2016 July/August Beacon

July/August 2016 Shawwal/Thul. Qedah, 1437 Volume 7, Issue No. 10 ‫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

‫اإللكترونيات الشفافة الخالية من اإلنديوم‬

Indium-free transparent electronics made one atomic layer at a time Page 6

KAUST-based startup NOMADD closes $1M investment round Page 8

Researchers represent KAUST at University of Oxford Page 9

University celebrates 2016 Spring Graduation Page 10

Turning research into startups Page 12

Flying by numbers Page 14

KAUST and FEI establish new electron microscopy Center of Excellence Page 16

Partnering for sustainable fresh water production Page 18

In brief

COMMENCEMENT

The University held a Spring Graduation lunch on June 1 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Conference Center (bldg. 19).

Approximately 100 guests and KAUST faculty and administration, including President JeanLou Chameau, attended the event to wish the graduates well in their futures.

The Beacon Volume 7, Issue No. 10 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 Photographer: Ginger Lisanti The Beacon is published monthly. Š King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

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THE BEACON | JULY/AUGUST 2016

The 2016 Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI), a summer research internship program for academically talented high school students, ran from July 16 to August 27 this year. During SRSI, KAUST faculty and research scientists participated as mentors in fiveweek projects in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields that gave students a chance to experience cutting-edge research at KAUST. For more information, contact srsi@kaust.edu.sa.

The University's seventh annual Commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, December 16, 2016 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 holy month of Ramadan took place this year from June 6 to July 5. To celebrate this important time of the year, the KAUST Saudi Initiatives Social Responsibility Department organized the community-wide Sharing is Caring campaign, providing meaningful gifts and messages to the University's neighbors in Thuwal during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

Community members contributed gift cards and books and helped assemble gift boxes for Thuwal families. Facilities & Community also hosted a Ramadan Weekends Bazaar featuring food, jewelry, crafts and face painting for children at the Harbor Sports Club on the weekends during Ramadan.

These are three upcoming KAUST research conferences you should put on your calendar:

The University's Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC) has new Facebook and Twitter accounts. Follow them here at: Twitter: @CBRC_KAUST and Facebook: /cbrckaust or www.facebook.com/cbrckaust.

The KAUST Supercomputing Laboratory (KSL) held a KSL Workshop Series: Introduction to Parallel Computing on the Shaheen Cray XC40 supercomputer on July 14. The aim of the course was to give new users of the supercomputer an introductory overview of the system and its usage and to help them make efficient use of their allocated resources.

The KAUST Saudi Alumni Chapter Executive Committee for the year 2016 has been appointed and consists of the following alumni members: Damian San Roman (Ph.D. electrical engineering, 2014), president; Fahad Alghunaimi (M.S. chemical and biological engineering, 2013), president-elect; Nadia Siddiqui (M.S. chemical and biological engineering, 2010), VP of communications; Rimantas Kodzius (postdoctoral fellow in electrical engineering, 2013), special representative for postdoctoral alumni affairs; Syed Abrar Ahmed (M.S. chemical and biological engineering, 2010), VP of programs and events; and Tarek Atallah (M.S. mechanical engineering, 2010), treasurer. Any questions or suggestions for the chapter's executives should be sent to the chapter’s email address at ksa.alumnichapter@kaust. edu.sa.

Iain McCulloch, KAUST professor of chemical science and the newly appointed director of the KAUST Solar Center, will host a research conference from October 31 to November 2 entitled "Emerging concepts and materials in solar energy conversion." Find the complete details at https://ksc.kaust.edu.sa/Pages/ KAUST-Research-Conference-2016.aspx.

Lijo Francis, a research scientist from the University's Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), traveled to Dammam to represent KAUST and the WDRC at a Saudi Aramco "Save Water Save Life" event on May 5. Discussions with internationally wellknown delegates included topics such as the importance of water conservation, strategic measures to improve conventional fresh water production and future technologies for water reclamation. Francis delivered a presentation at the event entitled "Membrane Distillation: A Renewable Energy Driven Water Reclamation Process."

Tadeusz Patzek, KAUST professor of Earth science and engineering and director of the University's Upstream Petroleum Engineering Research Center (UPERC), will host a research conference from November 7 to 9 entitled "Advances in well construction with focus on near-wellbore physics and chemistry."

Learn more at https://uperc.kaust.edu. sa/Pages/2016-Advances-In-WellConstruction-Conference.aspx.

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 7th Academic Convocation was held on August 23 at 3:00 p.m. in the Auditorium (bldg. 20), and featured speakers Jasmeen Merzaban, KAUST assistant professor of bioscience, and Itsikiantsoa Randrianantenaina, a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering. Faculty, staff and new and returning students joined the event to celebrate the start of a new academic year together.

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Accolades

1. Ph.D. student Wardana

Saputra was recognized for his outstanding paper at the 2016 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Symposium and Exhibition (ATS&E).

2. Assistant Professor of

Statistics Ying Sun won the 2016 Abdel El-Shaarawi Young Researcher (AEYR) Award in June.

3. Professor of Electrical

Engineering Jeff Shamma was elected as a fellow of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC).

Ph.D. student Wardana Saputra honored by Society of Petroleum Engineers

Ying Sun wins Young Researcher Award

KAUST Ph.D. student Wardana Saputra from the Energy Geosystems Group (EGG) led by Tadeusz Patzek, director of the University’s Upstream Petroleum Engineering Research Center (UPERC), was recognized for his outstanding paper at the 2016 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Symposium and Exhibition (ATS&E) held from April 25 to 28 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

KAUST Assistant Professor of Statistics Ying Sun won the 2016 Abdel El-Shaarawi Young Researcher (AEYR) Award from the International Environmetrics Society (TIES) in June. The society was founded by El-Shaarawi, an Egyptian-born and Canadian-trained statistician, and the award was established by the board of TIES in 2002 to honor young statisticians who have made excellent contributions to the development of statistical and/or quantitative methods for environmental science research.

SPE was founded in 1957 and is the largest individualmember organization in the world to serve scientists, researchers, engineers and other professionals in the upstream oil and gas industry. More than 168,000 members from 144 countries participate in the organization, including more than 68,000 student members. It is governed by an international board of directors and has its headquarters in Richardson, Texas, U.S. Saputra joined KAUST from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Indonesia, where he received his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering in 2015. His paper entitled “A Cost Effective Method to Maximize the Hydrocarbon Recovery by Optimizing the Vertical Well Placements through the Simulation Opportunity Index” was co-authored with Patzek and Professor Tutuka Ariadji from ITB and won first place in the Ph.D. division for the SPE Middle East Student Paper Contest.

Saputra will now represent the entire SPE Middle East region at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Dubai from September 26 to 28 this year. The conference is the largest global gathering of international oil and gas research and technology professionals and features the highest caliber papers in the industry, providing opportunities for collaboration and training.

“I love conferences like ATS&E—many conferences are conducted by SPE each year, giving great opportunities for students and young professionals alike,” said Saputra.

“The conference definitely contributed to my experience and growth.”

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Sun received the award on July 18 at the 26th Annual Conference of the International Environmetrics Society in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she also gave a plenary talk.

TIES stated she was given the award for her “outstanding contributions to environmental statistics, in particular in the areas of spatio-temporal statistics, functional data analysis, visualization, and for her distinguished service to the profession.”

“The award is given at most yearly to a single individual below the age of 41,” said Marc Genton, KAUST professor of applied mathematics and computation science and principal investigator of the University’s Spatio-Temporal Statistics & Data Analysis research group. “Usually it is awarded to full or associate professors, and rarely goes to assistant professors except in exceptional cases.”

“Sun’s strong accomplishment reflects the excellent work she is doing at KAUST,” stated Mootaz Elnozahy, dean of the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division.

“The award is a significant recognition of my research in environmental statistics at KAUST,” Sun said. “I am very grateful for all the support and guidance I have received.

The exciting field of materials science encompasses our cover story for this issue.

Learn more about this broad and growing field by checking out the following Twitter accounts:

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Jeff Shamma elected IFAC fellow

KAUST Professor of Electrical Engineering Jeff Shamma has been elected as a fellow of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC). The IFAC Fellow Award is given to eminent engineers, scientists, technical leaders or educators who have “made outstanding and extraordinary contributions,” according to the federation’s website. Specifically, Shamma was elected for his “contributions to linear parameter varying systems, multiagent systems, game theory, and robust control.”

Shamma and 33 co-selectees will be honored at the federation’s 20th triennial World Congress held in Toulouse, France, in July 2017. He joins a prestigious list of global academics, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) members and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant holders from top research institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, ETH Zurich, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and others.

Shamma earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in 1983 and a Ph.D. in systems science and engineering from MIT in 1988. He is the recipient of an NSF Young Investigator Award, the American Automatic Control Council Donald P. Eckman Award and the Mohammed Dahleh Award, and he has been an IEEE Fellow since 2006. He is currently the deputy editorin-chief for IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems and associate editor for the journal Games.

“My work over the last 10 years has been focused on distributed decision making, and KAUST gives me the chance to not just work on algorithms, but also to explore various applications and experimental testbeds,” said Shamma.

Shamma is currently the program chair of Electrical Engineering in the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division at KAUST and the director of the Robotics, Intelligent Systems & Control lab (RISC). He is the former Julian T. Hightower Chair in Systems & Control in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. He has also held faculty positions at the University of Minnesota, The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Los Angeles.

@NatureMaterials – One of the premier journals in the field of materials science and engineering, the journal’s Twitter account covers world-class research in the field and how it impacts physics, biology, chemistry and medicine. @nanoHUBnews – nanoHUB.org is an interactive website where users can get involved with computational nanotechnology research, further education and collaborative work, and includes online nano simulation programs. The site’s Twitter feed links to the latest news and research in nanotechnology, a field that is an intrinsic part of materials science. @materialsviews – Publisher Wiley’s Twitter feed for materials science relays the best from their prestigious journals Advanced Materials and Small and other programs they are involved with. @Materials_MRS – The Twitter account for the Materials Research Society (MRS), of which KAUST has its very own student chapter (http:// bit.ly/2a9fHSb). MRS brings together materials researchers from around the world and works to promote materials research and technology to improve our quality of life. @AmerChemSociety – The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific society, with 157,000 members worldwide. Their Twitter feed features chemistry and materials science news from around the world. @Nanowerk – Nanowerk, a leading nanotechnology news website, often covers materials science research news from KAUST professors, including from the teams of Aram Amassian, Husam Alshareef and Muhammad Mustafa Hussain. Visit Nanowerk’s Twitter feed for links to their latest stories on emerging technologies.

/KaustOfficial

kaustofficial

@KAUST_News

/kaust

/kaustedu

/company/kaust

kaustofficial

KAUST Official

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Indium-free transparent electronics made one atomic layer at a time “In the electronics industry today, indium-containing oxide materials, including those containing conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) and semiconducting indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), are widely used in flat panel displays, transparent electronics and touch screens and also in solar cell applications,” explained KAUST Ph.D. student Zhenwei Wang, a member of Professor Husam Alshareef’s Functional Nanomaterials & Devices research group at the University. “However, the supplies of indium on Earth are relatively limited, making it an expensive contact material to use on a large scale.”

Transparent electronics through atomic layer deposition To combat these issues, Wang, former KAUST postdoctoral fellow Pradipta Nayak and Alshareef investigated using aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) to fabricate electronic circuits on transparent and flexible substrates through a process called atomic layer deposition (ALD), which deposits materials one atomic layer at a time.

They used the process not only to make the new transparent contact material (AZO), but also to fabricate all active layers that make up the building blocks of transparent circuits (capacitors, transistors, inverters and ring oscillators). Their results were recently published in the journal Advanced Materials (DOI: 10.1002/ adma.201600503).

AZO: an abundant and cheaper material “The elements that make up AZO—aluminum and zinc—are more abundant than indium and are less costly, making AZO a commercially sensible option,” said Alshareef. “However, electronic devices made using AZO contacts have traditionally shown inferior performance to devices made using indium-containing contacts (ITO).

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“Through the use of ALD as a one-process method to grow all active layers in the electronic circuit, we simplified the circuit fabrication process, reduced process temperature and significantly improved circuit performance by controlling growth at the atomic scale.”

World-class performance The researchers showed that indium-free AZO layers performed just as well as indium-containing ITO layers, a discovery that has significant commercial implications.

“Our transistor’s properties are the best reported so far for fully transparent transistors using indium-free AZO contacts, and the transistor showed world-class performance,” Wang said. “Our devices and ideas can be widely adopted in the transparent electronics field, such as for flat panel displays, touch screens, power-efficient displays, smart windows, sensors and electrochromic devices.”

The future: indium-free devices The new process technology developed by Alshareef’s research team also implements a multilayer semiconductor composite composed of ZnO/HfO2 and made by ALD to optimize the transistor’s stability.

Compared to transistors made using a single layer channel material, the multilayer transistor channel made

by ALD showed significantly improved stability.

“Our research showed fully transparent electronic circuits with good performance can be achieved using indium-free oxide materials,” noted Wang. “Our ZnO/ HfO2 multilayer channel strategy gave the device very good overall performance and stability, opening a new direction in the field.”

“Our next step will be to make more complicated transparent devices and circuits and to integrate them with on-chip energy storage units,” Alshareef said.

‫‪1. The fully transparent transistor produced by a‬‬ ‫‪team from KAUST Professor Husam Alshareef's‬‬ ‫‪Functional Nanomaterials & Devices research‬‬ ‫‪group is made of aluminum-doped zinc oxide‬‬ ‫‪and produced using atomic layer deposition,‬‬ ‫‪making it cheaper and easier to fabricate than‬‬ ‫‪traditional indium-containing devices. Photo by‬‬ ‫‪Hugh Gyetvai.‬‬ ‫‪2. KAUST Professor Husam Alshareef (left) and‬‬ ‫‪Ph.D. student Zhenwei Wang from Alshareef's‬‬ ‫‪Functional Nanomaterials & Devices research‬‬ ‫‪group work in the lab to develop their fully‬‬ ‫‪transparent transistor device. Photo by Hugh‬‬ ‫‪Gyetvai.‬‬

‫‪3. Professor Husam Alshareef (left) and‬‬ ‫‪Ph.D. student Zhenwei Wang conduct cutting‬‬‫‪edge research to develop transparent transistor‬‬ ‫‪devices. Photo by Hugh Gyetvai.‬‬

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‫اإللكترونيات الشفافة‬ ‫الخالية من اإلنديوم‬ ‫تدخل المواد المؤكسدة التي تحتوي على عنصر اإلنديوم‪ ،‬بما في ذلك تلك التي‬ ‫تحتوي على أكسيد قصدير اإلنديوم (‪ )ITO‬وأشباه موصالت أكسيد زنك اإلنديوم‬ ‫الغاليوم (‪ ،)IGZO‬تدخل في معظم صناعات اإللكترونيات في الوقت الحالي‪ .‬ومع‬ ‫ً‬ ‫نسبيا‪ ،‬مما يجعله من العناصر‬ ‫ذلك‪ ،‬فإن كمية عنصر اإلنديوم في األرض محدودة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوصا من ناحية االستخدام كمادة اتصال على نطاق واسع‪.‬‬ ‫باهظة الثمن‬ ‫ومن أجل ذلك‪ ،‬يقوم طالب الدكتوراه زينوي وانغ من فريق أبحاث البروفيسور‬ ‫حسام الشريف لمواد وأجهزة النانو الوظيفية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬بالتعاون‬ ‫مع زميل ما بعد الدكتوراه –السابق‪ -‬براديبتا ناياك‪ ،‬والبروفيسور الشريف إليجاد‬ ‫مواد بديلة لإلنديوم من خالل دراسة استخدام أكسيد الزنك المطعم باأللمونيوم‬ ‫(‪ )AZO‬لصناعة الدوائر الكهربائية على قواعد شفافة ومرنة بعملية تسمى‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أخيرا في المجلة العلمية‬ ‫الترسيب الذري (‪ .)ALD‬وتم نشر نتائج هذه الدراسة‬ ‫أدفانس متيريال ‪.Advanced Materials‬‬ ‫يقول البروفيسور حسام الشريف‪" :‬العناصر التي تشكل أكسيد الزنك المطعم‬ ‫باأللمونيوم (‪ )AZO‬هي أكثر وفرة من اإلنديوم وأقل تكلفة‪ ،‬مما يجعله‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫معقوال من الناحية التجارية‪ .‬ولكن األجهزة اإللكترونية التي تستخدم‬ ‫خيارا‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫نسبيا بالمقارنة‬ ‫متدنيا‬ ‫أداء‬ ‫أكسيد الزنك المطعم باأللمونيوم (‪ )AZO‬أظهرت ً‬

‫مع تلك التي تحتوي على أكسيد قصدير اإلنديوم (‪ .)ITO‬إال أنه وباستخدام‬ ‫عملية الترسيب الذري (‪ )ALD‬كطريقة شاملة لتصنيع جميع الطبقات العاملة‬ ‫في الدوائر اإللكترونية‪ ،‬أصبحت عملية صناعة الدوائر الكهربائية أكثر سهولة‬ ‫وكفاءة من ناحية طاقة التصنيع مع تحسن األداء بصورة كبيرة"‪.‬‬

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‫‪Our transistor’s properties are the‬‬ ‫‪best reported so far for fully transparent‬‬ ‫‪transistors using indium-free AZO contacts,‬‬ ‫‪and the transistor showed world-class‬‬ ‫‪performance. Our devices and ideas can‬‬ ‫‪be widely adopted in the transparent‬‬ ‫‪electronics field." - Ph.D. student Zhenwei Wang‬‬

‫ويقول طالب الدكتوراه زينوي وانغ ‪ " :‬الترانزستورات التي قمنا بصناعتها بواسطة‬ ‫أكسيد الزنك المطعمة باأللمونيوم (‪ )AZO‬والخالية من اإلنديوم هي حتى اآلن‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وعالميا‪ .‬ويمكننا‬ ‫مبهرا‬ ‫أفضل ترانزستورات شفافة بالكامل‪ ،‬حيث قدمت أداء‬ ‫اعتمادها في مجال اإللكترونيات الشفافة في العديد من األجهزة"‪.‬‬ ‫وأكدت هذه الدراسة أن طبقات أكسيد الزنك المطعمة باأللمونيوم (‪)AZO‬‬ ‫والخالية من اإلنديوم تعطي نفس أداء الطبقات المطلية بأكسيد قصدير اإلنديوم‬ ‫(‪ ، )ITO‬وهو اكتشاف يحمل معه ً‬ ‫آثارا تجارية مهمة‪.‬‬

KAUST-based startup NOMADD closes $1M investment round KAUST-based startup NOMADD (NO-water Mechanical Automated Dusting Device) recently closed a Series A funding round from the KAUST Innovation Fund totaling $1 million. NOMADD is a smart and ecological desert solar panel cleaning system developed at KAUST by Georg Eitelhuber, NOMADD’s founder and current chief technology officer.

NOMADD obtained its initial seed funding and IP protection from KAUST, and this latest financial boost will allow it to continue to establish a strong footprint in Saudi Arabia, hire key staff and carry out testing activities with potential customers.

Solar energy in the GCC “NOMADD's dust mitigation technology will help make solar energy viable in the GCC region, one of the major global markets for solar energy in the coming decades. We are grateful for the vote of confidence that this funding represents and look forward to further commercialization,” said NOMADD’s CEO Jos van der Hyden.

“With its strategically connected array of programs, top-notch facilities and staff and funding opportunities for startups, the University’s innovation ecosystem nurtures startups to accelerate their game-changing technologies,” added Mark Crowell, KAUST vice president of Innovation & Economic Development (I&ED). “We are pleased to provide this financing round for NOMADD and further develop the overall venture capital scene in Saudi Arabia.”

Commitment to regional startups Nicola Bettio, manager of the KAUST Innovation Fund, added, “This investment is a first in a series of technology-based investments that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to build and support the local

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early-stage startup community. We want to become long-term partners of the startups in which we invest.

We are not just acquiring minority shareholdings, but are also supporting the development of these companies through strategic guidance and constant operational support.”

The KAUST Innovation Fund KAUST I&ED helps maximize the University’s contribution to the economic diversification of Saudi Arabia and the country's transformation into a knowledge-based economy. The KAUST Innovation Fund, one of I&ED's main activities, supports technology-based startups from seed to early-stage and invests in high-profile international technology companies willing to establish their operations in Saudi Arabia and benefit from KAUST research.

NOMADD's dust mitigation technology will help make solar energy viable in the GCC region."

- NOMADD CEO Jos van der Hyden

Researchers represent KAUST at University of Oxford

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By Pedro da Costa On May 14, Pedro da Costa, KAUST assistant professor of material science and engineering, and Dr. Farhan Al-Shahrani, tenant relations manager at the University’s Research & Technology Park, joined more than 100 delegates at the University of Oxford’s Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory to pay homage to Professor Malcolm L. H. Green FRS, one of the world’s most notable inorganic chemists. Both da Costa and AlShahrani obtained their Ph.D. degrees under Green’s supervision. Alumni of Green’s research group, collaborators, friends and family also participated in the one-day symposium celebrating Green’s half-centurylong research and educational legacy.

At the event, da Costa presented a talk with Al-Shahrani highlighting the achievements of KAUST and the path leading to the establishment of the University’s Laboratory for Carbon Nanostructures. Other invited talks covered a wide range of topics, including the origin of the agostic bond in organometallic chemistry, which was given by Professor Ged Parkin from Columbia University, to the dismantling of the stockpile of chemical weapons in Syria, presented by Professor Vernon Gibson from the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

“The impressive breath of professional sectors, ages and nationalities represented at the symposium was testimony to the impact that Prof. Malcolm Green has had in chemistry and beyond," said da Costa. "Both Dr. Al-Shahrani and I were thrilled to walk the historyladen streets of Oxford in the company of such celebrated minds.”

To further honor Green, the Elsevier journal Polyhedron published a special issue featuring an article by the team from the Laboratory for Carbon Nanostructures entitled “Comparative study of synthesis and reduction methods for graphene oxide” [1]. The article shows that the structure of reduced graphene oxides is defined by the oxidation-reductions strategies followed, and therefore the production of these materials should be rationalized in order to adapt their properties to the envisaged application. The work was entirely developed at KAUST and features research by its first author Amira Alazmi, a KAUST master’s degree graduate and current Ph.D. student at the University.

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1. The team behind NOMADD, including founder and current Chief Technology Office Georg Eitelhuber (second from right), developed a smart and ecological desert solar panel cleaning system at KAUST. Image courtesy of NOMADD. 2. Pedro da Costa, KAUST assistant professor

of material science and engineering, and Dr. Farhan Al-Shahrani, tenant relations manager at the University’s Research & Technology Park, joined delegates on May 14 at the University of Oxford to pay homage to Professor Malcolm L. H. Green FRS. Photo by Dr. Karl Harrison, University of Oxford, 2016.

3. Pedro da Costa, KAUST assistant professor

of material science and engineering, joined delegates at the University of Oxford to honor of Professor Malcolm L. H. Green FRS. File photo.

In the addition to Elsevier, another scientific publisher, the Royal Society of Chemistry, honored Green with a unique compilation of his most representative articles published in the society’s journals.

[1] A. Alazmi et al., Polyhedron (2016), in press. DOI: 10.1016/j.poly.2016.04.044.

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University celebrates 2016 Spring Graduation

By Caitlin Clark and David Murphy KAUST celebrated the graduation of 74 master’s degree and 34 Ph.D. students at a Spring Graduation Luncheon ceremony on June 1 in the University’s Conference Center (building 19).

Attended by 41 graduates and approximately 50 guests, including graduates’ families, KAUST faculty and administration and President Jean-Lou Chameau, the luncheon gave KAUST the opportunity to wish the graduates well in their futures and welcome them to the global alumni community.

Spring graduates look forward to the future Graduate Matthias Mueller received his master’s degree in electrical engineering at the ceremony, and advised new students to “enjoy [their] time here—it’s over faster than you expect. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed KAUST so much that I’ve decided to stick around for another three years to complete my Ph.D. here,” he said.

“I spent six great years at KAUST,” said computer science Ph.D. graduate Ahmad Showail, who began studying at the University in 2009 and also completed his master’s degree at KAUST. “I’m extremely proud of my achievements, but I always advise new students to remember a Ph.D. is a marathon and not a sprint.”

Showail joined the faculty of computer engineering at Taibah University in Madinah after completing his Ph.D.

‘Happiness and victory’ at graduation Nouf Alsharif completed her master’s degree in bioscience and said she feels “happiness and victory that I completed something I planned to do. KAUST is a beautiful place not just for your studies but also for meeting people from many nationalities and taking part in new activities, like horseback riding and climbing. Day by day, I found myself surrounded by new family and friends on campus,” she said. She will continue on with her Ph.D. studies after graduation.

After graduating from KAUST with his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, Mohamed Ismail accepted a

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2 position as an assistant professor at Zagazig University in Egypt. “I’m very happy to graduate from a growing university like KAUST, and I really feel I spent the best five years of my life here,” he said. “The University has excellent facilities for research and is now recognized by the scientific community all over the world. One day I hope to see KAUST at the top of the list of all worldwide universities.”

Hard work pays off Hind Al-Johani came to KAUST in 2011 and completed her Ph.D. at the University’s Catalysis Center.

“Graduation is the culmination of four years of hard work—all of those including late nights and early mornings. It’s exciting because although it marks the end of my ‘KAUST era,’ it also marks the beginning of my entry into the ‘real world.’ If you really want to do meaningful research and produce high-quality publications, KAUST is the place for you,” she said. AlJohani will return to her previous position as an assistant professor at the University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after graduation, but noted she will “surely come back to visit KAUST in the future.”

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‫‪1. KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau speaks‬‬ ‫‪to new master's degree and Ph.D. graduates at‬‬ ‫‪the University's Spring Graduation Luncheon on‬‬ ‫‪June 1. Photo by Helmy Al Sagaff.‬‬ ‫‪2. KAUST master's degree graduate Matthias‬‬ ‫‪Mueller. Photo courtesy of Matthias Mueller.‬‬

‫‪3. KAUST Ph.D. graduate Ahmad Showail. Photo‬‬ ‫‪courtesy of Ahmad Showail.‬‬ ‫‪4. KAUST master's degree graduate Nouf‬‬ ‫‪Alsharif. Photo courtesy of Nouf Alsharif.‬‬

‫‪5. KAUST Ph.D. graduate Mohamed Ismail.‬‬ ‫‪Photo courtesy of Mohamed Ismail.‬‬

‫‪6. KAUST Ph.D. graduate Hind Al-Johani. Photo‬‬ ‫‪courtesy of Hind Al-Johani.‬‬

‫الجامعة تحتفل بخريجي‬ ‫فصل الربيع لعام ‪2016‬‬

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‫أقامت جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية مأدبة غداء في األول من يونيو‬ ‫ً‬ ‫احتفاال بتخريج ‪ 74‬من حملة الماجستير و‪ 34‬من حملة الدكتوراه‪.‬‬ ‫الماضي‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خريجا‪ ،‬واشتملت‬ ‫وأقيم االحتفال في قاعة المؤتمرات بمبنى (‪ )19‬وحضره ‪41‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ضيفا معظمهم من عائالت الخريجين‪ ،‬وهيئة التدريس‬ ‫قائمة الضيوف على ‪50‬‬ ‫وإدارة الجامعة والرئيس جان‪-‬لو شامو‪ .‬وتم خالل الحفل اإلشادة بالخريجين‬ ‫وتهنئتهم على تخرجهم والترحيب بهم في مجتمع الخريجين العالمي‪.‬‬

‫التطلع للمستقبل‬ ‫أعرب الطالب ماتياس مولر عن سعادته بحصوله على درجة الماجستير في‬ ‫الهندسة الكهربائية خالل الحفل‪ ،‬ونصح الطلبة الجدد باالستفادة واالستمتاع‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كثيرا بالوقت الذي قضيته في جامعة الملك‬ ‫بوقتهم هنا في الجامعة "استمتعت‬ ‫عبداهلل ا لدرجة أنني قررت البقاء لثالث سنوات أخرى لمواصلة دراسته والحصول‬ ‫على درجة الدكتوراه‪".‬‬ ‫يقول خريج درجة الدكتوراه في علوم الحاسب اآللي‪ ،‬أحمد شويل “أمضيت ست‬ ‫سنوات رائعة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل وأنا فخور ً‬ ‫جدا اليوم باإلنجاز الذي حققته"‪.‬‬ ‫التحق شويل بالجامعة في عام ‪ 2009‬وحصل على درجة الماجستير من جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل وانضم إلى هيئة تدريس هندسة الكمبيوتر في جامعة طيبة في‬ ‫المدينة المنورة بعد حصوله على درجة الدكتوراه‪.‬‬

‫نشوة االنتصار بالتخرج‬ ‫حصلت نوف الشريف على درجة الماجستير في العلوم الحيوية‪ ،‬وقالت إنها تشعر‬ ‫بنشوة االنتصار بإنجازها الكبير التي طالما أرادت تحقيقه‪ .‬وتضيف نوف "جامعة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فريدا من نوعه‪،‬‬ ‫متنوعا‬ ‫مجتمعا‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل مكان رائع للدراسة حيث تمتلك‬ ‫وأنشطة شيقة مثل ركوب الخيل وتسلق الجبال‪ .‬وفي كل يوم أجد نفسي محاطة‬ ‫بعائلة وأصدقاء جدد في الحرم الجامعي"‪ .‬وتخطط نوف لمواصلة دراستها بعد‬ ‫التخرج والحصول على درجة الدكتوراه‪.‬‬ ‫التحق الطالب محمد إسماعيل بعد تخرجه من جامعة الملك عبداهلل بدرجة‬ ‫الدكتوراه في الهندسة الميكانيكية بجامعة الزقازيق في مصر كأستاذ مساعد‪.‬‬ ‫وقال عن تجربته في الجامعة‪" :‬أنا سعيد جدا بتخرجي من إحدى الجامعات‬ ‫المتطورة مثل جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬وأشعر حقا أني قضيت أفضل خمس سنوات‬ ‫في حياتي هنا‪ .‬تمتلك جامعة الملك عبداهلل مرافق بحثية ممتازة وأصبحت في‬ ‫الفترة األخيرة معروفة بين أرقى األوساط االكاديمية والمجتمع العلمي في‬ ‫العالم‪ .‬أتمنى أن توفق جامعة الملك عبداهلل في تحقيق رسالتها وأن تصبح على‬ ‫رأس قائمة أفضل جامعات العالم "‪.‬‬

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‫من جد وجد‬ ‫التحقت هند الجهني بجامعة الملك عبداهلل في عام ‪ 2011‬حيث أكملت دراستها‬ ‫لدرجة الدكتوراه في مركز الحفز الكيميائي‪ .‬وتقول هند عن تجربتها في الجامعة‬ ‫‪" :‬أنظر الى تخرجي بمثابة تتويج ألربع سنوات من العمل الشاق والدؤوب‪ .‬لقد‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جيدا للدخول إلى العالم الحقيقي‪ .‬إذا كنت‬ ‫كانت تجربة شيقة للغاية أعدتني‬ ‫تريد حقا إجراء أبحاث ذات مغزى ونشر أوراق بحثية عالية الجودة‪ ،‬فإن جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية هي المكان المناسب لك"‪ .‬هند تخطط للعودة‬ ‫إلى منصبها السابق كأستاذة مساعدة في جامعة تبوك في المملكة العربية‬ ‫السعودية بعد التخرج‪ ،‬لكنه أكدت أنها ستعود لزيارة جامعة الملك عبد اهلل في‬ ‫المستقبل‪.‬‬

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Turning research into startups As part of the University's broader innovation and economic development mission, KAUST is expanding its support and training for entrepreneurship to meet the growing interest among students and young people across the Kingdom in innovation, creativity and design. There are some early signs of success with the incorporation of various new student-led businesses in Saudi Arabia.

Promoting student entrepreneurship in the kingdom One of the University's goals is to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and culture among its students, researchers and the broader community. In addition to running a large variety of classes, events and other culture-building activities, KAUST has developed accelerator programs that support early-stage student startup teams to explore, test and build their business ideas, including the New Ventures Accelerator, which is open to all teams, and Hikma, which is specifically designed for teams with IP-based business ideas.

"Not only does KAUST provide a superior ecosystem of labs and technical aids, the University also provides an excellent mentorship team, several funding opportunities, crucial facilities and more," said Aboulhassan.

Another example is Sadeem, which recently won first place at the KAUST Startup Accelerator Showcase. The Sadeem team, consisting of Dehwah, Mustafa Mousa and Edward Canepa, all KAUST Ph.D. students in electrical engineering, along with former KAUST professor Christian Claudel, have developed a wireless sensor network that is the world’s first solarpowered urban flood and traffic monitoring system. Sadeem has been part of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center’s Hikma (intellectual property-based) Startup Accelerator program.

"Sadeem is based on four years of research experience at the KAUST Distributed Sensing Systems Lab, and it has been created to address the lack of monitoring systems for flood and traffic flow monitoring in cities. The company has two patents issued and one patent pending on sensors and sensing architectures," said Mousa.

KAUST also provides entrepreneurial teams with coaching, mentoring and access to the University's extensive network of Saudi and international partner companies and their network of facilities designed for creative collision and knowledgesharing.

“The dynamics for a startup are unique in the KAUST environment, where you have top-class laboratories and resources available and easily accessible,” Canepa said. “It’s also really exciting to be part of the generation involved with creating a knowledge-based economy for the Kingdom.”

"A good startup usually starts with a good vision, which demands R&D, creativity and hard work. Being at KAUST has enabled us not only to have the needed resources, but also to be surrounded by talented and diverse scientists and researchers, moving the wheel of technology and enabling us to go forward with our startup," said KAUST Ph.D. student Ahmad Dehwah, co-founder of startup Sadeem.

CookHub, another social entrepreneurship startup at KAUST, was started by the University's Ph.D. students Andrew Yip and Ge Gao and recent Ph.D. graduate and current KAUST postdoctoral fellow Ronell Sicat. It is a platform that allows talented cooks in urban areas in developing countries to prepare quality food at a time-shared kitchen and fulfill online orders from office workers.

KAUST is currently supporting 14 student startup teams in sectors ranging from renewable energy, sensor and water desalination technologies to social entrepreneurship. Fifty percent of these startups are based on intellectual property developed at KAUST, and one-third have already incorporated.

Entrepreneurship support gaining momentum

These entrepreneurial offerings for student startups at KAUST are helping to contribute to a rise in entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia and the region that is reshaping, redefining and helping to diversify the economy. For example, a recent HSBC report reveals that the Middle East has one of the highest proportions of millennial entrepreneurs globally.

New innovative startups KAUST accelerators provide students with strategic advice, mentorship and outside-the-box perspectives that help them take their idea to the next level.

For example, Amal Aboulhassan, a KAUST Ph.D. student, came up with a testing method and computer algorithm that significantly improves and lessens the costs for chemical testing times for solar panels. By attending the KAUST New Ventures Accelerator, Aboulhassan was provided with advice on how to create a customer base, hire key staff and fund a software model, which has now become a new startup called MaterialSolved.

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THE BEACON | JUNE 2016

The early signs are positive. KAUST Innovation received a "High Impact Incubator" award last year from UBI Global for startup incubation activities in the Kingdom. A number of KAUST related startups were listed as top 100 innovative startups, including three in the top 10, at a late 2015 Forbes Middle East Event in Riyadh.

The University is the ideal location for student startups, and also has progressive IP terms and an environment that puts a strong emphasis on experimenting, collaborating and strengthening human relationships.

‫من األبحاث الى‬ ‫الشركات الناشئة‬ ‫كجزء من رسالتها الشاملة في مجال االبتكار والتنمية االقتصادية‪ ،‬تعمل جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية على توسيع دعمها وبرامجها التدريبة في ريادة‬ ‫األعمال لتلبية االهتمام المتزايد في مجال االبتكار واإلبداع والتصميم بين أوساط‬ ‫الطلبة والشباب في جميع أنحاء المملكة‪ .‬وكان من نتائج ذلك ظهور بوادر‬ ‫نجاحات مبكرة ألعمال تجارية جديدة مختلفة قادها طلبة من المملكة العربية‬ ‫السعودية‪.‬‬

‫دعم رواد األعمال للطلبة في المملكة‬ ‫يعتبر دعم ثقافة ريادة األعمال بين الطلبة والباحثين والمجتمع المحلي من‬ ‫األوليات األساسية لجامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ .‬وفي هذا السياق‪ ،‬تقوم الجامعة‬ ‫بتنظيم مجموعة كبيرة ومتنوعة من الفصول الدراسية‪ ،‬واألنشطة وبرامج التسريع‬ ‫التي تدعم الطلبة في مشاريعهم الناشئة واختبار وبناء أفكارهم التجارية في‬ ‫فترة مبكرة‪ .‬ومنها برنامج تسريع المشاريع الجديدة المتاحة لجميع الفرق البحثية‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصيصا للفرق التي تعتمد أفكارها التجارية على‬ ‫وبرنامج حكمة‪ ،‬الذي صمم‬ ‫الملكية الفكرية‪.‬‬ ‫كما تقدم جامعة الملك عبداهلل لرواد األعمال التدريب والتوجيه الالزم وتتيح لهم‬ ‫التواصل مع شبكة واسعة من الشركات السعودية والدولية ومرافقهم المتطورة‬ ‫والمصممة لتبادل الخبرات اإلبداعية والمعارف‪.‬‬ ‫يقول طالب الدكتوراه أحمد دحوة‪ ،‬المؤسس المشارك للشركة الناشئة سديم‪:‬‬ ‫"تنبثق الشركات الناشئة الجيدة في العادة من الرؤى الجيدة‪ ،‬وهو أمر يتطلب‬ ‫البحث والتطوير واإلبداع والعمل الجاد‪ .‬ونحن محظوظون ً‬ ‫جدا بوجودنا في‬ ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية حيث لدينا كل ما نحتاجه من موارد ودعم‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فضال عن توفر العلماء والباحثين الموهوبين‬ ‫قدما في شركتنا الناشئة‪،‬‬ ‫للمضي‬ ‫في مختلف المجاالت الذين تزخر بهم جامعة الملك عبداهلل"‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فريقا لطلبة الشركات‬ ‫وتدعم جامعة الملك عبداهلل في الوقت الحالي ‪14‬‬ ‫الناشئة في مجاالت تتراوح بين الطاقة المتجددة‪ ،‬وأجهزة االستشعار وتقنيات‬ ‫تحلية المياه إلى ريادة المشاريع االجتماعية‪ .‬وتستند خمسون في المئة من هذه‬ ‫الشركات الناشئة على ملكيات فكرية مطورة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬كما أن‬ ‫ً‬ ‫رسميا‪.‬‬ ‫ثلث هذه الشركات تم تسجيلها‬ ‫وتساهم هذه المشاريع الريادية لطلبة جامعة الملك عبداهلل في المساهمة في‬ ‫تعزيز ثقافة ريادة األعمال في المملكة العربية السعودية والمنطقة وهو األمر‬ ‫ً‬ ‫إيجابا على تنويع االقتصاد‪ .‬فعلى سبيل المثال‪ ،‬يكشف التقرير‬ ‫الذي سينعكس‬ ‫األخير لمصرف هونغ كونغ وشنغهاي للخدمات المصرفية (‪ )HSBC‬أن منطقة‬ ‫الشرق األوسط تمتلك واحدة من أعلى نسب رواد األعمال الشباب على مستوى‬ ‫العالم‪.‬‬

‫شركات ابتكار ناشئة جديدة‬ ‫تقدم برامج التسريع في جامعة الملك عبدهلل المشورة االستراتيجية‪ ،‬واإلرشاد‬ ‫للطلبة وذلك من أجل مساعدتهم على تطوير أفكارهم وابتكاراتهم‪ .‬على سبيل‬ ‫المثال‪ ،‬قدمت طالبة الدكتوراه أمل أبو الحسن طريقة اختبار وخوارزميات حسابية‬ ‫تقلل بشكل ملحوظ من تكاليف االختبارات الكيميائية أللواح الطاقة الشمسية‪.‬‬ ‫وبعد حضورها إحدى برامج تسريع األعمال التجارية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫تمكنت أمل من التعرف على كيفية إنشاء قاعدة عمالء‪ ،‬وتوظيف الموظفين‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كثيرا في تأسيس شركتها‬ ‫األساسيين وتطوير نموذج برمجيات‪ ،‬األمر الذي ساعدها‬ ‫الناشئة ماتيريال سولفد (‪ .)MaterialSolved‬تقول أمل‪" :‬لم يقتصر األمر على‬

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‫‪2‬‬

‫ما تمتاز به الجامعة من المختبرات والوسائل التقنية المتطورة‪ ،‬بل إن جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل لديها فريق إرشاد وتوجيه ممتاز‪ ،‬وتقدم العديد من فرص التمويل‬ ‫والمرافق والمنشآت الحيوية وأكثر"‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مؤخرا بالمركز األول في‬ ‫وثمة مثال آخر هو شركة سديم (‪ ،)Sadeem‬التي فازت‬ ‫"معرض تسريع الشركات الناشئة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل"‪ .‬ويتألف فريق سديم‬ ‫من طلبة الدكتوراه في الهندسة الكهربائية أحمد دحوة‪ ،‬ومصطفى موسى‪،‬‬ ‫وإدوارد كانيبا‪ ،‬إضافة الى األستاذ السابق في جامعة الملك عبداهلل كريستيان‬ ‫كالوديل‪ ،‬حيث قاموا بتطوير شبكة استشعار السلكية تعمل على رصد الفيضانات‬ ‫وحركة المرور في المدن وتعتبر األولى من نوعها إذ أنها تعمل بالطاقة‬ ‫الشمسية‪ .‬سديم كانت من ثمار برنامج حكمة (‪ )Hikma‬لتسريع الشركات الناشئة‬ ‫على أساس الملكية الفكرية في مركز ريادة األعمال في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية‪ .‬يقول الطالب موسى‪" :‬سديم هي حصيلة أربع سنوات من الخبرة‬ ‫البحثية في مختبر جامعة الملك عبد اهلل ألنظمة االستشعار‪ ،‬وهي نظام لرصد‬ ‫الفيضانات ومراقبة تدفق حركة المرور في المدن‪ .‬والشركة لديها براءتا اختراع‬ ‫مسجلة وواحدة في طور التسجيل في مجال أجهزة االستشعار عن بعد"‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف الطالب إدوارد كانيبا‪" :‬تمتلك جامعة الملك عبداهلل بيئة ديناميكية داعمة‬ ‫للمشاريع والشركات الناشئة وتعتبر فريدة من نوعها إذ تضم مختبرات وموارد‬ ‫ً‬ ‫حقا شيء جميل أن‬ ‫من الدرجة األولى يمكن الوصول إليها بسهولة ويسر‪ .‬إنه‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جزءا من جيل يشارك في صناعة االقتصاد المعرفي في المملكة العربية‬ ‫تكون‬ ‫السعودية‪".‬‬ ‫كوك هب (‪ )CookHub‬هي من الشركات االجتماعية الناشئة في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل التي أسسها طالبا الدكتوراه أندرو يب و وجي غاو وزميل ما بعد‬ ‫الدكتوراه رونيل سكات‪ .‬والشركة عبارة عن منصة تسمح للطهاة الموهوبين في‬ ‫المناطق الحضرية وفي البلدان النامية بتحضير األطباق واألطعمة عالية الجودة‬ ‫في مطبخ مشترك واستقبال الطلبات عبر اإلنترنت‪.‬‬

‫دعم ريادة األعمال‬ ‫تقوم جامعة الملك عبداهلل بجهود كبيرة في دعمها لريادة األعمال في المملكة‬ ‫حيث أن أولى الثمار المبكرة لهذه الجهود كانت إيجابية وتمثلت بحصول الجامعة‬ ‫على جائزة "الحاضنات عالية التأثير" العام الماضي من يو بي آي غلوبل (‪UBI‬‬ ‫‪ )Global‬الراعية ألنشطة الشركات الناشئة في المملكة‪ .‬كما تم إدراج عدد من‬ ‫الشركات الناشئة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل في قائمة أفضل ‪ 100‬شركة ناشئة‬ ‫مبتكرة‪ ،‬وتصدرت منها ثالثة شركات في المراتب العشر األولى وذلك ضمن‬ ‫فعالية نظمتها فوربس الشرق األوسط (‪ )Forbes‬في الرياض عام ‪.2015‬‬

‫‪1. KAUST Ph.D. student Amal Aboulhassan‬‬ ‫‪established MaterialSolved, a startup created‬‬ ‫‪with help from the University's New Ventures‬‬ ‫‪Accelerator. "KAUST incubates a community‬‬ ‫‪that leads innovative ideas to success," she‬‬ ‫‪says. Photo by Nicholas Demille.‬‬ ‫‪2. (From left to right) Edward Canepa, Ahmad‬‬ ‫‪Dehwah and Mustafa Mousa, all KAUST Ph.D.‬‬ ‫‪students in electrical engineering, founded‬‬ ‫‪startup Sadeem at the University. Photo by‬‬ ‫‪Nicholas Demille.‬‬ ‫‪3. KAUST Ph.D. students Ge Gao (left) and‬‬ ‫‪Andrew Yip co-founded CookHub with‬‬ ‫‪postdoctoral fellow Ronell Sicat (not pictured).‬‬ ‫‪Photo by Nicholas Demille.‬‬

Flying by numbers

1

By Matteo Parsani Aviation first saw the light more than 2,000 years ago, starting with the invention of the most rudimental forms of flying objects like kites and evolving into today’s supersonic airplanes, satellites and spacecraft.

Modern aviation didn’t take off until the beginning of the 20th century, when the Wright brothers invented aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.

Another milestone for aviation was set in 1960s when computer science was first applied to aircraft design, and, starting in the 1970s, NASA began developing sophisticated computer codes that could accurately predict the flow of fluids, such as the flow of air over an aircraft’s wing or fuel through a space shuttle’s main engine.

These ideas and codes became computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The introduction of large computers made the simulation of flight behavior and the aerodynamics of new aircraft possible without needing to actually build them.

Today, computer simulation is at the core of aircraft, wind turbines, combustion chambers, design and reservoir modeling, providing a forced passage between technical design and experimental tests.

KAUST research Matteo Parsani, KAUST assistant professor of applied mathematics and computational science, is the University’s most recent faculty acquisition in the field of numerical analysis and high performance computing applied to computational fluid dynamics.

After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division and spending three years at the NASA Langley Research Center working on the design and implementation of numerical algorithms to simulate complex flow problems around flying objects like airplanes, rockets and space capsules, Parsani returned to KAUST. He now focuses on the development of robust and extremely scalable numerical methods for compressible fluid dynamics to solve realistic multi-scale hitherto intractable flow problems in aerodynamics and aeronautics.

“My research lives at the intersection of numeric analysis, fluid dynamics physics and high-performance computing. I develop algorithms that in the near future will help to describe efficiently and with high fidelity complex turbulent flows that occur around and inside objects such as an airplane, a wing, a turbine’s blades, a car or a combustion chamber,” Parsani said. “In the specific case of aircraft design testing, the wellestablished techniques that function as the workhorse in industry and in research labs are incapable of predicting conditions at the fringes of the flight envelope, which is often characterized by highly turbulent separated (very chaotic) flows.

14

THE BEACON | JULY/AUGUST 2016

“Many other aerodynamic problems of central importance also feature acoustic noise prediction the design of hypersonic vehicles and next generation of high-efficiency low-emission combustion systems. In order to improve the performance, efficiency and safety of future generations of aircraft, computational fluid dynamics must move beyond the current technology and establish a new norm for high-fidelity simulation.”

Important equations In many circumstances, the flow of a fluid around or inside objects is extremely well-described by the so-called compressible (respectively incompressible) Navier-Stokes equations. These equations described how the velocity, pressure, temperature and density of a moving fluid are related, and are useful because they describe the physics of many phenomena of scientific and engineering interest. They may be used to model the weather, ocean currents, water flow in a pipe or blood flow, or to design power stations, airplanes and other things.

“The equations were derived independently by G. G. Stokes in England and M. Navier in France in the early 1800s,” Parsani explained. “Undergraduate engineering students are taught how to derive them in a process very similar to the derivation used by Navier and Stokes, i.e., by invoking the conservation principles.”

Defined as an incomplete system of hyperbolicparabolic partial differential equations(PDEs), the equations form a highly non-linear system of partial differential equations. After 200 years, their solution still represents one of the greatest computational challenges in mathematical physics. They are also of great interest in a purely mathematical sense. When they are coupled with Maxwell’s equations, they can be used to study magnetohydrodinamics (MHD).

“Why is accurately solving the compressible (respectively incompressible) Navier-Stokes equations so challenging? It is commonly accepted that solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations, with sufficient resolution of all scales in space and time (i.e., direct numerical simulation [DNS]), describe turbulent flow. Such an approach is nevertheless computationally feasible only for simple geometries and flows, and is not very interesting from a practical point if view, at least for the foreseeable future,” Parsani said.

“Large eddy simulations (LES) or a variant that resolves large scale motions and uses subgrid models to represent the unresolved scales are computationally less expensive than DNS, but are still computationally unfeasible for many practical applications with the current computational technologies. KAUST and other research centers and national labs all around the world are currently working on the design of new algorithms

3

2 and very efficient libraries which take into account the emerging computing hardware, such as Shaheen XC40 and its successors, to overcome this problem,” he noted.

Only computational power?

Early computers did not have enough computing power to solve the complete Navier-Stokes system of equations, even for simple problems. Because of this, for the first decades of computer history, simplified equations were used instead, giving relatively good approximations of real fluid-dynamic behaviors.

Nevertheless, according to Moore’s Law, which in the 1960s predicted an annual doubling in the number of components per integrated circuit, it was only a matter of time before the equations were solved.

“Of course we could have solved the complete version of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations in the 1970s using the finite difference methods that were introduced during the pre-World War II era, but we would have needed 500 years in the best case scenario to get a result for an interesting problem,” Parsani explained.

“During the 1980s, we finally started having processors with enough computational power to actually solve a simplified but still complex version of the Navier-Stokes system of equations, the so-called Euler equations.”

Only in the 1990s, thanks to the tremendous development carried out in Silicon Valley in numerical analysis and computer science, was there sufficient computational power to solve the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, a less simplified version of the complete set of equations. The possibility to compute their solution in complex configurations represented a real breakthrough.

Applying CFD “At this point it was undeniable that the application of CFD was revolutionizing the process of aerodynamic design,” Parsani said. “After 25 years, the Reynoldsaveraged Navier-Stokes equations remain the industry standard in CFD, at least for aerodynamics and aerospace applications. Nowadays, CFD is the complementary method for aircraft, gas turbines, wind turbines, space capsules, rocket design, reservoir modeling, etc. It covers a wide range of capabilities in term of flow physics and geometric complexity. The strength of current CFD is its ability to inexpensively produce a small number of simulations that are essential in guiding the design process. Of great importance is that CFD can be used in an inverse problem design or in optimization and it allows the prediction of the necessary geometry changes to optimize certain flow features or functionals, such as resistance, consumption and efficiency.”

The ability to simulate flows using CFD has progressed rapidly during the last several decades and has fundamentally changed many engineering design process. However, as with 99% of the computational sciences, CFD is still not a fully predictive tool. It vigorously complements experiments, but it does not replace them.

“The ultimate goal is to transform CFD in a fully predictive high fidelity science,” Parsani said. “In fact, due to the growing number of problems where experiments are impossible, dangerous and/or too costly, extreme-scale CFD will enable the solution of vastly more accurate predictive models, producing tremendous advances in areas of science and technology that are essential to the scientific community.”

The future of computing While Moore’s law has held up remarkably well and has delivered a million-fold increase in computational power during the last 25 years, there is also undeniable evidence that equivalent or greater increases in simulation capabilities have been achieved through the development of advanced algorithms within the same time frame.

“In the near future, the transition from petascale (1015 floating point operations per second; e.g. Shaheen XC40) to exascale (1018 floating point operations per second) systems will provide an unprecedented opportunity to truly transform computational fluid dynamics and many other computational sciences into fully predictive sciences. However, increases in computational power, code optimization and incremental improvements of current algorithms will not be sufficient to satisfy the accuracy, robustness and fidelity needs for targeted problems,” Parsani noted. “New algorithms, solvers and physical models with better mathematical and numerical properties must be developed to account for the more ambitious physical phenomena being modeled and the emerging data-centric computing hardware. For me, moving to exascale is the computing analogue of landing on Mars, although for that, the latter needs the former.”

1. This image shows the instantaneous Mach number contour in the middle spanwise plane of a three-dimensional supersonic cylinder trapped in a square-section chamber. Image courtesy of Matteo Parsani.

2. In this image of a standard benchmark test

case, an instantaneous vorticity field on the spanwise periodic plane and skin friction on the surface of an SD7003 wing at a Reynolds number of 60,000 and angle of attack $\alpha = 4$ is shown. Image courtesy of Matteo Parsani.

3. Matteo Parsani is an assistant professor in applied mathematics and computational science in the University's Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division. He is part of the KAUST Extreme Computing Research Center. File photo.

www.kaust.edu.sa

15

KAUST and FEI establish new electron microscopy Center of Excellence KAUST and FEI, a company that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of high-performance microscopy workflow solutions, have announced a collaboration agreement to establish a new Center of Excellence located at the KAUST Research & Technology Park on the University’s campus.

KAUST has recently purchased electron microscopy equipment from FEI, including a Titan Themis™ transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a Helios™ G4 DualBeam, as well as upgrades for the University’s existing Titan Krios™ cryo-TEM. These new systems, which will ship in late 2016, will be added to the existing 17 electron FEI microscopes at KAUST. The three-year agreement with the company also involves FEI support staff on-site.

'Strategic collaboration' “This long-term strategic collaboration began in 2009 with the first shipment of equipment, and is important to FEI and KAUST and to the entire country of Saudi Arabia,” said Trisha Rice, vice president and general manager of the Materials Science Business at FEI. “It is an integral part of the country’s overall plan to build a strong infrastructure of scientific research that benefits humanity world-wide. We anticipate the agreement to be mutually beneficial as we exchange vital information and knowledge that will help us to develop application-specific workflows and further advance our technology.” ”This agreement officiates KAUST and FEI’s recommitment to build a strong relationship and valuable strategic partnership to achieve our common goals in the advancement of highperformance imaging technologies. This collaboration is the first implementation of the University’s strategic initiative to build a long-term partnership with its major instrument suppliers to help us carry out our mission in providing state-of-the-art research facilities, training and services to our users,” said Dr. Justin Mynar, director of KAUST Core Laboratories and Major Facilities.

16

THE BEACON | JULY/AUGUST 2016

1 Advanced microscopy systems The new KAUST center will feature some of the most advanced electron microscopy systems installed on-site. The Titan Themis TEM extends FEI’s leadership position in aberrationcorrected, atomic-scale imaging and analysis, and is used by materials scientists to understand relationships between a material’s larger-scale physical properties and its atomic-scale composition and structure. The Titan Themis platform enables direct measurements of properties such as magnetic fields on the nanometer-length scale and electric fields even down to the atomic scale.

The Helios G4 DualBeam Series features FEI’s most advanced scanning electron microscope (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) technology and a new level of automation and ease-ofuse. It is FEI’s flagship DualBeam system, and it is equipped with the latest hardware and software to help materials scientists obtain the highest quality subsurface and 3-D information at the nanometer scale.

FEI’s Titan Krios is a highly automated cryo-TEM designed specifically to enable structural biologists to study the structure and function of cells, viruses and protein assemblies at the molecular sub-nanometer scale. FEI’s recent technological advancements in the microscope design and imaging hardware, along with enhanced image processing and automation, have helped to rapidly increase the technique’s adoption by leading structural biologists worldwide.

Established methods for structure determination, such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, are now routinely integrated with cryo-EM density maps to achieve atomic-resolution models of complex dynamic molecular assemblies.

Furthering scientific research “The suite of electron microscopes at the KAUST is one of the most advanced in the world,” Rice noted. “We anticipate that our collaboration will help KAUST to further scientific research in the areas of chemistry/catalyst research, nanoparticles and life sciences by gaining continual access to the latest characterization techniques, hardware and software available on the market.”

‫)‪1. Dr. Rachid Sougrat, lead electron microscopy (EM‬‬ ‫‪scientist in the Imaging and Characterization Core‬‬ ‫™‪Laboratory, analyzes samples using the Titan Krios‬‬ ‫‪cryo transmission electron microscope (cryo-TEM). The‬‬ ‫‪microscope, which was manufactured by the company‬‬ ‫‪FEI, will feature new upgrades in late 2016. Photo by‬‬ ‫‪Nicholas Demille.‬‬ ‫‪2. KAUST and FEI announced a collaboration‬‬

‫‪agreement to establish a new Center of Excellence‬‬ ‫‪located at the KAUST Research & Technology Park‬‬ ‫‪on the University’s campus.‬‬

‫‪2‬‬

‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية وشركة‬ ‫‪ FEI‬العالمية تؤسسان‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫للتميز في‬ ‫جديدا‬ ‫مركزا‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫اإللكتروني‬ ‫مجال المجهر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أعلنت جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية وشركة ‪ FEI‬العالمية التي تعنى بتصميم وتصنيع‬ ‫ودعم مجموعة واسعة من حلول األعمال القائمة على استخدامات المجاهر عالية األداء‪ ،‬عن‬ ‫توقيع اتفاقية تعاون إلنشاء مركز جديد للتميز يقع في مدينة األبحاث والتقنية ضمن الحرم‬ ‫الجامعي لجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مؤخرا معدات مجاهر الكترونية‬ ‫جدير بالذكر أن جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية اشترت‬ ‫إلكتروني (‪ )TEM‬من طراز ‪ ™Titan Themis‬ووحدة‬ ‫من شركة ‪ ،FEI‬تشمل وحدة مجهر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فضال عن ترقيات لوحدات ‪ Titan Krios™ cryo-TEM‬الموجودة‬ ‫‪،Helios™ G4 DualBeam‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أصال في الجامعة‪ .‬هذا‪ ،‬وستُ ضاف النظم الجديدة‪ ،‬والتي سيتم شحنها أواخر العام ‪ ،2016‬إلى‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مجهرا‪.‬‬ ‫حاليا في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬والبالغ عددها ‪17‬‬ ‫مجاهر‪ FEI‬اإللكترونية الموجودة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أن مدة االتفاقية تبلغ ثالث سنوات‪ ،‬وتشمل قيام الشركة بتوفير فريق دعم فنّ ي في‬ ‫علما ّ‬ ‫الموقع‪.‬‬

‫وفي هذه المناسبة‪ ،‬قالت تريشا رايس‪ ،‬التي تشغل منصب نائب الرئيس والمدير العام لتجارة‬ ‫المواد العلمية في ‪" : FEI‬بدأ تعاوننا االستراتيجي طويل األمد مع جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬مع‬ ‫تعاون مهم للطرفين‪.‬‬ ‫وصول أول شحنة من المعدات في ‪ .2009‬وهو‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫وأضافت رايس‪" :‬ويتماشى هذا التعاون مع الخطة العامة للمملكة الرامية إلى تأسيس بنية‬ ‫تحتية قوية للبحث العلمي‪ ،‬بما يخدم اإلنسانية جمعاء‪ .‬ونتوقع أن تحقق هذه االتفاقية منفعة‬ ‫متبادلة لكال الجانبين من خالل تبادل المعلومات الحيوية وتبادل المعرفة‪ ،‬بما يساعدنا على‬ ‫ً‬ ‫قدما في تطوير تقنياتنا"‪.‬‬ ‫تطوير التطبيقات العملية‪ ،‬والمضي‬ ‫من جهته‪ ،‬قال الدكتور جاستن ماينار‪ ،‬مدير المختبرات األساسية والمرافق الرئيسية في جامعة‬ ‫تجدد التزام جامعة الملك عبداهلل وشركة ‪ FEI‬ببناء عالقات‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل‪" :‬إن هذه االتفاقية ّ‬ ‫متينة‪ ،‬وشراكة استراتيجية ثمينة‪ ،‬بغية تحقيق أهدافنا المشتركة في تطوير تقنيات التصوير‬ ‫تطبيق للمبادرة االستراتيجية التي طرحتها الجامعة‪،‬‬ ‫ويعد هذا التعاون بمثابة أول‬ ‫عالية األداء‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫المعدات الرئيسيين لمساعدتنا على تنفيذ‬ ‫والمتمثلة ببناء شراكات طويلة األمد مع موردي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مهمتنا في توفير أحدث المرافق البحثية‪ ،‬وأفضل أنواع التدريب والخدمات لمستخدمينا"‪.‬‬

‫ً‬ ‫بعضا من أحدث ابتكارات أنظمة‬ ‫أن المركز الجديد في جامعة الملك عبداهلل سيضم‬ ‫ُيذكر ّ‬

‫‪17‬‬

‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

‫‪This agreement officiates KAUST‬‬ ‫‪and FEI’s recommitment to build a‬‬ ‫‪strong relationship and valuable strategic‬‬ ‫‪partnership to achieve our common goals‬‬ ‫‪in the advancement of high-performance‬‬ ‫"‪imaging technologies.‬‬ ‫‪- Dr. Justin Mynar, director of KAUST Core Laboratories and Major Facilities‬‬

‫ً‬ ‫اإللكتروني النافذ (‪)TEM‬‬ ‫تقدما‪ .‬فقد استطاع المجهر‬ ‫المجاهر اإللكترونية‪ ،‬وأكثرها‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫من طراز ‪ ™Titan Themis‬أن يعزّ ز مكانة ‪ FEI‬الريادية في عمليات التصوير والتحليل‬ ‫الذري‪ ،‬ويستخدمه اآلن علماء المواد لفهم العالقات بين خصائص المواد الفيزيائية‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وتكويناتها وهيكلياتها الدقيقة من جهة أخرى‪ .‬كما تتيح منصة ‪ Titan Themis‬إجراء‬ ‫دقة النانومتر‪،‬‬ ‫قياسات مباشرة للخصائص‪ ،‬مثل قياس الحقول المغناطيسية على مستوى ّ‬ ‫والمجاالت الكهربائية حتى على المستوى الذري‪.‬‬ ‫تضم سلسلة ‪ Helios G4 DualBeam‬أحدث ابتكارات ‪ FEI‬في مجال المجهر‬ ‫فيما‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫جديدا‬ ‫ومستوى‬ ‫المركز (‪،)FIB‬‬ ‫اإللكتروني الماسح (‪ )SEM‬وتقنية اإلشعاع األيوني‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وتعد هذه السلسلة من أنظمة ‪DualBeam‬‬ ‫من التشغيل اآللي وسهولة االستخدام‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫والبرمجيات‪ ،‬بغية مساعدة علماء المواد‬ ‫مزودة بأحدث األجهزة‬ ‫الرائدة لدى ‪ ،FEI‬وهي ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫على الحصول على معلومات ثالثية األبعاد على مستوى النانومتر‪ .‬كما صمم المجهر‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصيصا لتمكين علماء البيولوجيا الهيكلية‬ ‫اإللكتروني ‪ Titan Krios‬من طراز ‪،cryo-TEM‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ومركبات البروتين على المستوى الجزيئي‬ ‫من دراسة بنية ووظيفة الخاليا والفيروسات‬ ‫دون النانومتري‪.‬‬ ‫التقني الذي أحرزته ‪ FEI‬في تصميم نظم المجاهر وفي أجهزة التصوير‪،‬‬ ‫التقدم‬ ‫إن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫إلى جانب تعزيز معالجة الصور‪ ،‬ساعد في زيادة سرعة اعتماد هذه التقنية من قبل أبرز‬ ‫علماء البيولوجيا الهيكلية في شتى أرجاء العالم‪ .‬هذا‪ ،‬وتندمج بعض األساليب الراسخة‬ ‫في التحديد الهيكلي‪ ،‬مثل دراسة البلورات باألشعة السينية‪ ،‬والتحليل الطيفي بالرنين‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫روتينيا مع خرائط الكثافة في المجاهر اإللكترونية ‪cryo-‬‬ ‫اندماجا‬ ‫المغناطيسي النووي‪،‬‬ ‫ذرية للمركبات الجزيئية الحيوية المعقدة‪.‬‬ ‫ة‬ ‫دق‬ ‫ذات‬ ‫‪ ،EM‬لتشكيل نماذج‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تضمها‬ ‫أن‪" :‬مجموعة المجاهر اإللكترونية التي‬ ‫وفي الختام‪ ،‬لفتت تريشا رايس إلى ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تطورا في العالم"‪ .‬وأضافت‪" :‬إننا‬ ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل تُ صنّ ف ضمن المجموعات األكثر‬ ‫نتوقع لتعاوننا أن يساعد جامعة الملك عبداهلل في إجراء المزيد من األبحاث العلمية في‬ ‫مجاالت الكيمياء‪ /‬المحفزات‪ ،‬وتقنية النانو‪ ،‬وعلوم الحياة‪ ،‬من خالل استمرار استخدام‬ ‫المجهري من تقنيات وتجهيزات وبرمجيات"‪.‬‬ ‫أحدث ما في عالم التصوير‬ ‫ّ‬

Partnering for sustainable fresh water production Innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of water desalination are a major focus in countries such as Saudi Arabia, where fresh water for industrial, agricultural and human use is scarce. A research partnership between KAUST and the National University of Singapore has won global acclaim for its unique and efficient yet low-cost method of conducting desalination called hybrid multi-effect adsorption desalination.

Low-cost desalination The collaboration has resulted in two desalination pilot schemes—one at KAUST and the other at a second location also in Saudi Arabia—as well as a spin-off company called MEDAD that will help to commercialize the hybrid desalination technology. The project is led by Kim Choon Ng from the University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center. Ng has devoted his career to finding ways of reducing the cost of desalination through novel technologies.

Traditional desalination techniques use membranes and pressure to separate salt and other minerals from seawater, but these techniques are expensive, energy intensive and inefficient.

“Desalination is particularly complicated in the challenging environment of the Gulf, where high salinity, silt levels and increased water temperatures make working with the seawater quite difficult,” Ng said. “The frequent occurrence of hazardous algal blooms has also contributed to high pre-treatment costs and severe fouling of membranes. These elements combine to considerably increase the overall unit cost of producing desalinated water.”

Innovative new desalination techniques Ng and his team recognized that the only viable option to overcome these challenges was to base their system on thermal desalination rather than membrane-based techniques.

They investigated a combined technique and utilized an existing industrially-proven method called multi-effect

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THE BEACON | JULY/AUGUST 2016

distillation (MED). This involves spraying saline water over the outer surfaces of a series of tubes (or stages) arranged in a tower. At the top of the tower, saline water is fed in and heated by a steam-driven compressor. The resulting water vapor is collected while the salt is left behind. This process is repeated over subsequent stages, and the vapor from each stage is channeled through the tubes to the bottom of the tower, where it condenses to generate fresh water as it cools.

Ng’s team combined MED with a thermally-driven process called adsorption desalination (AD), which uses low-cost silica gel adsorbents with a very high affinity for water vapor. The researchers adapted the last stage of MED so that the vapor uptake is carried out by AD. The water vapor is attracted to designated adsorption gel beds while the remaining gel beds undergo desorption, removing the water and preparing the silica gel for the next round. Crucially, there are no major moving parts in the AD cycle, meaning it uses far less energy than some other techniques, and it can run on waste heat from other industrial processes.

Advantages of adsorption desalination “The best part about AD is that it can be run at low temperatures and low pressures,” explained Ng. “In fact, we can run cycles at only 7°C and at a pressure of 2 kPa. This presents a unique opportunity to exploit the renewable energy resources that the Kingdom has—namely solar and geothermal energy— to run the system. Also, because we are producing cooling as part of the process, we can link into air conditioning systems.”

2

Our technology represents a major leap forward in water production using thermally-driven cycles...We believe it can be developed fully to an extent where the energy efficiency of desalination can meet the target needed for sustainability."

1

- Kim Choon Ng, KAUST professor of environmental science and engineering

Simulations on the hybrid MEDAD system indicate that it could double or even triple desalinated water production.

Experiments conducted at the pilot plant at KAUST have already increased fresh water production by more than 50 percent. This represents the highest water production ever reported for a desalination technique and earned the team a GE-Aramco "Global Innovation Challenge" award in January 2015. The breakthrough also helps extend the lower end of the temperature range at which the system can operate, which has been a major limitation with MED in the past.

A 'major leap forward' in the field “This represents a major leap forward in water production using thermally-driven cycles, and it is attributed to the excellent thermodynamic synergy between MED and AD cycles,” noted Ng. “We believe it can be developed fully to an extent where the energy efficiency of desalination can meet the target needed for sustainability.”

The technology has been licensed by the NUS Industry Liasion Office, part of the NUS Enterprise, and the University's Innovation and Economic Development Office to MEDAD.

1. Kim Choon Ng and Muhammad Wakil from the University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center inspect the MEDAD hybrid desalination pilot at KAUST. Photo courtesy of Kim Choon Ng. 2. Kim Choon Ng is part of the University's team at

the Water Desalination and Reuse Center and heads a research collaboration between KAUST and the National University of Singapore that has found a new and lowcost method to conduct desalination called hybrid multi-effect adsorption desalination. File photo.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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Pène d’Aragon, France

Seoul, South Korea

Celebrating one year of Where do you read The Beacon?

Paris, France

The KAUST School, Saudi Arabia

Mount Everest North Base Camp, Tibet Autonomous Region

Dyrham Park, U.K.

Hawaii, USA

New York, USA

San Francisco, USA

White Sea, northwestern Russia

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THE BEACON | JULY/AUGUST 2016