Under the patronage of the President of Kuwait University, Prof. Dina Musaed Al-Mailem, and in the presence of the Acting Dean of the College of Education, Prof. Eisa Mohammed Al-Balhan, the Center for Education Development at the College of Education – Kuwait University organized the CIPEDU Forum for Creativity and Intellectual Property in Education, in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The forum took place at the conference hall in Sabah Al-Salem University City, with wide academic and institutional participation.

The forum was inaugurated with a speech by Acting Dean of the College of Education, Prof. Eisa Al-Balhan, who emphasized that the event reflects the College’s commitment to promoting a culture of innovation and raising awareness of the importance of intellectual property within educational institutions. He highlighted the role of universities in nurturing ideas and transforming them into projects with sustainable societal and economic impact.

The Director General of the GCC Patent Office, Mr. Ahmed Al-Marshadi, delivered a speech highlighting the Office’s efforts to support innovators and strengthen intellectual property protection across the Gulf region, stressing the importance of institutional collaboration in fostering innovation.

Dr. Nadia Jassim Al-Riyahi, Director of the Center for Education Development at the College of Education, emphasized that CIPEDU represents an integrated institutional model linking education and innovation. It aims to empower students, faculty, and administrative staff to transform their ideas into protected, practical educational projects, aligning with the vision of Kuwait University and Kuwait Vision 2035.

The forum featured a presentation titled “CIPEDU Educational Creativity Incubator – A Roadmap Towards Institutional Innovation” by Dr. Amthal Khaled Al-Aifan, Creative and Innovation Director of CIPEDU. She discussed the concept of educational incubators and their role in transforming ideas into institutional impact, outlining the incubator’s comprehensive process from idea generation to innovation, protection, and investment.

The forum included three specialized discussion sessions. The first session was entitled “From Education to Empowerment: Innovation in Academic Environments Towards a Sustainable Knowledge Economy” chaired by Prof. Fayez Al-Dhafiri, with participants including H.E. Minister Plenipotentiary Mr. Musaed Al-Kulaib, Mr. Waleed Al-Khashti, CEO of Relations and Institutional Affairs at Zain Kuwait, and Mr. Nasser Al-Shaikh, Director General of the Public Authority for Youth.

As for the second session, it was entitled “From Idea to Patent: Legal and Procedural Aspects of Intellectual Property Registration” chaired by Dr. Munira Al-Ajmi, with Dr. Khaled Al-Hindiani from the College of Law, Mr. Hamad Al-Aftan – Innovation Manager at Sabah Al-Ahmad Talent and Creativity Center, and Eng. Rashid Al-Owaihan –Head of Trademarks and Patents Office, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The third session was entitled “Steps for Patent and Intellectual Property Registration at Kuwait University and Institutional Innovation Methodology” chaired by Dr. Nasser Najaf, with participants including Ms. Sheikha Al-Sanea – Head of Patents Office at KU and Eng. Salma Al-Mutairi – Head of Institutional Innovation Department at KU.

The forum also included participation from national entities supporting innovation, such as the Capital Markets Authority, which conducted a workshop on its regulatory role and the importance of investment awareness, alongside introducing the “MALLM” – Smart Gulf Investor Award, and sessions by stakeholders in entrepreneurship, institutional innovation, and support for educational projects led by Ms. Basma Akbar.

The CIPEDU competition saw participation from over 150 innovative projects submitted by students, faculty, and administrative staff. Nine winning projects were awarded across different competition categories, reflecting the level of creativity and innovation in Kuwait University’s educational environment.

Student Category:

• 1st Place: Khatwa Application – Nour Al-Tunaib, Hala Al-Mutairi, Ashwaq Al-Mutairi, Sara Al-Harbi, Alaa Al-Kandari
• 2nd Place: Brake Sense – Multi-level Smart Brake Sensing System – Maryam Mutlaq Abu Hadida
• 3rd Place: Calm Cue Application – Yara Al-Qahtani

Administrative Staff Category:

• 1st Place: Smart KU Registration – Sundus Ashkanani, Rawiya Al-Anzi, Fatima Al-Anzi, Nour Al-Kharji, Maryam Qassem

• 2nd Place: Weqtak – Hamad Bou Qamaz –

  Administrative Director, College of Engineering

• 3rd Place: Honey of Knowledge Game – Batoul Ahmed Al-Rashaid

Academic Staff Category:

• 1st Place: Mawjood – Multi-variable Automated Attendance System Based on Geographic Location – Prof. Fayez Al-Dhafiri –Educational Technology Department
• 2nd Place: Grade+ – Platform for Organizing University Courses for Faculty Members – Mr. Fahad Al-Shamali – Associate Professor, Political Sciences Department
• 3rd Place: Digitization of Historical Sources – Dr. Amna Fayrouz Abdulkarim – History Department, College of Education

The forum concluded with the honoring of speakers, session moderators, and judges, with wide attendance from academics, administrators, and students, underscoring the importance of supporting innovation and strengthening the intellectual property ecosystem in educational institutions in Kuwait.