9 minute read
Creating Sustainable Food Sources for the Kingdom
by KAUST
HOSTING A GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO SAVE CORAL REEFS
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KAUST has a central role in supporting the global Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform
KAUST is playing a central role in supporting a major international G20 initiative, the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP), which aims to protect and restore corals around the globe. This comes at a critical time for corals, which are facing widespread destruction due to the impacts of human-induced climate change.
Among the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems, coral reefs are impacted by rising ocean temperatures that trigger coral bleaching and mass mortality, acidi cation, sea level rise, and changing patterns of currents and precipitation. Saudi Arabia and KAUST are deploying their resources to help corals survive and thrive in an increasingly warming world.
CORDAP was born from Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the G20 summit in 2020. The international initiative is working to fast-track research and development (R&D) solutions to save the world’s corals. KAUST was selected to serve as the central node of CORDAP, which supports all CORDAP operations. The university is covering the initiative’s administrative costs as an in-kind contribution from Saudi Arabia. This means that every penny of international funding that CORDAP receives goes directly to R&D and other projects.
KAUST was a natural t to serve as host. The university is a global hub of research for the conservation and restoration of coral reefs globally, with cutting-edge infrastructure and extensive expertise. KAUST also has signi cant experience in managing competitive funding processes, which will be a key feature of CORDAP. KAUST Professor of Marine Science Carlos Duarte is serving as Executive Director of CORDAP through the Platform Central Node, while Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Dr. Osama Faqeeha is Chair of the Initiative Governing Committee. Director of the US NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Jennifer Koss serves as Vice Chair of the Initiative Governing Committee. Professor Duarte and KAUST Associate Professor Raquel Peixoto are also on CORDAP’s 19-member Scienti c and Advisory Committee, which comprises renowned international coral scientists, managers and engineers.
The window to save corals is closing. More than two-thirds of the world’s coral reefs have been lost due to human activity, and 70-90% of the remaining coral reefs may disappear in the next 10-15 years. For the rst time, the functionality of an entire ecosystem that supports millions of species and people may be lost at the hands of humans.
Corals bring a range of bene ts. They directly support the livelihoods of people around the world, and are a big draw for tourism. They reduce expected storm damage and lower the impacts of ooding. Corals cover only 0.2% of the ocean oor yet support at least 25% of all marine species. They also shelter an estimated 32% of all named marine species. In economic terms, it is estimated that corals bring a total bene t of $12.7 trillion per year – equivalent to more than 15% of global GDP.
Innovative technical solutions and large-scale interventions are needed to save corals and reefs. In its time-sensitive mission, CORDAP will support, complement and scale up existing and new initiatives focused on coral conservation, resilience, adaptation and restoration. CORDAP will invest in novel early-phase ideas through to nal proof-of-concept development and testing. Its open-source model will allow anyone to advance and use the platform’s technologies.
To deliver its mission, CORDAP aims to raise and invest $30 million per year. In 2020, Saudi Arabia pledged $10 million per year for the next 10 years toward the initiative. The pledge signi es Saudi Arabia’s intention to take an active and leading role in global coral protection efforts. Marine conservation is of particular importance for the Kingdom as it develops major new sustainability-focused tourism initiatives, including the highly anticipated Red Sea Project.
In March 2022 CORDAP launched its strategic plan for 2022-25. The plan focuses on the types of projects CORDAP will fund, and outlines proposal submissions, review processes and priority investment areas. A number of
MEWA
Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Chair of the Initiative Governing Committee for CORDAP and Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture
TONY CHAN President of KAUST
FROM THE UNIVERSITY’S FOUNDING, RESEARCH ON RED SEA CORAL REEFS HAS BEEN ONE OF KAUST’S EMPHASES AND STRENGTHS. WE ARE THEREFORE MOTIVATED AND INSPIRED BY THIS GLOBAL EFFORT, AND HAVE OFFERED TO DO OUR PART BY SERVING AS THE PLATFORM’S CENTRAL NODE.
R&D efforts already in place could provide a springboard for CORDAP to build, connect and learn from. One example is the NEOM Shousha Coral Garden Project, which will establish several square kilometers of coral reefs in the northern Red Sea using advanced restoration techniques through a partnership between KAUST and NEOM.
DEPLOYING ADVANCED TRAINING FOR SAUDI ARABIA’S WORKFORCE
SADAIA
Dr. Majid Altuwaijri, CEO of the National Center for AI and CEO of the Strategy Management Office at SADAIA
KAUST launches an educational training program to support the Kingdom’s key development objectives
DR. LAWRENCE CARIN Provost
ONE OF THE KEY GOALS OF THE LIFELONG LEARNING INITIATIVE (LLI) IS TO TAKE THE EXPERTISE DEVELOPED AT KAUST AND BRING IT TO THE KINGDOM. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS ONE OF THE MANY AREAS WHERE KAUST DEMONSTRATES EXCELLENCE, AND THIS WILL BE THE THEME OF OUR FIRST LLI COURSES.
KAUST recently launched the Lifelong Learning Initiative (LLI), a series of hands-on, educational training courses designed to support the priority objectives of the Kingdom in key development areas, and mobilize the labor market across the public and private sectors.
Packaged as micro-courses delivered in a three- to ve-day format, the LLI program leverages KAUST expertise in areas such as cybersecurity, food security and semiconductors, and is open to Saudi nationals and residents with a variety of background skills, ranging from recent graduates to business professionals and corporate executives. The inaugural LLI courses focus on the twin themes of arti cial intelligence (AI) and machine learning – topics of signi cant importance to the Kingdom due to their ability to improve ef ciency, decision-making and performance in numerous areas of national impact, such as security, medicine, data analysis and digital communications.
The rst class, Introduction to Machine Learning Bootcamp, was held in early May 2022 in Riyadh. Participants were introduced to the fundamental concepts of machine learning and deep neural networks, developing skills in areas such as network architecture and data visualization, and culminating in an end-to-end machine learning project.
Additional courses in AI and other subjects of national and international impact will be added at later dates in different locations across the Kingdom, including on KAUST’s campus, covering topics such as circular carbon, smart health, the environment and cybersecurity, among others.
LLI is administered by the KAUST Of ce of the Provost, with AI class material developed under the supervision of the KAUST Arti cial Intelligence Initiative (AII), in partnership with the Saudi Data and Arti cial Intelligence Authority (SADAIA), a government agency established in 2019 to create a data-driven and AI-supported government and economy. SADAIA provides related resources in the areas of research, program development, training and continuous education. The KAUST AII program, directed by Professor Jürgen Schmidhuber, leverages a global network of AI experts to advance interdisciplinary education, outreach and engagement opportunities globally and within Saudi Arabia.
The program forms part of KAUST’s commitment to raise the level of knowledge within the Kingdom and disseminate it worldwide through scienti c and technical excellence in its academic programs. It is just one of several continuous learning courses KAUST offers to enhance expertise and competencies in the government and the private sector, and support the goals of Vision 2030.
TRAINING SAUDI ARABIA’S YOUTH TO SUCCEED
16 KAUST summer school students represent Saudi Arabia at the 2022 International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, Georgia
In May 2022, 35 Saudi students traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to participate in the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest global high school competition. Of those participating, 16 were former participants of the Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI), KAUST’s summer school program.
The event, held at the Georgia World Congress Center, hosted 1,700 participating high school students from more than 80 countries. ISEF is administered by the Society for Science, a non-pro t based in Washington DC dedicated to championing science, expanding scienti c literacy, and promoting effective STEM education and scienti c research. The 2022 fair granted nearly $8 million in awards and scholarships. In total, 22 awards were won by Saudi students, representing a major achievement for the Kingdom and its youth. 12 were won by former KAUST SRSI participants – an accomplishment the university is incredibly proud of. Awards were in the elds of energy, chemistry, materials science, environmental engineering, engineering technologies, social sciences, behavioral science, botany and transitional medicine.
Saudi Arabia was represented at the fair by the Ministry of Education and the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba). Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh congratulated the Saudi winners, announcing that the students will be granted scholarships in appreciation of their achievements. He also thanked the teachers and families of the students.
MAWHIBA
Dr. Saud Almathami, Secretary-General of Mawhiba DR. NAJAH ASHRY Vice President for Strategic National Advancement
SUCH AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS IS FURTHER PROOF OF THE VALUE THAT KAUST’S YOUTH-ORIENTED SCIENCE AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS CAN BRING TO THE KINGDOM, ENABLING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SAUDIS TO EXCEL.
KAUST’s SRSI is designed to shape future scientists and leaders of Saudi Arabia. SRSI is a rigorous summer research program designed for 11th-grade students from high schools throughout the country. Students work in state-of-the-art laboratories under the guidance of KAUST faculty, while participating in activities that combine theory courses, hands-on research, and co- and extracurricular events to encourage greater teamwork and leadership. Students develop con dence and interpersonal skills through a wide range of sport, cultural, creative and team-building activities.
By introducing talented young students to the transformative potential of STEM disciplines, SRSI inspires the next generation of Saudis to pursue careers in these elds, and provides them with context and support for envisioning their future paths.
