CGAPS organizes symposium on child issues

The Center of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (CGAPS), Kuwait University (KU), attaches great importance to efforts aiming to ensure good health and welfare for children, KU rector Dr. Abdullatif Al-Bader said Monday. "To properly address the issues of childhood gains increasing significance in the modern society where coddling and excessive love could lead to negative physical and psychological impacts," he said. Dr. Al-Bader made the remarks in the opening address to the symposium organized by CGAPS under the theme of "Children's Issues in Kuwait and the Gulf States" as part of the center's new cultural season. "Modern lifestyles with excessive use of electronic games and lack of sporting brought about a lot of health and psychological problems to children, which led, in turn, to social and family problems," he pointed out. Dr. Al-Bader highlighted the need to addressing the childhood issues according to a practical scientific methodology and putting in play the role of academics in this regard. In a similar speech, CGAPS Director Dr. Yaaqoub Al-Kandari said the symposium will tackle the health, psychological, social and educational dimensions of childhood in a way that aims ultimately to ensure a sound generation and good society. He voiced hope that the event will result in practical results and measures. Other speakers at the opening session of the symposium included Dr. Jassem Ramadan - professor of organ functions at the KU Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. Humoud Al-Qash'an - assistant dean of the KU College of Social Sciences. The second session, chaired by Dr. Lubna Al-Qadhi - head of the KU woman research unit, addressed media and psychological axes of the childhood issues. Dr. Hamed Al-Mutairi, professor at the KU Department of Sociology, and Dr. Khaled Al-Qahs - professor of media at the College of Arts made two presentations to the session