Advancing the Future of Solar Cells

SUPPORTING SAUDI POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

OSMAN BAKR Vice Provost for Strategy and Chair of the Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellowship program

I AM CONFIDENT THE IBN RUSHD POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WILL BE A GREAT ASSET TO SAUDI ARABIA AND OUR GROWING POPULATION OF ACADEMICS AT KAUST. THE PROGRAM IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF KAUST’S STRATEGY TO SUPPORT SAUDI TALENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

12 recent Saudi PhD scholars have been awarded a prestigious new KAUSTfunded overseas research fellowship

Earlier this year, KAUST awarded prestigious postdoctoral fellowships to 12 exceptional Saudi PhD students or recent PhD graduates to pursue research at globally recognized institutions. The rst cohort of the Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellowship program are some of the Kingdom’s brightest minds. With KAUST’s support, they are undertaking postdoctoral research at world-leading universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Queensland and the University of Toronto.

The Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellowship is inspired by and named after Ibn Rushd, a well-travelled and in uential 12th-century Islamic philosopher. The program is highly competitive and offers a unique opportunity for selected Saudi scholars to develop an independent academic career by acquiring experience at top international research universities. The fellowship provides an annual stipend for up to three years to assist these individuals in pursuing their postdoctoral studies. An annual research fund is also available for collaboration on research with a KAUST faculty member. Additional bene ts include use of KAUST facilities when visiting Saudi Arabia, access to leadership skills development programs and invitations to relevant KAUST workshops.

Mentorship is a core component of the program. Each fellow is assigned a KAUST mentor who supports them throughout their postdoctoral experience abroad and acts as a key point of contact with the university. As the fellow’s academic and career champion, the mentor guides the relationship to ensure progress is being made and any concerns are addressed. Meeting regularly, the mentor helps the fellow develop a research plan at their host institution, ensures that they remain connected with KAUST scholars and other fellowship awardees, and provides general career and personal development advice.

The Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellowship program forms part of KAUST’s mission to diversify its faculty and double the number of Saudi scholars at the university, thereby creating the nation’s future leaders, thinkers and innovators. At the end of the fellowship, KAUST’s goal is to hire these highly experienced and well-trained scholars as junior faculty members. However, candidates will rst have to pass through a comprehensive evaluation process conducted by KAUST faculty. A small cohort of scholars will be selected annually based on demonstrated ability and potential.

Commenting on the role the program will play in developing Saudi talent, Amr S. Helmy, Professor of Photonics at the University of Toronto, said, “Promising upcoming stars can bene t immensely from international experience at the University of Toronto. This will serve to set scholars up to run a world-leading research group at KAUST.”

UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

“The prestigious KAUST Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellowship program brings together the best and brightest. I am delighted to have Dr. Abdulaziz Bati, a rising star in next-generation thin-film photovoltaics, as part of our team at the Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics.”

Professor Paul Burn, Director of the Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics at the University of Queensland