the teacher hones to instill confidence in the student and encourage them to give more, confirming the importance of the department’s role in activating the culture of academic giving in various forums, which leads to the development of education and raising the level of students.
Dr. Al-Mubaraki confirmed the college’s belief in the capabilities of Architecture Department students and its pride in the distinguished performance they presented, noting that the Architecture Department is very keen to participate in such conferences and competitions that enrich the student arena with skills and talents and hone the experiences that students need and are complementary to the educational process.
Supervisor of the Architecture Department students participating in the hackathon, Dr. May Al-Ansari, mentioned that the First Gulf Urban Planning Hackathon is a competition that includes three different urban planning topics in three locations within Muscat Governorate presented at the same time to students to find the best solutions for them.
Dr. Al-Ansari added that students competed over 30 consecutive hours to provide innovative planning and architectural solutions for areas with planning challenges, explaining that participations were evaluated by a jury formed from a selection of experts and specialists in the field of planning with extensive scientific and practical experience, based on several criteria including applicability, suitability for market needs, sustainability, and creativity, in addition to the efficiency of the planning and architectural solutions provided. She noted that the winning teams were announced on the last day of the conference.
Dr. Al-Ansari indicated that during the conference, practical experiences and scientific studies were reviewed in four axes: housing, urban planning, city resilience, and the future of school buildings under the slogan “Better City, Better Life,” through which the importance of building better cities and enhancing quality of life as a permanent slogan was emphasized. It also focused on city sustainability, improving quality of life, developing the housing and real estate sector, enhancing the sustainable urban economy, and contributing to preparing a sustainable educational environment for future generations.
