UMass Lowell, Raytheon Launch Educational Partnership in Kuwait

12/10/2014

Contacts: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu; Jeff Cournoyer, 978-934-3332 or Jeffrey_Cournoyer@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. – Through a unique academic-industry partnership with Raytheon Co., UMass Lowell will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in Kuwait starting in the spring 2015 semester.

The new partnership includes the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), where UMass Lowell will offer programs in fields including engineering, business, education and science.

UMass Lowell will become the first American university to offer its U.S.-accredited degrees in Kuwait through such a model, which will be funded by Raytheon and tuition and fees paid by Kuwaiti students.

The goals of the program include helping Kuwait expand educational opportunities to diversify the skills of its workforce and identifying collaborative research and innovation opportunities with GUST.

“UMass Lowell is honored to join Raytheon and GUST in this academic-industry partnership to provide the people of Kuwait with world-class educational programs that will in turn foster economic development,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. “Through the new academic, research and experiential education opportunities presented by this program, UMass Lowell’s students and faculty will also benefit. In today’s ever-shrinking world, a global perspective gives our graduates an advantage by ensuring they have the understanding of other cultures necessary for professional and personal success.”

“As a global company that does business in more than 80 countries, we understand the importance of giving back to those communities and supporting their economies,” said Dan Crowley, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. “Raytheon and Kuwait share a history spanning more than 20 years. This partnership allows us to invest in higher education and workforce development in Kuwait.”

Undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and master’s degrees in business, computer science, education and security studies overseen and taught by UMass Lowell administrators and faculty will be offered on the GUST campus in Kuwait City. The programs are accredited by the same organizations as those offered on the UMass Lowell campus, including the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), which has approved GUST as a second instructional site for UMass Lowell.

In addition, UMass Lowell and GUST will collaborate on dual-degree programs and, with Raytheon’s support, a new engineering college will be established on the GUST campus that will serve students of both institutions.

As one of the top-ranked universities in the world, UMass Lowell is eligible under Kuwaiti law to establish academic programs there. The University of Massachusetts system is No. 91 in the Times of London’s Higher Education World University Rankings. UMass Lowell’s 27-place climb in five years in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of top-tier national universities is the second-fastest in the nation and it is one of only six institutions to advance in the standings every year since 2010. UMass Lowell is also ranked among the top institutions in the United States for graduates’ return on investment and mid-career salaries.

The new partnership in Kuwait is another important collaboration between the university and the Waltham-based company, which employs approximately 1,000 UMass Lowell graduates. In October, the new Raytheon-UMass Lowell Research Institute (RURI) opened on the Lowell campus with the goal of advancing innovative technologies in a state-of-the-art setting while providing students with valuable, real-world experience.

“UMass Lowell and Raytheon have long been leaders in innovation in Massachusetts and the announcement of their educational partnership in Kuwait is an international example of that reputation. Recent years have seen UMass Lowell turn unique ideas into forward-thinking programs, partnerships and facilities that provide an extraordinary array of opportunities to their students and the community,” said U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, who represents Massachusetts’ 3rd Congressional District, which includes Lowell. “By expanding its mission overseas, UMass Lowell will position itself to gain from collaborative research opportunities and will serve as a model for institutions seeking to make the world of academia more accessible.”

The addition of programs in Kuwait is one example of UMass Lowell’s remarkable growth in recent years. Since 2007, the university has increased enrollment nearly 50 percent to more than 17,000; strengthened and added undergraduate and graduate programs, bringing the total to more than 120; and opened 10 new buildings, including the state-of-the-art Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, which houses the RURI.

Since 2010, UMass Lowell has established international partnerships with more than 110 top educational institutions in 40 nations. An increase in international partnerships and enrollment is one of the priorities identified in UMass Lowell’s strategic plan as the university strives to prepare students to be world-ready.

“We believe that both GUST and Raytheon share our UMass Lowell values of delivering high-quality education, research and outreach in support of advancing regional, national and international economic and social development,” said UMass Lowell Provost Ahmed Abdelal. “We are proud that our planning with Raytheon and GUST has come to fruition in this unique, industry-supported educational partnership. This will advance higher education in Kuwait and the Gulf region and will enhance intercultural understanding between citizens of the United States and Kuwait.”

Plans call for as many as two dozen undergraduate and graduate degrees to be offered by UMass Lowell at GUST with enrollment expected to reach 1,200 students when the programs are fully established. UMass Lowell students and faculty will also have the opportunity to study and conduct research on the campus.

UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 17,000 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu