28TH annual conference of NUKS kicks-off in Beverly Hills

Representative of H.H. the Prime Minister, Kuwait's Ambassador to the U.S. Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah, extended here Thursday evening greetings of H.H. the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and H.H. the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the opening of the 28th annual conference of the National Union of the Kuwaiti Students (USA) branch, held under the patronage of H.H. the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. In a speech the Ambassador delivered on behalf of H.H. the Premier, he said that "it is of pride to see honorable models of Kuwaitis in Kuwait and abroad who carry on their shoulders the responsibility of elevating the name of their country and asserting its status among nations." He added that the NUKS-USA branch and other students' union branches "are a clear example of the persistence, strong will and challenge", where they had major efforts in many stances which were witnessed or of concern to Kuwait.He shed light on several important matters that are of pride to Kuwaitis, such as that Kuwait is capable of containing any new to be able to face the changes of the modern life while preserving the tradition.He added that Kuwaitis have always united and brought together in solidarity "and we will remain one country and one Kuwaiti family united through good and bad." He stressed that "we have to preserve this spirit and those values no matter how far away from home we are and that our ultimate goal always remains Kuwait." "We will always remember and appreciate the work and sacrifices of our ancestors and what they have achieved of accomplishments for us and therefore it is our duty to continue their journey and hope to achieve more development for our country," he remarked.He stressed that building Kuwait's future is the "biggest challenge" where the young generation should confront it and work hard to build a modern country that applies knowledge and developed techniques in all domains of life.He affirmed that Kuwait spares no effort in supporting its future generation, developing their capabilities and skills and involving them in the boom of the country it as "they are the source of our aspirations and hopes as they represent the real power and the path to achieve those aspirations through their hard work and bright ideas." In a statement to KUNA, Kuwait's Ambassador said that he is keen on attending this annual conference as it is an opportunity to interact with the students.He praised the students union for their good organization of this conference and the many other conferences he attended the past ten years.Sheikh Salem indicated that only 200 students participated in the first conference he attended of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students ten years ago where this year about 2000 students are participating in this event, which is considered a "huge contribution" for the students in the U.S.This event, he affirmed, is considered the "biggest event that gathers the largest number of Kuwaitis abroad," which is of "pride for us as Kuwaitis to have this many number of students attend and interact with one another.He wished our students success and all the best so that they can return to our home country with what they acquired of education as they are needed back home.The Ambassador noted that the theme of the conference is very creative but also "I want our students to know that Kuwait is a promising country and they have a prosperous bright future in Kuwait "so I took it upon me to change the theme of the conference to "a generation returning to a promising homeland." Meanwhile, CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Farouk AL-Zanki said in a speech he addressed at the opening of the conference that the oil sector, which is considered the main engine of the economy, will have a dire need during the upcoming years for many of the qualified national cadres as the initial estimates indicate that oil sector in Kuwait will need 7500 job opportunities during the five year plan 2011/2012-2015/2016 in order to cover the increasing demand of the workforce to meet the future expansions and the increase in the operational capability expected in the upcoming years.He added that KPC believes that the Kuwaiti human factor is an important part of the development plan therefore it focused its strategies in the human resource in order to rehabilitate the national human cadres and to develop the capabilities and qualifications of those cadres.Finally, Al-Zanki called on the students to work hard and acquire as much knowledge as possible in order to serve their homeland and the future.Over 1,500 Kuwaiti students gathered in Beverly Hills, California to attend the 28th annual conference of the National Union of the Kuwaiti Students (USA) branch which is held under the theme "aspiring generation; homeland restoring glories."