November 2016 Rabi Al-Awwal, 1438 Volume 7, Issue No. 12 جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية
المملكة العربية السعودية،ثول
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
www.kaust.edu.sa
فعالية "الغذاء للجميع" في جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية
'Food for All' the KAUST community Page 6 Women in biology Page 12
Rebooting civilization Page 8 Helping feed the world Page 10 Niveen Khashab receives global honor Page 13 KAUST listed among science rising stars Page 14
Talking about the future with The Atlantic Page 15 Big names on campus for the seventh annual Career Fair Page 16 Get in the innovation game Page 18
In brief
KAUST held a campus-wide Falling Walls competition on September 27 and awarded prizes to the top five finalists. Three top winners earned an all-expense paid trip to Berlin for the international competition held on November 8 and 9.
Tadeusz Patzek, KAUST professor of Earth science and engineering and director of the University's Upstream Petroleum Engineering Research Center (UPERC), held a research conference from November 7 to 9 entitled "Advances in well construction with focus on near-wellbore physics and chemistry." For more information, visit https:// uperc.kaust.edu.sa/Pages/2016-AdvancesIn-Well-Construction-Conference.aspx.
The Beacon Volume 7, Issue No. 12 PUBLISHED BY MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Beacon Staff Managing Editor: Nicholas Demille Arabic Editor: Salah Sindi English Editor: Caitlin Clark Designer: Mahjubeh R. Mashhadi Writers: David Murphy, Meres J. Weche Translator: Adel Alrefaie Photographers: Ginger Lisanti, Lilit Hovhannisyan The Beacon is published monthly. Š King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
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The Red Sea Research Center hosted the KAUST Research Conference: International Conference on the Marine Environment of the Red Sea (ICMERS) 2016 from November 14 to 16. Six keynote speakers from the U.S., Australia and Saudi Arabia covered research in the region as well as best practices internationally. Over 100 presenters worked in parallel sessions throughout the conference to share research insights for the Red Sea, including information surrounding climate change, marine protected areas, oceanography, mangroves, contaminants, fisheries, coral reefs, geophysics, invertebrates, primary production, the blue economy and marine spatial planning. Visit icmers2016. kaust.edu.sa for complete information.
The Information Technology (IT) Department hosted an open house on November 14 and 15. KAUST is moving business applications to the cloud, and the open house was a good way to explain how and why the move has been made. Attendees enjoyed short tours, informational booths, prizes and a 4-D virtual reality experience.
On November 17 to 19, KAUST welcomed back over 100 alumni and their families for the 2016 Alumni Reunion Weekend. Highlights include KAUST President JeanLou Chameau’s official welcome remarks; a thought-provoking panel discussion on entrepreneurship, career outcomes and volunteering; a combined University divisions' reunion and networking lunch; the Alumni Reunion Dinner hosted by Saudi Arabian Alumni Chapter president Damian San Roman; and a Saudi Initiatives-led volunteering activity in the local community.
Capitalizing on the success of TechTour, the KAUST Innovation Fund hosted the newly named Arabian Venture Forum on November 20 and 21. The event brought together investors and startups to support economic growth through the funding of technologybased startups while creating investment opportunities for national and international venture capital funds in the Kingdom.
Vladimir Bajic, named professor of applied mathematics and computational science and director of the University's Computational Bioscience Research Center, will host a research conference from December 5 to 7 entitled "Computational systems biology in biomedicine." Visit the Center's website for more information at www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa.
The University's seventh annual Commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, December 16 at 7:45 p.m. along the Discovery Walk between Al-Khawarizmi (bldg. 1) and the University Library. A reception for graduates and guests will follow immediately afterwards in the University Library.
The Office of Enrichment Programs is proud to bring you 14 enthralling days of a unique Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) 2017 educational experience from January 8 to 21, 2017. This year's theme is “Pushing the Limits: Challenging Engineering and Science.” Keynote lectures, workshops and seminars will enrich you with sensational engineering projects and gripping science stories, and the new WEP Hub concept at the University Library will be the beating heart of WEP 2017, featuring a daily talk show, art exhibits, creative activities, engineering challenges and informal meetings with speakers. Visitenrichment.kaust.edu.sa for complete details and to register.
The University Library is offering a variety of trainings and classes designed to help researchers and students get the most from the Library’s wide array of resources and to improve their research skills. Sessions are available to all members of the KAUST community. To reserve your seat, visit libguides.kaust.edu.sa/libtraining.
The University's Healthy, Safety and Environment Department (HSE), in collaboration with the Lab Management Safety Committee, announced the inaugural Laboratory Safety Recognition Award. The objective of the award is to foster a culture that values research safety, promotes safe behaviors and creates and safe research workplace. Two categories for the award are the Team Award and the Individual Award. HSE and Lab Management will select the winner of the Team Award. Nominations for the Individual Award will be accepted until November 24. For more information and to submit nominations for the Individual Award, visit https://t.e2ma.net/click/48jfo/ oo1qv3/0d5n3e.
Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, KAUST associate professor of electrical engineering, presented a talk at Saudi Design Week, which was held in Riyadh from October 5 to 9. Since 2014, Saudi Design Week aims to increase the awareness of the importance of design and encourages new and rising designer talents. The fair's program featured workshops, a design forum, curated exhibitions and lectures. Hussain spoke about Paper Skin, his research group's paper-based multisensory singular platform that can perform simultaneous sensing, functioning as an environmental sensor and a body vitals monitor. He also emphasized how do-it-yourself (DIY) products can be critical enablers for unprecedented design change for everyday electronics and appliances.
The Office of the Arts held the fall semester Community Concert in the Auditorium (building 20) on November 21 at 7:30 p.m. The event featured musicians from the KAUST community performing with the chorus, orchestra and Angklung Ensemble, and included pieces by Johann Strauss, Sr., Yanni and Muhammad Abdul al-Wahhab. The next concert will be the Sunset Concert on November 27 in the University Library at 5:45 p.m.
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Accolades
1. Xixiang Zhang, KAUST pro-
fessor of material science and engineering, was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in September. File photo.
2. KAUST Associate Professor
of Electrical Engineering Muhammad Mustafa Hussain was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). File photo.
3. Sarah Abdullatif, a graduate of
the 2013 Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI) program and a KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP) participant, co-authored a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). File photo.
Zhang elected APS Fellow
Hussain elected APS Fellow
Xixiang Zhang, KAUST professor of material science and engineering, was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in September. The title was given to Zhang based on the recommendation of the Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications (GMAG).
Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, KAUST associate professor of electrical engineering, was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in September. APS, headquartered in College Park, Maryland, U.S., is a non-profit organization that advances and spreads the knowledge of physics around the world through its academic journals, educational and outreach activities and scientific meetings. Over 51,000 physicists are members worldwide.
APS, headquartered in College Park, Maryland, U.S., is a non-profit organization that advances and spreads the knowledge of physics around the world through its academic journals, educational and outreach activities and scientific meetings. Over 51,000 physicists are members worldwide. “I am happy about this recognition of my contribution to physics," said Xixiang. "I hope I can work with my colleagues at KAUST to make more important contributions to physics and society." The award recognizes Zhang’s “innovative contributions to macroscopic quantum tunneling of magnetization and resonant spin tunneling in magnetic molecules and the discovery of materials with large magnetocaloric effects for room temperature magnetic cooling,” according to the APS’s website. Zhang obtained his bachelor's degree in applied physics and his master's degree in condensed matter physics from Tianjin University, China, in 1979 and 1986, respectively. He studied at Universitat de Barcelona from 1991 to 1992, completing his Ph.D. in condensed matter physics within the area of magnetism there. Before joining KAUST in 2008 as funding manager of the Nanofabrication and the Imaging and Characterization Core Lab, he worked at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as a faculty member. He became a KAUST professor in 2014 after working as the director of the University's Core Labs. He has won a number of awards, including the Distinguished Young Scientist Award (China) and the State Natural Science Award of China (2nd class).
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The title was given to Hussain based on the recommendation of the Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics for his outstanding contributions to physics, and is especially significant due to Hussain’s accomplishments at a young age. The award recognizes Hussain’s “contributions to [the] exploration, evaluation, and transition of planar and non-planar high-k/metal gate complementary metal oxide semiconductor electronics, silicon/silicongermanium/III-V nanotube devices, and flexible, stretchable, reconfigurable complementary metal– oxide–semiconductor electronic systems,” according to the APS’s website. Hussain studied at The University of Texas at Austin (U.S.) from 2003-2005, completing both his master’s degree and Ph.D. in solid-state electronics within the area of electrical and computer engineering there. Upon joining KAUST in 2009, he founded the University’s Integrated Nanotechnology Laboratory. He has won 37 research awards and both Intel and Samsung have adapted his work on CMOS technology. “I am excited about the award—I believe that over time, recognitions follow one’s work, but it is always gratifying to see early recognition, which keeps us inspired. More importantly, being part of a recently established university like KAUST makes the award even more gratifying. I hope every member of the University’s faculty is a global leader in his or her field—there is no alternative to dreaming big and being a trendsetter,” Hussain said.
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Former SRSI student publishes in JACS Sarah Abdullatif, a graduate of the University’s 2013 Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI) program and a current KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP) participant, recently co-authored a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) as part of her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Abdullatif is currently a junior at Berkeley and began working in the university’s Miller Lab in the summer of 2015, continuing her work there through the 2015 – 2016 academic year and into the summer of 2016. Her paper, entitled “Isomerically Pure Tetramethylrhodamine Voltage Reporters,” covers the design, synthesis and application of a family of fluorescent voltage indicators called Rhodamine Voltage Reporters, or RhoVRs. “I chose to come to Berkeley because the chemistry program is exciting, the research is interesting and the professors are inspiring,” she said. “I am extremely excited about my publication in JACS, as I have been looking forward to publishing for awhile, and I am thrilled to share the work I have done.” During her SRSI program, Abdullatif worked on carbon dioxide capture and utilization under the supervision of Kuo-Wei Huang, associate professor of chemical science from the KAUST Catalysis Center. She plans to return to KAUST for her advanced degree studies in chemical science upon completing her undergraduate degree at Berkeley.
The University publishes video content on YouTube and Vimeo and shares video content socially on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Here are a few of the top videos you can watch right now on KAUST channels:
Three postdoctoral fellows shed light on the KAUST experience - https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3CpRLfdkYp4
In the Science in Focus series, Dr. Takashi Gojobori explores research published at KAUST - https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sSlC50WisE
A series of short promotional videos breaks down the science featured in KAUST Discovery - https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FMhQdRhvc
An entire section of the KAUST website is dedicated to video content - https://www.kaust. edu.sa/en/about/videos
/KaustOfficial
kaustofficial
@KAUST_News
/kaust
/kaustedu
/company/kaust
kaustofficial
KAUST Official
“I feel that KAUST has helped me progress and succeed by providing me with resources and support during my time as an SRSI student and also during the KGSP program,” she said.
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'Food for All' the KAUST community
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By David Murphy The opening night of the University’s 2016 Enrichment in the Fall program on October 16 coincided with World Food Day 2016, and was welcomed with a strong turnout from the KAUST community. The Auditorium (bldg. 20) lobby was transformed into a vibrant “Food for All” marketplace as those in attendance visited engaging displays that included fresh produce from around the world. Both young and old also enjoyed a colorful smorgasbord of educational booths that featured culinary demonstrations, scientific demonstrations and facts and figures about global food produce and food wastage. Fresh food was very much to the fore with edible plants built into "herb walls" available for purchase.
Markets of the World Among the booths present, there was a booth run by the student Green Group; a presentation of the "International Cooking with KAUST" cookbook project by community members Melanie Balkner-Zielke and Philippa Arkley; and a presentation and tasting session by the KAUST CookHub startup featuring female cooks from the University's neighboring town of Thuwal. A photography exhibition entitled Markets of the World showcased 35 food-related photographs by KAUST photographers. A special fish and plant tank displayed fish that highlighted the University’s research on hydroponics and was presented by Ryan Lefers, a Ph.D. candidate from the KAUST Water Desalination and Reuse Center. Denis Boutry, a writing and communications specialist for the Enrichment team, was impressed with the response by the KAUST community to the opening night event. “We are really happy with tonight’s turnout. It’s great to see people engaging with the displays and with each other,” he said. At 6:30 p.m., the crowd moved from the lobby area of the Auditorium to be seated for the evening’s musical entertainment provided by the baroque oriental TurkishEuropean group Pera Ensemble.
'We are here to become enriched' In his opening address, Mark Tester, professor of plant science and chair of the 2016 Enrichment Programs, thanked those in attendance and said he was encouraged by the KAUST community’s response to
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the growing need for a global understanding and reaction to the environmental impact of food production and wastage. “We are here to become enriched, to gain wisdom and be challenged. Today is World Food Day, and this is why we are having the 'Food for All' theme for this program. We need to increase food production, but we must do this sustainably and better in the face of climate change. I think we will be able to rise to this challenge by innovation—through human innovation, but we are all going to have to do a lot and do it all together. We have a great opportunity here at KAUST to make real contributions to this," he said.
We are here to become enriched, to gain wisdom and be challenged. Today is World Food Day, and this is why we are having the 'Food for All' theme for this program. We need to increase food production, but we must do this sustainably and better in the face of climate change. I think we will be able to rise to this challenge by innovation." - Mark Tester, professor of plant science and chair of the 2016 Enrichment Programs
The eight-strong Pera Ensemble saw out the opening night's entertainment by delighting the crowd with a grand and memorizing display of musical skill and virtuosity. As with previous Enrichment programs, this year’s program got off to an exciting and engaging start.
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فعالية "الغذاء للجميع" في جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية تزامن انطالق فعاليات برنامج اإلثراء في الخريف في ليلة 16من أكتوبر مع ً إقباال كبير من اليوم العالمي للغذاء لعام ،2016حيث شهدت ليلة االفتتاح مجتمع جامعة الملك عبداهلل ،وتحولت أروقة مبنى 20إلى سوق حيوية تعرض ً كبارا األغذية والمنتجات الطازجة من جميع أنحاء العالم .كما استمتع الجميع ً وصغارا باألجنحة والمنصات التثقيفية التي اشتملت على عروض علمية وعروض
حية للطهي ،إضافة الى شرح حقائق علمية وأرقام حول إنتاج الغذاء العالمي ومعدالت اإلهدار في الثروات الغذائية.
أسواق العالم وكان من بين العروض المتميزة ،عرض لطلبة الجامعة من مجموعة أصدقاء البيئة بعنوان "الطبخ العالمي في جامعة الملك عبداهلل" ،وهو مشروع كتاب طبخ من تأليف بالكنير-زيلك وفيليبا اركيلي .كما اشتملت الفعالية على عرض تقديمي وجلسة تذوق من قبل الشركة الناشئة ( )CookHubمن جامعة الملك عبد اهلل، والتي قدمت مجموعة من األطباق الشهية من إعداد طاهيات متميزات من بلدة ثول .كما اشتمل السوق على معرض للتصوير الفوتوغرافي بعنوان أسواق العالم، حيث قام بعرض 35صورة التقطتها عدسات المصورين في جامعة الملك عبداهلل وتناولت موضوع الغذاء .وتوسط السوق حوض مائي خاص استعرض أبرز األبحاث في جامعة الملك عبداهلل في مجال الزراعة المائية. وأعرب دينيس بوتري ،عضو فريق اإلثراء في الجامعة والمتخصص في الكتابة واالتصاالت عن سعادته بمدى إقبال مجتمع الجامعة في ليلة االفتتاح ،حيث قال: ً حقا بهذا اإلقبال وبرؤية مدى تفاعل مجتمع الجامعة مع بعضهم "نحن سعداء البعض ". مساء إلى داخل قاعة المؤتمرات في ثم انتقل الحضور في تمام الساعة 6:30 ً المبنى حيث استمتعوا بفقرة موسيقية قدمتها الفرقة التركية األوروبية الشرقية.
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"جئنا من أجل اإلثراء" ألقى البروفيسور مارك تستر ،أستاذ علوم النبات ورئيس برامج اإلثراء لعام ،2016 كلمة افتتاحية ،شكر فيها الحضور على تفاعلهم مع الحدث واهتمامهم المتزايد بكل ما يخص البيئية والعوامل البيئية المؤثرة على انتاج المواد الغذائية. وقال البروفيسور تستر" :جئنا من أجل اإلثراء ،والكتساب المعرفة والفائدة .اليوم هو اليوم العالمي للغذاء ،وهذا هو السبب في اختيارنا موضوع “الغذاء للجميع" لنسخة البرنامج لهذا العام .نحن بحاجة إلى زيادة إنتاج الغذاء ،ولكن يجب علينا أن نفعل ذلك على نحو مستدام في ظل التغيرات المناخية الحالية .أنا واثق من قدرتنا على مواجهة هذا التحدي من خالل االبتكار .ولدينا فرصة كبيرة هنا في جامعة الملك عبداهلل لتقديم مساهمات حقيقية في هذا اإلطار ".
1, 2, 3. The KAUST community enjoyed the opening night activities of the 2016 Enrichment in the Fall program on October 16, which featured the theme of "Food for All." Photos by Meres Weche. 4. Mark Tester, professor of plant science and chair
of the 2016 Enrichment Programs, gave the opening address at the University's 2016 Enrichment in the Fall program on October 16. Photo by Meres Weche.
Rebooting civilization By Caitlin Clark
Do you have the knowledge it takes to survive the apocalypse? This was the question asked by Lewis Dartnell, professor of science communication from the University of Westminster (U.K.), at an Enrichment in the Fall lecture on campus on October 17. Dartnell, an accomplished astrobiologist who researches the possibilities of microbial life on other planets, is also a skilled science communicator. His three books on scientific subjects include "The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch," which examines the same question and provides a “quickstart guide for rebooting civilization,” Dartnell said.
Modern disconnect from ‘beautiful science’ “Living in the modern world, we have become disconnected from the basic processes that support our lives, as well as from the beautiful fundamentals of science that enable you to relearn things for yourself,” explained Dartnell. In his lecture, he outlined the “grand thought experiment” presented in "The Knowledge," which examines the “behind-the-scenes fundamentals of how our world works and what drove the progression of civilization over the centuries. What are the fundamentals of where our food comes from? Why do we eat what we do—why did our ancestors 10,000 years ago choose to cultivate the crops they did out of the thousands of natural plant species, and how could you restart all of that if you ever had to?” he asked.
Post-apocalypse: What would you do? “Let’s imagine you wake up tomorrow in the postapocalyptic scenario and have no idea where you are or what time it is,” he told the audience. “How can you go about finding out these things for yourselves without the modern conveniences of everyday life, such as calendars, electricity or navigation devices?” Outlining a “grace period,” during which a survivor of the apocalypse would only need to worry about basic survival, Dartnell explained that you could use the basic contents of a handbag, such as gum, a bottle of water, hairspray and tissues, in “strange and ingenious ways in combination with each other to keep yourself alive.”
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1 He also noted how, due to modern technology and food preservation, the food in a normal-sized supermarket would be able to keep one person alive for 55 years if it were rationed out and the most perishable items were consumed first. An additional eight years could be added by consuming the supermarket’s canned cat and dog food, an option Dartnell said would have him “heading for the nearest bleach aisle” to end things then and there.
Fire and water “Water is a huge concern for keeping yourself alive,” Dartnell said. “How can we apply modern science technology in this situation to know for a fact the water you are about to drink is not going to kill you?” If you have access to bleach, he explained, use diluted bleach with river water to disinfect the water. An additional method touted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to fill a plastic bottle with water and let it sit in the sun—under certain conditions, the UV radiation, thermal inactivation and photo-oxidative destruction will help to purify the water by inactivating disease-causing organisms in a process called solar disinfection (SODIS). “Fire is absolutely critical to how we have survived as a species for thousands of years. We use fire to cook our food. We use fire to keep warm. We use fire to transform things we take out of the ground and make them into useful substances—like clay baked into bricks, for example,” Dartnell said. “We still depend on fire as much as our early human ancestors did.” In the post-apocalyptic world, it’s possible to start a fire using many “weird and wonderful” everyday items, he explained, such as—ironically—a fire alarm. While researching his book, Dartnell removed the 9V battery from the back of a fire alarm and brushed the terminals against some steel wool, starting a roaring fire in the wool in a few seconds.
‘Why do we eat what we eat?’ In correlation with the 2016 Fall Enrichment Program’s theme of “Food for All,” Dartnell also examined the grain staples that have supported humans throughout history—wheat, rice and maize.
1. Lewis Dartnell, professor of science communication at the University of Westminster and author of "The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch," spoke at an Enrichment in the Fall lecture about how to "reboot" the world in an apocalyptic scenario. Pictured here is a photograph Dartnell took of himself after manufacturing a primitive single-lens camera and using rudimentary silver chemistry, techniques that date to the beginnings of photography in the 1850s. Photo courtesy of Lewis Dartnell. 2. Lewis Dartnell speaks at his Enrichment in the Fall lecture on October 17.
2 “We rely so heavily on a handful of plant species for our food,” he said. However, the human body cannot easily digest these grains unless they have been broken down first, which is where fire and water come into play. “Humans have had to invest in solutions that enable us to eat these cereal crops, and these solutions are the water wheel and the windmill,” he explained. By harnessing the power of wind and water, humans have been able to power millstones to grind grain. Then, using an “external stomach”—an oven or a pot over a fire—we break down the grains with heat so we can consume them and absorb their nutrients.
Advancing science in new world Dartnell noted that, at some point, the post-apocalyptic world would begin “settling down,” with people reestablishing the normal, basic rhythms of survival. “What then?” he asked—how would people again create the scientific advances that shaped our world since the 1500s and 1600s? His answer was through the making of glass. “Glass is a substance that is hard and strong but chemically unreactive, and it was the one substance that was critical for the scientific revolution to take place through the construction of lenses for microscopes and telescopes, for example,” he explained. Dartnell visited a beach in the U.K. and produced glass on one weekend by himself using sand for silica, seaweed for soda and chalk, seashells or coral for lime.
إعادة استنهاض الحضارة البروفيسور لويس دارتنيل يقدم محاضرة عن أساسيات البقاء على قيد الحياة ما بعد الكوارث هل تمتلك المعرفة الالزمة للبقاء على قيد الحياة في حاالت ما بعد الكوارث أستاذ علوم االتصال من جامعة،والحروب؟ هذا ما طرحه البروفيسور لويس دارتنيل في إحدى محاضرات برنامج اإلثراء في الخريف في،)وستمنستر (المملكة المتحدة .2016 اكتوبر17 جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية في يشرح البروفيسور دارتنيل أننا في هذا العصر المتطور أصبحنا نعتمد بصورة كبيرة على التقنيات واألجهزة الحديثة في جميع أمورنا لدرجة أننا نجهل الكثير من العلوم كما أوجز في محاضرته.األساسية التي تضمن حياتنا في حال تالشت هذه التقنيات موضوع "التجربة الفكرية الكبرى" التي تشرح دوافع التطور الحضاري على مر القرون .وكيف أن المعرفة هي الطريق لفهم كل ما يجري في عالمنا يعتبر البروفيسور دارتنيل عالم أحياء فلكي رائد في أبحاث الحياة الميكروبية في ولديه ثالثة كتب، هو أيضا متخصص في الحوار والتواصل العلمي،الكواكب األخرى كيف نعيد بناء عالمنا من الصفر" والذي يتناول مسألة: أشهرها كتاب "المعرفة،علمية .إعادة استنهاض الحضارة
“Without glass, you don’t get to do science and you can’t understand the natural world,” he said.
A ‘journey of discovery’ Dartnell’s eye-opening lecture gave insight into not only the fundamentals of what make up our modern lives— and what we so easily take for granted—but also his “journey of discovery” into collating these elements, he noted. “'The Knowledge' explains everything you need to know about everything,” he said. “[It] will transform your understanding of the world—and help you prepare for it when it’s no longer here.”
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Helping feed the world By David Murphy
On October 17, Fred Davies, regents professor from the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, spoke to the KAUST community as part of the University’s Enrichment in the Fall program about the growing needs and problems in feeding the world’s population. In his keynote address entitled “Agriculture, Food Security & Sustainable Intensification: Can We Feed the World?,” Davies also discussed how we source, cultivate and distribute food worldwide. Davies’ engaging and thought-provoking lecture focused on the challenges of feeding the global population, which is projected to reach 9 billion people by 2050. According to Davies, the largest and most pressing outstanding challenge is that current food production will need to grow 70% to meet these increased demands. In other words, according to Davies, “food issues could become as politically destabilizing after 2050 as energy issues are today.”
A varied system approach to food production For the first time in human history, Davies said, food production will be limited on a global scale by the availability of land, water and energy. He highlighted the need for a greater focus on what he dubbed "'sustainable intensification,' which is doing more with less: less land, input of water, fertilizer and chemicals— something that is environmentally and economically viable," he said. Davies stressed that forecasted increases in crop productivity from the combined fields of biotechnology, genetics, agronomics and horticulture will not be sufficient to meet food demands, and resource limitations will constrain the global food system. “Going forward, it’s going to have to be a varied system approach to food production so we can continue to feed the world. There are increasing hunger and food security problems in the world. One in eight populationwise suffers from chronic undernourishment. Food security is tethered to the nexus of nutrition, food, energy, water, health, sanitation and smart policy,” Davies explained. He also drew attention to the fact that something as trivial as how a certain item of food looks can be enough to see it go to waste, imploring us to think more about how we interact with food, noting, “We waste way too much food. A third of all food goes to waste because of how it looks."
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Davies also felt that there is too much of an emphasis on beef production and consumption globally, which he feels is an antiquated and somewhat inefficient form of nutrition on a mass scale, and an area where alternatives to meat should be brought to the fore. “We’re consuming way too much meat—more than is needed—and we need to look at alternatives. Beef production is a really inefficient food production system. For every pound of meat you get, you need to provide 15 pounds of fodder/food to get it,” he said.
If we’re going to change dietary habits, it’s not going to happen in just one generation. We need to educate young people on the importance of nutrition. Mobilizing a new generation of university students to try to address the coming problem of trying to feed 9 billion people is essential.” - Fred Davies, regents professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University
In a presentation loaded with intriguing facts and figures, Davies noted that Saudi Arabia is among some of the top consumers of groundwater and food imports worldwide. “Saudi Arabia, along with China and the U.S., is one of the nations that is using groundwater at an alarming rate, and this is water that of course cannot be renewed. 1.5 percent of Saudi Arabia is arable, and due to these conditions, Saudi Arabia is 65-70 percent dependent on imports to meet its food requirements,” he said.
Food for thought The most stark figures of the evening had to do with the ongoing problem of starvation and malnutrition not only only in the developing world but also in the developed world.
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المساعدة في تحقيق األمن الغذائي العالمي حل البروفيسور فريد ديفيز ،من قسم علوم البستنة في جامعة تكساس إيه اند إم ً ضيفا على مجتمع جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية حيث قدم محاضرة البحثية، رئيسية بعنوان " الزراعة واألمن الغذائي والتكثيف المستدام :هل يمكننا إطعام العالم؟" تناولت االحتياجات والمشاكل المتزايد في موضوع األمن الغذائي العالمي ً أيضا وذلك ضمن فعاليات برنامج اإلثراء في الخريف لعام .2016كما ناقش ديفيز كيف يمكننا تحديد مصادر المواد الغذائية ،وانتاجها وزراعتها وتوزيعها في جميع أنحاء العالم. ً أيضا على العديد من المسائل المثيرة لالهتمام والمحفزة واشتملت محاضرة ديفيز للتفكير حول تحديات إطعام سكان العالم ،والذي يتوقع أن يصل إلى 9مليارات نسمة ً ً إلحاحا هو أن اإلنتاج الغذائي ووفقا لديفيز ،فإن أكثر المشاكل بحلول عام .2050 الحالي يحتاج الى معدل نمو ٪ 70كي يلبي الطلبات المتزايدة على المواد الغذائية. وبعبارة أخرى ،وفقا لديفيز" ،فإن قضية االمن الغذائي العالمي يمكنها أن تصبح عامل ً ً تماما مثل قضايا الطاقة اليوم". سياسيا في العالم بعد عام 2050 لزعزعة االستقرار
“One in six Americans relies on some sort of food support for their daily intake—this is not just a developing world problem. We cannot tolerate a world where nearly 1 billion people go to bed nightly hungry,” Davies said. Davies told the crowd he was under no illusions as to how long it would take to get people to change their food consumption trends and dietary beliefs, but he said he saw the future of food awareness lying with future generations. “If we’re going to change dietary habits, it’s not going to happen in just one generation. We need to educate young people on the importance of nutrition. Mobilizing a new generation of university students to try to address the coming problem of trying to feed 9 billion people is essential,” Davies explained.
ويرى ديفيدز أن هناك ضرورة قصوى في توعية الناس بعمل تغيير جذري في معتقداتهم الغذائية ونمط استهالكهم للمواد الغذائية اال أنه يعي أن ذلك ليس باألمر الهين في هذا الوقت وأن ذلك سيقع بصورة كبيرة على عاتق األجيال القادمة .يقول ديفيز " إذا أردنا تغيير العادات الغذائية ،فإن ذلك لن يحدث في جيل واحد فقط .بل نحن بحاجة إلى تثقيف الشباب من الجيل الحالي والقادم حول أهمية التغذية وحث طلبة الجامعات على محاولة معالجة هذه المشكلة المقبلة وإظهار مدى أهميتها لمستقبل البشر".
1. Fred Davies, regents professor in the
Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, spoke to the KAUST community in a keynote address as part of this year's Enrichment in the Fall program.
2. Fred Davies speaks to the KAUST community during his Enrichment in the Fall keynote lecture.
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www.kaust.edu.sa
Women in biology
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By Caitlin Clark From Rosalind Franklin, the researcher whose X-ray crystallography image helped unweave DNA’s double helix structure, to Rachel Carson, the marine biologist and author of the groundbreaking environmental conservation work “Silent Spring,” and Marie Curie, the famous nuclear physicist and two-time winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics for her discoveries in radioactivity, women have excelled—and continue to do so—in the sciences. The 2016 Fall Enrichment Program gave the KAUST community a chance to hear firsthand success stories from a panel of four outstanding female scientists working in the biological sciences field. Panel speakers Peiying Hong, KAUST assistant professor of environmental science and engineering; Bettina Berger, scientific director of The Plant Accelerator, Australian Plant Phenomics Facility at the University of Adelaide, Australia; Ashwag Abdullah Albukhari, assistant professor of medical oncology at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah; and Jasmeen Merzaban, KAUST assistant professor of bioscience, outlined their strengths, triumphs and struggles while navigating successful careers in biology.
Difficult career for males and females “Science is a difficult career no matter if you are male or female. Much support is required,” said Berger. “We need to support females as they grow up and move into science. Science is not an easy field and takes a lot of work, time and commitment, and the work-life balance is difficult, especially at the beginning,” Merzaban echoed. “Gauging how much time to put into your job and your family is especially challenging. Women have a lot of responsibilities in their lives, and they often don’t get credit for these; for example, women often help to support their children, parents and husbands. Having a scientific career on top of these responsibilities can be difficult without support from many people.” “Women don’t always have an outstanding support system,” added Hong. “Our decisions for our careers become influenced by family considerations and societal expectations, often restricting what we decide to do. However, I believe women should be respected for their decisions, even if they decide not to continue further with their careers. At the end, excellence in life is about asking yourself, ‘Have I done my best?’”
Explore every opportunity Merzaban noted she “didn’t start out wanting to be a scientific researcher,” originally intending to become a medical doctor. “Even in high school, I always loved biology, and I followed that passion,” she said, “A series of opportunities appeared and smacked me in the face,
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and I decided I wanted to go through with them. These opportunities pushed me down certain paths, along with mentorship from different people, and I found that through research, I could still help in the medical field. I don’t regret any door that opened or any opportunity I took.”
You must believe in yourself and find out what makes you happy. What drives you is the most important thing for your future.” - Bettina Berger, scientific director of The Plant Accelerator, Australian Plant Phenomics Facility at the University of Adelaide, Australia
“If you look at my CV, you might think there was some planning involved in my career, but it was really just meeting different people at the right times,” Berger said. Hong agreed, adding, “My successes were a series of opportunities given to me at different times in my life. My passion for science developed over my undergraduate degree, and then I was awarded scholarships. Through those years, I built skills and I had people who believed in me. This drove my passion for research.”
Build your career with confidence “Your Ph.D. is just the beginning of your career,” explained Albukhari. “After completing it, you must continue to do more research and prove yourself in different ways. It is so important to be satisfied with what you are doing and to love it because you will spend a lot of time doing your research.” “We women must have the inner confidence to believe in ourselves and what we are doing in science,” said Merzaban. “We must follow what we are passionate about, at the same time remembering that the skills we develop along the way are needed in any field we go into.” She advised the students in the audience to find a mentor, noting, “You have to find people who believe in you when you don’t necessarily believe in yourself. Don’t ever give up. Failure will happen, but you just have to pick yourself up and move forward.” “You must believe in yourself and find out what makes you happy,” Berger concluded. “What drives you is the most important thing for your future.”
Niveen Khashab receives global honor
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By David Murphy
KAUST Associate Professor of Chemical Science Niveen Khashab was honored with a 2017 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award in the field of physical science for her research in organic chemistry, and in particular for her research in smart hybrid materials. Khashab will receive her award at the 19th edition of the 2017 L’OréalUNESCO For Women in Science Awards, which will be held at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris on March 23, 2017. Khashab is one of five 2017 For Women in Science awardees who will receive a cash prize in recognition of their contributions to science. The 2017 laureates were selected by an independent and international jury of 12 prominent scientists, with Professor Christian Amatore, a member of the French Académie des Sciences, acting as president of the jury.
Khashab's KAUST research focuses on designing and synthesizing smart assembled nanomaterials that can controllably respond to different stimuli such as light and electrical current. “It is really intriguing to think of molecules not as static elements but rather as responsive entities. This way you can engineer switching or motion at the molecular level. We have demonstrated that such assemblies can be used for drug and gene and protein delivery, in addition to acting as extremely sensitive sensors and imaging agents,” she said.
A 'tremendous honor' Khashab said she feels the award is a tremendous honor not only on a personal level but also for women scientists worldwide. “I am pleasantly surprised and excited about and most importantly pretty proud of winning the award at this stage of my career," Khashab said. "I feel that all the hard work and dedication and devotion to my research and student mentorship has really paid off. I hope that this international recognition will encourage more females to go into academia even if they have young families.” Khashab noted that her award nomination is particularly gratifying, as it brings greater acknowledgement and attention to the ongoing scientific research developments and firsts produced in the Gulf region. “This international recognition will definitely push me even more to be an active player in promoting graduate female education in the region. It proves without any doubt the impressive role that KAUST is playing not just locally but regionally and internationally," she added.
1. A panel of four successful female scientists field spoke about their exciting careers to the KAUST audience as part of the University's 2016 Enrichment in the Fall Program. 2. Associate Professor of Chemical Science Niveen Khashab was honored with a 2017 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award in the field of physical science for her research in organic chemistry. Photo by Nicholas Demille.
www.kaust.edu.sa
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KAUST listed among science rising stars Over the summer, the Nature Index published a list of the Top 100 institutions globally leading in high-quality science. The Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars ranking is based on the tracking of high-impact research from more than 8,000 global institutions, specifically focusing on ascendant performers in the world of science. KAUST was listed in 19th place overall and placed first in the Middle East and West Asia. Rather than focusing on well-established institutions who typically lead academic rankings, the Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars shines a light on transformational institutions that have increased their contribution to a selection of 68 top natural science journals (measured in a metric called weighted fractional count [WFC]), and who have improved their performance within their scope of longevity, reputation and resources. KAUST was cited as a major contributor in Saudi Arabia’s progress in chemistry as well as in Earth and environmental sciences. The University’s research pillars of water, food, energy and the environment play an important role in the development of the country and region’s burgeoning knowledge-based economy, and one of the unique aspects of KAUST is the University's focus on tackling problems relevant to the region, such as water desalination and improving agricultural yields and practices in arid regions. Nature highlighted the University's important contribution to the growing number of research publications coming from the Kingdom. "Saudi contribution to high-quality research almost doubled over the past four years. Authors from 40 organizations in the Kingdom have had their research published in index journals over four years," Nature noted. Cited as a research example was Professor Carlos Duarte’s collaborative work with over 30 scientists that described the genome of eelgrass, the first marine angiosperm to be fully sequenced. “The findings may help explain how marine ecosystems are adapting to climate change—knowledge that may have ramifications for human efforts to mitigate this looming environmental threat," stated Nature.
إدراج جامعة الملك عبداهلل ضمن افضل المؤسسات العلمية الصاعدة ً عالميا في مجال مؤسسة رائدة100 نشر مؤشر نيتشر قائمة تضم أفضل وقد اعتمد المؤشر على تتبع األبحاث.2016 العلوم ذات الجودة العالية لعام مع التركيز بشكل، مؤسسة عالمية8000 ذات التأثير العالي في أكثر من وصنف المؤشر.خاص على المؤسسات العلمية الجديدة والصاعدة في العالم ً عالميا واألول جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية في المركز التاسع عشر .في منطقة الشرق األوسط وغرب آسيا ولم يركز مؤشر نيتشر لهذه السنة على المؤسسات األكاديمية العريقة التي ً بل سلط الضوء على المؤسسات األكاديمية،غالبا ما تتصدر الترتيب العالمي 68 الصاعدة التي لديها إسهامات متميزة في مجموعة مختارة من أفضل ) إضافة إلى المؤسسات ذات األداء المتميزWFC مجلة علمية (باعتماد مقياس .والحضور الكبير وتم إدراج جامعة الملك عبداهلل كمساهم رئيسي في تقدم المملكة العربية كما أن محاور.السعودية في مجال الكيمياء وكذلك في علوم األرض والبيئة ً ً مهما دورا تلعب،أبحاثها الرئيسية والمتمثلة بالماء والغذاء والطاقة والبيئة ً خصوصا كون في نمو وازدهار المنطقة وتعزيز التوجه نحو االقتصاد المعرفي
الجامعة تركز بصورة كبيرة على معالجة المشاكل الملحة ذات الصلة في كما أبرزت نيتشر أن. مثل تحلية المياه والزراعة في المناطق القاحلة،المنطقة األبحاث التي تجريها جامعة الملك عبداهلل زادت من إسهامات المملكة من حيث كتبت المجلة أن مساهمات السعودية.المنشورات البحثية عالية الجودة ً وتم،تقريبا خالل السنوات األربع الماضية في األبحاث عالية الجودة تضاعف مؤسسة أكاديمية في المملكة على مدى أربع40 نشر أوراق بحثية من .سنوات واستشهدت نيتشر ببحث البروفيسور كارلوس دوارتي التعاوني مع أكثر من ً والتي أصبحت أول،)عالما حول وصف جينوم األعشاب البحرية (يلجراس 30 وأضافت مؤكدة أن.نبتة بحرية يتم وصف التسلسل الجينومي لها بالكامل نتائج هذا البحث ستساعد في دراسات وأبحاث النظم البحرية والتكيف مع .التغيرات المناخية
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1. KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau spoke on October 4 at The Atlantic What's Next? event in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Photo courtesy of Tori Soper/ The Atlantic.
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Talking about the future with The Atlantic On October 4, KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau spoke at an event hosted by The Atlantic entitled Discovering the World's Genius/What's Next?. The event, held on October 4 and 5 in the American city of Chicago, Illinois, included speakers from Boeing, Rolls-Royce, NSF, NASA, Facebook, and a number of American universities. Chameau provided the audience with highlights of the University's purposeful design and role as a global science and technology university to advance graduate education, research and entrepreneurship. Participants and followers of the event took part in an online conversation using #WHATSNEXT100. In his talk, Chameau spoke about Li-Fi research that is ongoing at KAUST, as well as research into climate change in the Red Sea. The event was underwritten by KAUST strategic partner Boeing on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. Chameau took part in one of a series of events hosted by The Atlantic called Atlantic Live.
Scan here to watch a video of KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau speaking in October at The Atlantic What's Next? event in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
رئيس الجامعة يتحدث عن المستقبل لو- الدكتور جان،) الشهيرةThe Atlantic( استضافت مجلة ذي أتالنتيك في مدينة شيكاغو، رئيس جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية،شامو ."الخطوة التالية/االمريكية ضمن حدث "اكتشاف عباقرة العالم لو شامو في حدث استضافته-تحدث رئيس جامعة الملك عبداهلل جان /) بعنوان "اكتشاف عباقرة العالمThe Atlantic( مجلة ذي أتالنتيك وتضمن الحدث الذي عقد في الفترة بين الرابع."الخطوة التالية متحدثين من شركة،والخامس من أكتوبر في مدينة شيكاغو األمريكية ووكالة،NSF و مؤسسة العلوم الوطنية األمريكية، ورولز رويس،بوينغ وقد قامت. وعدد من الجامعات األمريكية، وفيسبوك، NASA ناسا برعاية هذا، الشريك االستراتيجي للجامعة،)Boeing( شركة بوينغ .الحدث بمناسبة الذكرى السنوية المئة إلنشائها وقد قدم الرئيس شامو لمحة عن الدور الهادف الذي تقوم به جامعة الملك عبداهلل كجامعة عالمية للعلوم والتقنية ونهوضها بالدراسات كما تطرق لألبحاث الحالية التي تقوم.العليا واألبحاث وريادة األعمال ً واألبحاث في،)Li-Fi( فاي-وتحديدا في مجال تقنية الي بها الجامعة .مجال التغيرات المناخية في البحر األحمر
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Big names on campus for the seventh annual Career Fair
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By David Murphy
The University held its seventh annual Career Fair on October 26 and 27. Prior to the event, a team of Graduate Affairs specialists prepared students for several weeks with assessments, mock interviews and CV analysis, along with additional assistance covering workshops and seminars on leadership, communication, social media networking and more.
Al Aqeel added, “You need to sell yourself as best you can. Show how you can make a change to the company you are joining and always be professional when approaching a potential employer. When it comes to a new job, be sure to give it your best shot. You have to show you are committed. You must show your capabilities to your manager or supervisor.”
On October 27, an all-day event took place in the Conference Center (bldg. 19), beginning with an hourlong KAUST Alumni Career Panel event. A panel of six former students gave their advice to current graduate students on exploring career paths, searching for jobs and getting started in the professional world. The panel, which consisted of engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs, included Dr. Sarah Al Aqeel and Brian Parrott from Saudi Aramco, Kareem Khalil from the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Dr. Ahmad Showail from Taibah University and Hashim Kamakhi from Dow Chemical.
Echoing both of these sentiments, Kamakhi added, “You must consider your attitude. No recruiter will doubt your background as a KAUST student, but always be aware of what attitude you are projecting to others. Try to learn about the company you are joining. Do some research so that you can ask the relevant questions—not to show off, but to learn.”
‘Pursuing your passion’ Lea Sublett, manager of Alumni Affairs, who was also the moderator for the event, asked the panelists a range of questions covering their experiences at KAUST, their present occupations and where they see themselves in the future. "Passion” seemed to be the recurring term and sentiment shared among the panelists as they discussed the need for students to find their passions and follow them resolutely. They also stated that a professional approach and focus are essential while seeking employment while also showing your prospective new employers just what it is you can bring to their company. “Pursuing your passion is really important. What we need to do as students is to explore our opportunities. At university, you have a lot of opportunities outside of your studies and coursework—you have a lot of time to explore your interests. You don't have these opportunities in later life. You should use these opportunities and time as a way of developing skills and talents that you can use later on wherever you are employed,” said Parrott.
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After the Alumni Panel, the event moved to the adjacent lecture hall where students met with company representatives to discuss full-time employment opportunities and internship options. Among the companies present were Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, Al Safwa Cement Company, Asharqia Chamber Employment Center, Aqualia, Dow Chemical, Ernst & Young, Huawei, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Tansee, Total, SABIC and Schlumberger. Also in attendance were some KAUST startup companies, including FalconViz and NOMADD.
'You have to want to work really hard' Former KAUST postdoctoral fellow and current research scientist at Schlumberger Dr. Bastian Sauerer explained how it is always a pleasure to return to KAUST. “Being a former KAUST postdoc, I always enjoy coming back to this place. I have a lot of good memories about my assignment here, and it is great to run into old friends when I visit. I look forward to helping to hire more of the talented people from KAUST in the future,” he said. Mona AlSaydlani, another former KAUST student now working as an R&D engineer in Dow Chemical’s office based in the University’s Innovation Cluster, said that through her KAUST studies, she found her chosen career path.
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1. Company exhibitors from this year's 7th Annual Career Fair engage with the KAUST community and graduate students at the event. 2. A panel of six former KAUST students spoke at the
3 “I was part of the founding student group at KAUST, and after finishing my master’s degree and Ph.D., I worked at KAUST for another three and a half years before joining Dow. When I was a student here, I focused on my studies and research, but KAUST gave me an opportunity to develop my skillset—skills that I could transfer to my new job at Dow. I enjoyed my time at KAUST and found that you have to want to work really hard while you’re here,” she said. The year’s event was deemed a success by both graduates and employers, who benefited greatly from the communal innovation- and talent-based environment. Timothy Grubbs, professional development lead from the University’s Graduate Affairs’ Office of Career & Professional Development, was extremely happy with the event. “I feel very excited about the many positive outcomes of the 2016 Career Fair. It was a successful collaboration between the Office of Professional Development, Saudi Initiatives and Innovation & Economic Development,” he said.
University's 7th Annual Career Fair on October 27, discussing their career paths, job search and getting started in the professional world.
3. Mona AlSaydlani (far left), R&D engineer at Dow
Chemical and a KAUST master's degree and Ph.D. graduate, stands with the rest of the Dow team at the University's 7th Annual Career Fair.
Pursuing your passion is really important. What we need to do as students is to explore our opportunities." - KAUST graduate Brian Parrott
“At the Career Fair, the attending 16 companies networked with hundreds of students to discuss industry opportunities and career possibilities. Employer feedback was overwhelmingly positive about the caliber of our students and their overall preparation and professionalism in approaching the event. The current students who attended the fair will hope to mimic the successful transitions of former KAUST students into the global workforce, where their skills honed during their time at KAUST will serve them well.”.
www.kaust.edu.sa
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Get in the innovation game
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By Caitlin Clark
The KAUST community discovered what it takes to “get in the innovation game” this year at the Innovation & Economic Development (I&ED) Open House event on October 4 and 5. The interactive event provided an opportunity to learn about the University’s resident industry partners and how to engage with I&ED, and featured video games, prizes and new technologies in a celebration of innovation on campus. Eleven of the University’s industry partners with residency in the KAUST Innovation Cluster had booths at this year’s event, with representatives from companies including Dow Chemical, the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Saudi Aramco, Boeing, Nalco and Cray attending. Startup resident partners also participated, including FalconViz, NOMADD and Visual Experience. The Open House also featured Saudi Membrane Distillation Desalination (SMDD), Integrated Information Technology Support (IITS) and Haala Energy, three new startup resident partners, and three I&ED-sponsored community self-directed groups (SDGs): the Entrepreneurship Business & Innovation Group (eBIG), a graduate student SDG; Young Builders; and Maker Space. The SDGs showcased I&ED’s efforts to create an innovation movement within the KAUST community.
eBIG Michael Margineanu, a Ph.D. student in the University’s Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, founded eBIG, a student-run entrepreneurship business and innovation group, in 2015 with fellow KAUST Ph.D. students Nadia Kouraytem and Martin Ibarra. “The three of us served on the Graduate Student Council’s International Business Relations Committee, and we realized KAUST needed active student engagement outside of the lab to achieve one of its core goals, economic development. We believed there were many ways students and I&ED could benefit from such a group on campus,” explained Margineanu. “eBIG aims to provide a link between the student body and I&ED, with a focus on engaging students in entrepreneurialspirited activities and competitions, encouraging them to build new sets of soft skills and learn what it takes to get a research idea beyond the laboratory stage,” Ibarra said. Over 80 KAUST students have already participated in eBIG events, which included organizing the KAUST selection for the Hult Prize for social entrepreneurship in 2015 and the development of the proposal for the 2015 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Innovation Challenge, a program later launched by I&ED in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank. The group plans to
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continue working on similar initiatives, and will be assisting with the upcoming Arabian Venture Forum event in November. “The Open House event was a great opportunity to engage with visitors and the other participants, find common areas of interest and discuss some of eBIG’s initiatives,” said Kouraytem. “Each time we reach out to the community, we learn how we can better serve KAUST as a student-run group and how we can further contribute to the University’s economic development mission.”
SMDD SMDD, founded in 2014 in Jeddah by Saad Almittiri, develops membranes specifically for membrane distillation that will improve the efficiency of water treatment systems three to sixfold. The company currently holds three patents for its technology. “Using our newly developed membranes, the energy consumption is expected to be much lower compared to other conventional processes, as the whole system could be run by solar energy for heating, cooling and water circulation processes,” said Fouad Mahdi, SMDD’s managing director. “We aim to be a part of the solution to preventing water shortage around the world, and in particular in countries like Saudi Arabia where there is no naturally regenerated drinking water, but where water desalination is low-cost and huge production of water is needed.” “The University’s Innovation Cluster is a ‘plug and play’ location for us where we can quickly and efficiently begin making use of the many resources at KAUST, like the professors, students, researchers and lab facilities,” Mahdi continued. “Our base here helps us to rapidly reach our goals.”
IITS Technology company IITS is headquartered in Jeddah and provides solutions for the health informatics field. Founded in 2012, IITS has grown from a three-member core team to 22 members. The company currently works with clinics and governmental institutions, implementing health informatics platforms for them. “KAUST is a location for intellectual people, and we were proud to take part in the 2016 I&ED Open House to present our informatics solutions and exchange ideas with visitors at the event,” said Ehab Arif, CEO of IITS. “We work in advanced levels of health informatics, and we are looking to utilize the expertise of KAUST researchers, professors and students for the development of our projects.
1. Innovation & Economic Development's Open House event featured an interactive gaming theme that drew visitors to take part in the activities. Photo courtesy of I&ED.
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“The datacenter at KAUST is an exciting place for us to manage and host our application that can analyze the health data of patients in the Kingdom. We hope this will be part of a broader project in the future that will establish a data center for health informatics for the entire country. This would be utilized for preventive care for the citizens. With the assistance of KAUST and the research team here, we are sure this will become a reality.”
Haala Energy In 2015, Faris Al Sulayman and Rowan Jandu founded Haala Energy in Jeddah with one goal in mind: establishing a different kind of renewable energy developer—one that is local and dynamic and promotes employee ownership to capitalize on emerging opportunities for solar deployment in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. Haala Energy focuses on distributed solar generation at the commercial scale and works with agricultural and industrial clients. “We decided to become a resident partner at KAUST because we wanted to be part of the University’s vibrant and scientifically engaged community. This would allow us to learn from and collaborate with academic research related to solar power at the KAUST Solar Center and elsewhere, and also to be close to other companies promoting similar technologies,” Al Sulayman said. “Being at KAUST also gives us access to a great talent pool and the University’s New Energy Oasis, which we hope to use to conduct a set of pilot tests on thin film technologies. Here we can also access data from other research groups that have been studying solar technologies under local conditions since the establishment of the University,” he added.
Young Builders The Young Builders SDG provides children ages 6 to 12 the opportunity to create, build and construct projects with their parents using a variety of building materials. All of the projects center around the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. “Our building space in the University’s Research park is set up for 20 children, and in each project we look at architecture, the physics involved in demolition and construction, robotics and programming, mechanics and team and individual problemsolving skills, and we have weekly ‘builders’ challenges.’ Children also make video presentations of their projects once they’re complete,” said Laurie Zienchuk, president of the SDG. Zienchuk noted the SDG is “brand new. The Open House was our first event, and we were most pleased to be invited. It was the best opportunity I could have ever imagined to present our SDG to the community. We feel Young Builders has so much to offer children and their parents on so many developmental levels. The children’s faces sparkle when they are building and when they have learned something new, or when they have created something they never thought they could.”
2. Visitors attended the Innovation & Economic Development Open House on October 4 and 5 to learn more about the University's resident industry partners, new startups and different innovation-related self-directed groups (SDGs). Photo courtesy of I&ED.
Maker Space “The Maker Space SDG is a collaborative effort of community members to initiate a ‘maker space’ at KAUST in the University’s Research Park,” explained Peter Rautek, a research scientist in the Visual Computing Center and coordinator of the SDG. “We want to empower people to build whatever projects that have in mind, both for themselves and for the benefit of the KAUST community.” I&ED provided the Maker Space team with a space for their facilities and the budget for the initial outfitting of their room. In the “maker space,” community members can tinker, invent and build safely and can take part in courses that include digital fabrication, programming, electronics, micro-controllers and woodworking. There is also a tools library on-site where group members can check out tools “like books in a library,” Rautek said.
The University’s Innovation Cluster is a ‘plug and play’ location for us where we can quickly and efficiently begin making use of the many resources at KAUST.” - Fouad Mahdi, managing director of Saudi Membrane Distillation Desalination (SMDD)
“We hope to have our workshop area fully constructed and outfitted by the end of 2017,” he added. “We currently have a core team of eight people who run the SDG, and anyone with a passion for making is welcome to join. During the University’s 2017 Winter Enrichment Program, we plan to run a variety of courses on 3-D printing, electronics, micro-controllers and the internet of things, further introducing the community to Maker Space.”
Supporting the KAUST community Getting into the innovation game has been made much easier with the programs offered by I&ED to support the community in bringing their ideas and inventions to commercialization. To learn more, visit http://innovation.kaust.edu.sa/.
www.kaust.edu.sa
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My University Zeynabou Thiam Zeynabou Thiam, a Ph.D. student in chemical science, came to the University from Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris (ESPCI ParisTech), where she completed her master’s degree in chemistry in 2015. Originally from Dakar, Senegal, Thiam joined KAUST as part of the Visiting Student Research Program (VSRP) and began working with Professor Mohamed Eddaoudi in the University’s Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Research Center (AMPM). “I heard about KAUST from a good friend who was already a Ph.D. student here—and he later became my husband!” she said. “I was impressed not only by the University’s outstanding facilities, but also by the human resources all around the campus. I believe that great research is achieved when human resources, facilities and the right mindset are put together.” Thiam is currently working in Eddaoudi’s Functional Materials Design, Discovery and Development (FMD3) group on discovering, designing and developing new functional porous crystalline materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These materials are used in applications such as gas storage and separation, catalysis and drug delivery, with Thiam’s Ph.D. research focusing on exploring MOFs for catalytic applications. “My Ph.D. project perfectly reflects the University’s ‘state of mind’— put people together in order to achieve excellent research,” she said.
Where do you read The Beacon? This month’s submission comes from Chun-Hai Wei, a research scientist from the University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC). Wei read The Beacon at the Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas, U.S., while he visited the city to attend the 8th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology there from June 6 to 10.
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England wins the inaugural Safaa FootGolf World Cup By David Murphy On October 2, KAUST witnessed its first major FootGolf tournament, the inaugural Safaa World Cup. Held at the Safaa Golf Club, the event saw six teams consisting of four players compete for honors. Competing teams included Chile, England, Italy, North America, Saudi Arabia and a regional representative, the Yorkshire team, who—although Yorkshire is not yet an independent nation—saw this as a tentative first step on the global stage. In a highly competitive tournament that came down to the last few deciding kicks, the English team managed to hold its nerve and sealed a deserved victory. The game of FootGolf first emerged in Spain and is now spreading across mainland Europe and the Americas. Due to its growing popularity, FootGolf now has its own governing body, the Federation for International FootGolf, based in London, U.K. FootGolf closely follows the rules and traditions of golf, except that players use a football (soccer ball) and their feet instead of traditional clubs and balls. The game's aim is to kick a football along a course and eventually into a 21-inch “cup” in as few shots as possible. The player who plays the nine or 18 holes with the fewest shots wins. "Our FootGolf event was a great opportunity for teams to compete against each other," said the winning English captain Steve Shepherd, an education technology specialist at The KAUST School. "We were quite surprised that we won and we're looking forward to defending our title in the next tournament. Hopefully the success of the tournament will raise the profile of FootGolf in the KAUST community." Community members interested in playing FootGolf should contact the Safaa Golf Club on 808-6158. Visit FootGolf's official website at http://www.fifg.org/ to learn more.
Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., is located in southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. An eight hour drive from Monterrey, Mexico, and five hours by car from New Orleans, Louisiana, Houston is also the largest city in the Southern U.S. and the main city in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land region of Texas, the fifth most populated metropolitan area in the U.S. Space Center Houston is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA's center for human space flight activities and aerospace research. Established in 1961, JSC was originally the home and Mission Control Center for the U.S. space flight program. It has now evolved into a main research center for advances in science, engineering, technology and medicine (the STEM fields), enabling further exploration of the world and the universe. The center occupies a $1.5 billion complex situated on 1,620 acres outside of downtown Houston. The center attracts over 100,000 teachers and students from around the world each year to learn about space exploration and the STEM fields through extensive exhibitions, attractions and theaters related to the U.S. human space flight program.
2 1. The winning English FootGolf team (left to right): Richard
Davies, Steve Shepherd, Peter Molloy and Jeremy Matthews.
2. Alexis Diaz Moreira in action for Chile at the first KAUST FootGolf World Cup.
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