INSIDE: Winter Enrichment Program 4-5 Research 6–7 Community 8News 1-2 SABIC 3

“iT’S a very difficult thing to found a university from scratch,” cornell

president emeritus and KaUST Trustee professor Frank H.T. Rhodes

once commented in his understated way. “as i look back…i catch my

breath and pinch myself!” involved since fall 2006 when KaUST was

just a concept, Dr. Rhodes was part of the seminal team advising the

KaUST founders and concludes his role of trustee this month. This

towering scholar typically took an enormous risk when, convinced of

the veracity of the project, he put his personal reputation on the line

and agreed to be named to the board of the fledgling postgraduate

university. “i am really too old for this sort of thing,” he declared, “but

i am really very honored to be part of it.”

it has been KaUST’s privilege to have this extraordinary academic

and visionary leader alongside, a man “with all the energy of a 50

year-old” and many years of experience examining the role of higher

education in the west. Welcomed by his colleagues to the Kingdom, Dr.

Rhodes deeply believed that a successful institution would be campus-

rooted, but internationally oriented. He was instrumental in drafting the

charter and by-laws, which include strong guarantees of academic free-

dom; an independent, self-electing board of trustees; and an endowment

income free of the influence and control of government ministries. “He

had the mind and the passion that we needed,” explained executive Vice

president nadhmi al-nasr, “but that didn’t mean that the process was

without the inevitable challenges that arise when bridging two cultures,

each with their own noble principles and sensitivities.” as His excellency

Minister ali ibrahim al-naimi introduced him to King abdullah's vision

for the University and more generally to the culture of Saudi arabia, so

Dr. Rhodes reciprocated by sharing the intricacies of higher education,

offering him selected Western publications on the subject and always tak-

ing the time to discuss the mutual issues they raised.

a few months later, in a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony that

acknowledged the decades-long dream of His Majesty, King abdullah, Dr.

Rhodes celebrated the institution’s “bold vision and innovative design”

that promise to “make it a place of transforming influence and enduring

significance.” Recalling the historical arab and Muslim spirit of learning,

he saluted this present-day Bayt al-Hikma, for “the boldness of its plan.”

later, King abdullah asked specifically to be introduced to his contempo-

rary, acknowledging that “This is indeed a great man.” a man of stature

and a gracious diplomat, Dr. Rhodes demonstrates his concern for all who

seek his wisdom, regularly meeting with KaUST graduates visiting the

cornell campus. He acted as a compelling champion to bring students

of excellence to the university, brokering and maintaining many of the

international links that have jumpstarted the research.

“Frank has left his fingerprints not just in his vision for the academic

model, but everywhere at KaUST,” commented Vp Mohamed Samaha.

“Frank is its unseen intellectual architect.” Recalling his calming influence,

Dr. Samaha continued, “He used science as a unifier to convince others of

the dream, even initially suggesting that the university should focus on

graduate students and quality research.”

addressing the inaugural graduating class last December (described as

the “the first fruits of a dream”), Dr. Rhodes thanked them for the trust

they had given KaUST by “coming to a country most did not know,

to a campus that did not then exist, to which faculty had not yet been

appointed, to a new experiment in learning that was then untested, to

degree programs that were not fully planned…” He spoke from the heart

recalling his own experience when he commended to them “a hope based

on large dreams and high aspirations. (KaUST’s) gift that turns commu-

nity into teamwork…knowledge into purpose…technology into service…

skills into benefits...a job into a career and a career into a calling”.

as president choon Fong Shih told The Beacon, “i will personally

miss Frank’s wise and generous counsel, his high ideals and expecta-

tions and, most of all, my dear friend and fellow adventurer on this

most extraordinary journey….he is my role model.”

cAlvin Appointed As vp for educAtion

pROVOST Stefan

catsicas recently

spoke about the

appointment of

professor James

calvin as the

Vice president

for education at

the university.

He is one of three Vice presidents who will serve

the university in delivering excellence across

education, research, and management. prof.

catsicas said, “i am thrilled to have someone of

Jim’s scientific stature to help ensure the inte-

gration of our education from our classrooms

right across the campus into our research cent-

ers and core labs. Jim has demonstrated, as a

scientist, statistician, teacher, researcher, and

academic administrator, the breadth of experi-

ence, enthusiasm, and wisdom we need as we

build and strengthen KaUST’s unique educa-

tional offerings.”

SABIC | Continued on p.3

JIM CALVIN | Continued on p.2

KaUST’s “greatest institutional challenge in

fulfilling its vision” as it continues to grow

and develop, remarked Dr. ernesto Occhiello,

will be to “become firmly rooted in the local

community: an avenue of future economic

growth in the Kingdom — thereby foster-

ing the realization of the founder’s dream.”

Dr. Occhiello, executive Vice president of

Technology and innovation at Saudi Basic

industries corporation (SaBic), spoke to The

Beacon during his november visit to confer

the inaugural 2011 SaBic postdoctoral awards

(see p.3).

SaBic chose to site its new center for

Research and innovation (cRi) at the KaUST

Research park, attracted by the University’s

world-class personnel, the state-of-the-art

core laboratories, and in anticipation of the

rich recruiting ground the student body will

provide. “in fact, organizations rarely distin-

guish themselves by their facilities,” explained

Dr. Occhiello, “but a skill set takes many years

sAbic strengthens kAust collAborAtion

The Beacon in arabic!

this month get

between pages 4-5

املنارة

fAreweLL To frANk rhoDeSfAreweLL To frANk rhoDeS

Frank H.T.Rhodes• born in Warwickshire, england and now a naturalized

Us citizen

• married to and closely supported by his wife, rosa carlson

• studied for his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of birmingham, england. holds 35 honorary degrees

• has published widely in the fields of geology, paleontology, evolution, and the history of science and education

• President emeritus of cornell University 1977-1995

• member of the national science board (President reagan)

• member of the President’s educational Policy committee (President g.W. bush)

• chairman of the 1987 national commission on minority Participation in education and american Life with honorary co-chairs Presidents Ford and carter

• Former President of the american Philosophical society

www.kaust.edu.sa

BEACONthe

December 2011 / Muharram 1433 Volume 2, Issue No.4

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology at Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

UNIVerSITy life is naturally and, most often, joyfully

filled with comings and goings, arrivals, departures,

hellos and farewells. Like the tides that gently lap our

red Sea shores, each shift brings and takes resources

in a timeless process much like life itself. one depar-

ture from our small band this month, however, leaves

a void that will not and cannot be filled by the next

tide. Prof. frank rhodes, perhaps more than any

other single individual, delivered the intellectual heft and detail necessary

to bring king Abdullah’s dream to life – to the vibrant, growing, ambitious

and productive institution we are all so privileged to be part of building. we

thank him, deeply and profoundly, for his humble, bountiful generosity, his

insight, and his courage in helping midwife kAUST into existence.

—The Beacon editorial

The Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 4, December 2011. Published by The Communications Department, King abdullah University of science and technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.Contact Salah Sindi salah.sindi@kaust.edu.sa, or Michelle D'Antoni michelle.dantoni@kaust.edu.sa © king Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Printed on partially recycled paper.

CorreCTIoN: The photo credit on page 3 of the November 2011

issue was incorrect. The correct credit goes to Paul Said ehrlich.

IN BrIef

hUman resoUrces DePartment

Visits maDa’in saLeh

DUrINg November, several hr employees and their

families enjoyed a weekend excursion to Saudi

Arabia’s first UNeSCo world heritage Site, Mada’in

Saleh. This pre-Islamic archeological site is home to

over 100 rock-cut Nabatean tombs and provided an

amazing experience to this group of 22 adults and

children. Traveling by car from kAUST, the group

witnessed panoramic views of varied sights, from

flat sand to rocky peaks, as well as wandering cam-

els (and baboons) of the desert to the city lights

of Madinah.

cLaUDe Lebet Visits KaUst

we were honored to welcome master craftsman

Claude Lebet, a Swiss luthier who works in rome,

who visited kAUST with his french wife Agnès

Trincal, herself a violinist. In a lecture about the art-

istry of string instruments, his joy and peace with

his chosen profession was evident as he spoke of

the attention to detail that fashioning or restoring

an instrument requires, handling the pieces with

all the loving care of a proud “father.” he spoke

of the many things that contribute to the unique

voice of an instrument. The age and the personal-

ity of the different flitches of maple and spruce he

selects with care and treasures for decades enrich

overtones and harmonics, while the lacquer veil,

which can comprise over 30 coats of a dedicated

varnish he develops himself, further determines

its ultimate potential. The tools and bottles on his

workbench seem hardly to have changed with the

centuries, yet Lebet actually uses the most up-to-

date imaging techniques and technology to assess,

for example, the extent of woodworm damage prior

to restoration. “I am working on one cello at the

moment which has taken over two years to restore

from its ravages. The best way to keep the worms

out is to play the instrument regularly - simulating

frequent earthquakes!”

Trincal showed the Beacon the latest “arrival:"

a recently completed violin, which she later played

publicly for the first time at the November com-

munity Joint Concert. Lebet’s minister father was

initially disappointed that his son didn’t follow in

his footsteps. In later life, referring to the sound

posts, the pegs of wood that transmit the sound

from one horizontal plate to the other and in Italian

referred to as the “anima” or spirit of the instru-

ment, he reflected that his son had the privilege of

being able “daily to touch the souls of those with

whom he worked.”

Analogies between the art of the luthier and the

creativity of the engineer were evident throughout

his lecture and visit, from the physical fundamen-

tals of understanding the production of the sound,

to the personal dedication required to ascend to the

top of the profession, to the sense of being part of a

centuries' old tradition and yet extending the field

with one’s own creativity.

JIM CALVIN | Continued from p.1

James calvin welcomes this breadth of responsibility that the new

role encompasses - one that includes academic affairs, Faculty affairs,

Graduate affairs and the University library, as well as the newer

international programs. When he sat down with The Beacon, he seemed

quietly confident that with the support of the provost, faculty, and staff,

he is well placed to be instrumental in the strengthening of the academic

and research consolidations already under way, helping to foster their

continuing evolution and development.

He looks to build on the sound foundations of academic affairs and

Faculty affairs in a process of evaluation and reflection to provide the

support and oversight that promotes growth and stability. Together with

his team, he plans to empower the faculty, students, and postdocs at the

University, aspiring to “allow them the opportunity to be the very best

that they can be…to fully embrace their vision, whatever that entails.”

last year, professor calvin presided over a reassessment of the require-

ments for master’s degrees. He expects to repeat the collaboration by

working with current faculty around phD award requirements this year.

He hopes to work with the evolving academic leadership and the existing

administrative structure in Faculty affairs to further develop the tools to

assess and sustain faculty with the due diligence and oversight that will

ensure consistency and rigor in the process.

prof. calvin sees Graduate affairs as “the lifeblood of the University

with a greatly expanded role here as they oversee housing and travel

matters unique to KaUST—they are so much more central to campus than

some would expect.” He feels that Graduate affairs, led by professor

Brian Moran, will build on the success they have enjoyed and he looks

forward to working closely with them as they look to attract students

of the very highest caliber. prof. calvin’s commitment, shared by prof.

catsicas and the rest of the University’s leadership, is that, as a recent

student poll confirmed, “students come first at KaUST.” The quality of

their lives on campus, both in and out of the classroom, is at the heart

of his mission.

prof. calvin is impressed by all that he sees happening within the

University library, under the able and visionary direction of Joe Branin,

providing “first class resources, a beautiful space, and a rich program

of training courses.” He is delighted to see its integration within the

Kingdom where it is making a valuable contribution and looks forward

to his own continuing involvement.

The international program is where some of prof. calvin’s energy will

be harvested as KaUST seeks to consolidate its current Dual program with

the Graduate University of the chinese academy of Sciences and the Joint

program with Technische Universität München (TU Munich). The goal of

the Dual program is to attract students of the highest caliber and of the

Joint program “to allow our students to fully experience working at an

institution in another country so that they return to KaUST scientifically

and culturally enriched, familiar with networking internationally.”

This is the first in a series of three articles featuring our new academic

vice presidents.

photo

by mich

elle d'An

ton

i

to build. We began our partnership aware of

the caliber of the faculty and staff and the

culture of the organization.” By 2015 SaBic

aims to recruit over 150 exceptional scien-

tists in diverse disciplines to the new center.

They will live and work on campus, aiming to

engage the broader KaUST research commu-

nity in horizontal research in which integrative

research questions are investigated by interdis-

ciplinary teams.

The relationship promises to be reciprocal.

SaBic has made a huge investment in the cRi,

which will focus on disruptive technologies

– defined as new technologies that unexpect-

edly displace established ones. in addition, it

will provide $1M annually to support post-

doctoral researchers with non-restricted

grants (see page 2) and is generously fund-

ing a new chair in polymer Science. Some of

the fellowships funded seem, at first glance,

outside SaBic’s obvious areas of commercial

interest - for example data-mining in com-

putational biology which Dr. Occhiello likens

to identifying the “needle in the haystack: the

exception in the broad sea of conformity." He

justifies this diversification believing that bio-

logical approaches may supersede chemical

processes in the future and looks to “the best

possible leveraging of the investment SaBic

is making.”

The company will fund several KaUST

researchers directly to focus on some of

the challenges that it faces including solar

energy, separation, catalysis, biorenewables,

and functional materials. Should

a KaUST researcher develop a

suitable technology, he or she

will personally be eligible for

a commercialization challenge

award of up to $1M from SaBic

at the point of commercialization.

Meanwhile the company seeks to

identify and nurture talent early

on by offering internships to

postgraduate students, facilitated

by the SaBic cRi presence at the

Research park.

SaBic is currently working

alongside University scientists

in catalysis, water reuse, flexible

electronics, and carbon sequestra-

tion using algae and has already

employed several KaUST postdocs

and several graduate master’s stu-

dents. president Shih thanked the

Vice-chairman and chief executive Officer,

Mohamed H al-Mady for “SaBic’s efforts to

strengthen the collaboration between the insti-

tutions in support of King abdullah’s bold

vision for research, education, innovation, and

economic development.

SABIC utilizes advanced computational methods in the design of its wide range of products

Dr. Ateieh Abu Raqabah General Manager of the Sabic CRI

Frank Rhodes

December 2011 The BeaconNews2

sabic post-doctorAl fellowship AwArds 2011

Winners

Dr. TAewoo ryU Korea | Computational Bioscience research Center“ transcriptomes sequencing of sponges and associated microbial communities”

Dr. khALID QUrAShI SaUDI araBIa | Clean Combustion research Center“ Fuel Formulation effects on the combustion characteristics of Diesel engine soot”

Dr. JohANNA Beyer aUStrIa | Geometric Modeling and Scientific Visualization Center“ Distributed Visual computing on gPU clusters for neuroscience connectomics research”

Dr. MIAo SUN ChIna | Catalysis research Center“ activation & Functionalization of methane over Well-Defined grafted complexes”

Dr. MAMooN rAShID InDIa | Computational Bioscience research Center“creation of a high-throughput snP-DiscoveryPlatform for the indian White Prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus)”

Dr. eLIzABeTh TyLer UnIteD KInGDoM | red Sea research Center“ movement ecology of red sea reef Fishes”

Dr. ALI IDrIS USa | Chemical and Life Sciences and engineering Division“ molecular characterization of begomoviruses and related satellites in the Kingdom of saudi arabia”

Dr. MIN yooN USa | Water Desalination and reuse Center“ oxidation-aquifer recharge and recovery (arr) hybrid Process for Wastewater reclamation/reuse”

Dr. zhoNghAI zhANg ChIna | Water Desalination and reuse Center“ organic Dye Decomposition on clay under Visible Light irradiation”

Dr. LUke ThoMPSoN USa | red Sea research Center“ adaptation of marine cyanobacteria to Possible global Warming scenarios”

Dr. hAILIN DoNg ChIna | Catalysis research Center“ surface organometallic chemistry of niobium”

Dr. SToITChko kALeNDerSkI BULGarIa | Physical Sciences and engineering Division“ ocean-atmosphere modeling and Data assimilation for the red sea region”

Dr. yIN CheN ChIna | Catalysis research Center“ oligomerisation of ethylene with supported ta organometallic complexes”

Dr. yULIA MeDVeDeVA rUSSIa | Computational Bioscience research Center“ enzyme Discovery from microbiome studies of the red sea”

Dr. ISSAM gereIge FranCe | Solar and alternative energy engineering research Center“ assessment and optimization of sabic Plastic substrates for Flexible electronics and Photovolatics applications”

THe General Manager of the SaBic center for Research and

innovation, Dr. atieh abu Raqabah, spoke earlier this year of

SaBic’s “opportunity to link (its) scientists with knowledge-bro-

kers here at KaUST …to buoy our company’s long-held belief in

open innovation.” He looks forward to “encouraging innovation

and creativity in the name of progress and science."

He explained that the company has evolved since it was

founded by Royal Decree in 1976 to convert the by-products of

oil into useful polymers, chemicals, and fertilizers, to become

one of the most successful chemical companies in the world.

at that time, it lacked the knowledge necessary to develop its

own technology; it has since become a global corporation with

a strong technology and innovation network consisting of 16

technology and material application centers worldwide, backed

by 7,000 global patents. The cRi will be the fourth in Saudi

arabia, developing new competencies and for the first time will

be training both men and women in the Kingdom.

He reflected on what SaBic has already achieved at KaUST as

an actively engaged Strategic partner with the KaUST industrial

collaboration program (Kicp) since 2009. events have included

symposia, roundtable discussions and career days, confirming

SaBic’s commitment to science, research, and progress.

natural gas (mostly methane) contains up to 10% of large

hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butane. Once

removed from the methane, these valuable chemicals must

then be separated. currently, this is done by cryogenic distil-

lation in a very energy- and capital-intensive process.

KaUST’s Zhiping lai, assistant professor of chemical

and Biological engineering and Yichang pan, a postdoctoral

scientist in his group, have recently developed a porous mem-

brane, the first that can efficiently separate c2 and c3 mixtures

based on a molecular sieving effect. The membrane is highly

selective and can also be used to separate many other indus-

trially important mixtures such as propylene/propane. Their

work was published recently in the prestigious Royal Society

of chemistry journal, chemical communications.

eNergy SAVINg MeMBrANe for The ProCeSSINg of NATUrAL gAS

SABIC 3December 2011www.kaust.edu.sa

SABIC | Continued from p.1

The KaUST 2012 Winter enrichment program

(Wep) will be held January 14-29, 2012 with

a special opening evening on January 13.

Wep aims to broaden our intellectual hori-

zons and stretch our collective imaginations.

Through an expansive offering of courses,

workshops, lectures, and cultural and recrea-

tional activities, Wep is a time to discover

new fields of interest and to be inspired.

KeYnote speakers

The 2012 Wep keynote lectures include:

Jane Goodall, primatologist

Robert Swann, arctic and antarctic explorer

Professor Rolf Heuer, experimental particle physicist and Director of ceRn

Bertrand Piccard, initiator and president of the Solar impulse project

Zahi Hawass, renowned egyptian archaeologist

Be prepared to get excited with the third edi-

tion of Wep and be on campus from January

14-29.

The program committee received over 180

wonderful proposals from faculty, staff, and stu-

dents. We thank you for your active support of

Wep! The resulting Wep 2012 schedule reflects

our community's diversified global network of

partners and incredible expertise.

There are undoubtedly courses, lectures,

workshops, and other special events that will

interest you. Use the program to broaden your

horizons and expand your cultural perspectives.

This is also your opportunity to interact directly

with eminent guests and experts in the relaxed

and lively atmosphere of Wep.

Be sure to take full advantage of all that the

program has to offer. Be part of this enriching

and engaging adventure that Wep represents for

the community.

Make the very most of Wep 2012!

— James A. Calvin

To celebrate the collaboration between the two universities, KaUST and Technische Universität

München (TUM), Wep is organizing a special musical event. TUM musicians will join with mem-

bers of our KaUST chamber Orchestra to present a concert conducted by the TUM orchestra:

Felix Mayer. They will play Handel and Mozart, as well as a composition by egyptian ali J. Racy,

professor of ethnomusicology at Ucla in the US.

The TUM musicians will be on campus for three days to engage with our KaUST musicians and

perform several concerts. TUM musicians who are also scientists will be available to meet with pro-

fessors and graduate students.

JAnuARy 14-15: CliMAte CHAnGe SyMPoSiuM

leading scientists from the US, europe, and KSa will talk about the most compelling envi-

ronmental and climate problems in a climate change Symposium, conducted by KaUST

professor, Georgiy l Stenchikov. among the invitees are prof. Ramaswamy, Director of the

nOaa Geophysical Fluid Dynamics laboratory; prof. colin Jones, Director of the Rossby center

in Sweden; prof. Hans F. Graf of cambridge University; Dr. Kenneth pickering, naSa Goddard

Space Flight center; prof. Javier Diez, Rutgers University; and prof. Mansour almazroui,

Director of the centre of excellence for climate change Research at King abdulaziz University.

contact: georgiy.stenchikov@kaust.edu.sa

JAnuARy 21-22: SuStAinABle eneRGy foR All SyMPoSiuM

This workshop is dedicated to the established and emerging energy technologies expected to

power our future. it is the University’s celebration of the United nations General assembly’s

designation of 2012 as the international Year of Sustainable energy for all.

The following speakers and talks have been confirmed:

• prof. Muhammed elSayed (University of Wisconsin), advanced nuclear Systems

• Jan Korsgaard (london array Off-shore Wind Farm), Off-shore Windmill installation

• prof. Bruce logan (penn State University), Bioelectrochemical Technologies for Sustainable

energy

• prof. largus angenent (cornell University), Biomass to Fuel

• prof. Korneel Rabaey (Ghent University, Belgium), Microbial electrosynthesis

• prof. Bill Koros (Georgia Tech), engineered Membranes and Sorbents for

Sustainable processes

contact: craig.werner@kaust.edu.sa

JAnuARy 18: SCienCe fun fAiR

This event aims to bring science and scientists out of the lab to meet the younger members of

our wider community and other young guests, celebrating science by showcasing a series of

experiments and demos. The target audience is 8th-12th graders, from KaUST, Thuwal, and

Jeddah schools.

We encourage you to participate in this exciting Wep event to inspire young minds to turn

towards science. if you have an experiment you would like to showcase, please submit ideas for

experiments that could be shared with attendees as part of Wep 2012 or volunteer to be a group

leader to guide guests during the Science Fun Fair. The best experiments will be awarded valu-

able prizes (ipads).

contact: mohamed.bouhrara@kaust.edu.sa

WoMen in SCienCe leCtuRe SeRieS

Several renowned female scientists will talk about what motivated them to choose a career

in science, sharing their experiences and their current work. Subjects include Genomics

(Dr. Tramontano, Sapienza – Università di Roma), paleontology (Dr. patricia Rich, Monash

University), Business (Ms. Renjifo, Bayer aG) and the HiV/aiDS program in Saudi arabia (Ms.

Sana Filimban). Drs. najah ashry and Suzana nunes from KaUST will introduce the lectures

and the day will close with pioneer primatologist and keynote speaker, Dr. Jane Goodall.

contact: suzana.nunes@kaust.edu.sa

in July 1960, at just 26,

Jane Goodall traveled from

england to what is today

Tanzania and bravely entered

the little-known world of

wild chimpanzees. She was

equipped with nothing more

than a notebook and a pair

of binoculars. But with her

unyielding patience and char-

acteristic optimism, she won

the trust of these initially

shy creatures. She managed

to open a window into their

sometimes strange and often

familiar-seeming lives. The

public was fascinated and

remains so to this day. Today,

Jane’s work revolves around

inspiring action on behalf of

endangered species, particu-

larly chimpanzees.

in her talk entitled Making

a Difference , Dr. Goodall

will provide insight into the

person behind the globe-

trotting international icon:

a Un Messenger of peace,

Dame of the British empire,

and the subject of count-

less articles and television

programs around the world.

www.janegoodall.org

Robert charles Swan, OBe,

FRGS reached the South pole

in 1986 in a three-year expedi-

tion entitled in the Footsteps of

Scott and walked to the north

pole in 1989 with a small

international team. at just 33,

he became the first person in

history to walk to both poles.

Robert saw first hand the

effects of climate change and

ozone depletion and these

expeditions served highlight

the reality of a global climate

disturbance for the first time.

Jacques cousteau and Sir peter

Scott (founder of the World

Wildlife Fund), two expedition

patrons asked Robert to use his

story to highlight the plight of

the antarctic. So Swan began a

50-year mission to inspire the

youth of our planet, in the hope

that by 2041 the protection of

this last great wilderness on

earth will be protected for gen-

erations to come.

Robert Swan has an extraor-

dinary ability to inspire those

he meets, particularly young

people, to act. His presenta-

tion promises both to thrill and

to engage.

Winter enrichment Program (WeP)20122012message From the VP for education sPeciaL eVents

tUm orchestra/KaUst performance

Jane gooDaLL

robert charLes sWan

mark your calendars!

December 2011 The BeaconWinter Enrichment Program4

Wep has invited two experts in east

africa’s most popular contemporary art style -

Tingatinga. a stylized and elaborate art form,

Tingatinga paintings are often surreal and usu-

ally depict natural objects, such as flowers,

animals, savannah vegetation, fruits and plants,

and mountains, especially Mount Kilimanjaro in

Tanzania. The artists Juma and Mshana, sons of

the renowned Tingatinga painter the late David

Mzuguno, will give several workshops and

exhibit their work on campus.

Other noteworthy cultural events during Wep

include a calligraphy workshop, violin and

piano classes, drawing classes, lunchtime lan-

guage tables, and lectures on storytelling and

fiction writing. Makha Diop from Senegal will

be offering drumming classes for the first time.

These will culminate in a performance at the

closing Gala when Makha will perform with his

two brothers, arboury and Medoune Diop.

Stay tuned!

The Wep Film Festival will showcase more than 15 fascinating documentaries and feature

films covering a range of relevant scientific, technological, and environmental topics. Don’t

miss featured events with filmmakers on campus!

Films will be screened at the cinema in Discovery Square and at the Watersports center.

contact: Patricia.Birkett@kaust.edu.sa

For questions or suggestions please email

“as a female arab leader I’m proud to see diversity and inclusion in the heart of KaUST agenda

in parallel to science and building knowledge. I am honored to be part of the journey.” i. Kadri.

“Thank you is a small word for what I feel to have been lucky enough to be part of the WeP

2011… I liked the passion of the students and the determination of the staff. Go on, this is how

the West was won!” B. Bonnell.

“The event was very inspiring and experience building. Thanks for caring for entrepreneurs in

KSa and may it be a step in our road to success.” a. T. Jaymal

“Thank you for a fantastic experience and opportunity to meet students and colleagues.

So interesting. The WeP truly enriches all who participate. My best wishes for the year to

come…” c. newman

“The students are a refreshing mix of different backgrounds, nationalities, and disciplines with

a shared interest on curiosity in a rather unusual direction of work (…). Teaching on WeP class

(together) actually ended up teaching us a lot and helped us understand each other better” c. S.

H. nUS & HKUST

course highlights

Pro

gram

hig

hLi

ghts

cULtUraL highLights

WeP Film Festival 2012

What some WeP 2011 speakers said…

A ModeRn MAtHeMAtiCAl VieW of An unCeRtAin WoRld

Today, the rapid development of computer hardware allows us to make computational predic-

tions of more and more complex phenomena. How reliable are these predictions? can we trust

them? Uncertainty quantification (UQ) addresses this issue from mathematical and computational

perspectives.

a plenary session with a series of three lectures from world-class researchers will take place,

presenting the application of UQ in different areas of sciences and engineering. The lectures will

introduce a general audience to the world of UQ and will demonstrate its significance in real world

applications.

CHeCkinG out tHe Red SeA ReefS

The Red Sea harbors one of the most fascinating coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Many people

at KaUST are enthusiastic recreational divers but may not have had the chance to learn about

what coral reefs actually comprise and why they are so important.

in a course led by KaUST postdoctoral fellow, Dr. cornelia Roder, Wep is offering to familiarize

marine biology students or other interested recreational divers (no biology background needed) with

the local coral reefs. The course will include one general lecture on coral reef eco-systems (open

to everyone) and an underwater reef check workshop comprising a one-day classroom theory ses-

sion and three days of field diving (two snorkeling trips and one diving trip) to experience marine

biology and coral reef monitoring firsthand. participants will evaluate the health of two reefs (one

impacted, one pristine) using the Reef check method and by comparing the two reefs will discuss

why and how such differences can develop and what the community can do to protect Red Sea reefs.

1. tHe CoRnell entRePReneuRSHiP PRoGRAM*, JAnuARy 14-20

in an ongoing partnership with cornell University’s Johnson School of Management, The committee

is pleased to offer members of the KaUST community a certificate program in entrepreneurship.

This course is limited to 35 participants who will gain exposure to the art of entrepreneurship and

will be able to practice skills in developing and presenting business plans, negotiating deals, and

pitching ideas.

2. MAnAGinG teAMS foR innoVAtion And SuCCeSS*, JAnuARy 21-23

This popular three-day program is led by Margaret neale from the Stanford Graduate School of

Business, and Gregory northcraft, Dean of Faculty at the college of Business at illinois. The course

approaches team building at the strategic level. participants evaluate not only the structure and

management of high performance teams but also whether it is appropriate to use teams or indi-

viduals to most effectively accomplish a given goal. participants explore team dynamics from the

perspectives of both team leaders and team members to build a deeper understanding of the impli-

cations of management decisions. This course is limited to 25 participants.

3. GloBAl SAleS StRAteGieS foR AMBitiouS teCH entRePReneuRS*, JAnuARy 28-29

This exciting two-day sales seminar will be led by Kenneth p. Morse, (chair in entrepreneurship,

innovation and competitiveness - Delft University of Technology; Visiting professor - eSaDe

Business School; Founding Managing Director - MiT entrepreneurship center) and is aimed at

the KaUST community as well as invited ceOs and senior sales executives from innovative, fast-

growing, technology-based companies in the University’s Kicp network. The seminar features case

studies and lectures, interactive discussions, participant presentations, “hands-on” exercises, and

the opportunity to practice “elevator sales pitches” to potential customers. This course is limited to

25 participants.

*admission to these highly interactive courses will be based on the applicant’s demonstrated academic achievements, notable experience, leadership and decision-making abilities, and outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. The application deadline is December 20.

For more information on or application details for any of the three courses described above,

please email Faran Siddiqi at faran.siddiqi@kaust.edu.sa

nAnoSAtellite deVeloPMent WoRkSHoP (AluMnuS-led)

in this rapid-prototyping workshop led by Jack cackler, you can learn how to build a satellite

from scratch, and it will actually be launched into orbit. Students taking the seminars will learn

the requisite technology required for software programming, electrical design, hardware

assembly, orbital mechanics, and radio communications. The exercise will

culminate in a high-altitude weather balloon launch where

students will get to test their equipment at over 30

km in the stratosphere. These satellites build

off of Google android smartphones, and

all the software is open-source.

Students from all divisions

are welcome to attend.

contactwep@kaust.edu.sa

December 2011www.kaust.edu.sa 5Winter Enrichment Program

leg 2 of the KaUST Red Sea expedition (KRSe) came back on

October 29. “everything went really smoothly and according to

plan,” commented Tyas Hikmawan, a student from professor

Ulrich Stingl’s group. “i have some great data for my phD.”

The leg was “a tremendous success for all participating groups

and we have collected a huge amount of very high-quality sam-

ples,” explained Dr. andre antunes, chief Scientist on the leg and

a postdoctoral fellow from prof. Stingl’s group. “Sample processing

and cultivation experiments started while we were still onboard,”

Dr. antunes continued. “it is crucial to provide the appropriate

conditions and nutrients to prevent losing some of the most inter-

esting microbes. However, no matter how careful you are with the

sampling, you will always end up losing some as the conditions in

a contained space are very different from those which the microbes

are used to in their natural deep-sea environments.”

For Daniela catania, a master’s student from professor Michael

Berumen’s group, “the two weeks just flew past, it was so

busy.” The KaUST team alternated sampling with the american

University of cairo team, but at the last brine pool, the atlantis

II Deep, KaUST scientists spent three days working non-stop.

“We had a great time, even if it was hard work,” remarked Dr.

antunes. “i wanted to keep collecting additional samples instead

of coming back.”

professor Stein Kaartvedt and

his team returned on november

18 at the end of leg 3 of the KRSe

tired but satisfied. “The infrastructure

for the acoustic studies was excellent so we could see the distri-

bution and movement of the fish clearly,” said prof. Kaartvedt.

“We found that there is a huge difference in the depths that the

fish visit during the day and the night, and some even swim

down to 1200-1400m in the daytime. as these fish are light-

sensitive, it suggests that light penetrates to great depths in the

clear Red Sea waters.”

During the cruise, the scientists caught fish in order to find out

what they eat, as one part of their work. “The fish have since been

frozen and we will analyze their stomach contents,” explained

eivind Dypvik, a student in prof. Kaartvedt’s group who is study-

ing lantern fishes for his phD. “For me, seeing the first lantern

fish catch was the best part.” The team also obtained zooplank-

ton samples for analysis. perdana Karim, like Dypvik, has similar

research plans except his phD project is focused on pearlside

fishes, which live in shallower waters than lantern fishes.

The team also used the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to

examine the brine pool interfaces and record videos. “it’s amaz-

ing! i’ve been working with these environments for ten years and

it’s the first time i’ve actually seen them,” enthused Dr. antunes.

“it was like watching a live video stream of an adventure into an

unknown world,” Karim added. They were presented with very

different scenes at the two brine pools surveyed. “at Kebrit Deep,

we saw fish and a dense layer of plankton at the interface. This

brine pool seems to support life in the water column above it,”

said prof. Kaartvedt. “But at atlantis II Deep, perhaps because

the environment is too extreme, we did not see any macrofauna

whatsoever.”

leg 3 has contributed significantly to prof. Kaartvedt’s research.

“By and large, i am very happy with this trip,” commented prof.

Kaartvedt. “and the next time, we will know a little more and will

be able to go one step further.”

The aegaeo returned to KaUST after an eight-day exploration at

a cold seep site. Unlike the deep brine pools visited in legs 2 and

3, the brine at this site forms a very shallow pool (< 1m deep)

sitting at around 850m below the surface of the sea.

KaUST collaborators professor pei Yuan Qian, Mr. Yue Him

Wong, and Mr. cyril lai from Hong Kong University of Science

and Technology (HKUST) collected a variety of water, sediment,

and animal samples during the cruise. They plan to carry out

a variety of analyses on the samples in a collaborative effort

between prof. Qian’s group at HKUST, professor Timothy Ravasi

and professor christian Voolstra’s groups together with the

coastal and Marine Resources core lab at KaUST.

The ROV was used to survey the seafloor around the cold seep

brine. “There was a distinct, foggy layer of dust at the brine-sea-

water interface,” recalled a cruise participant. “We saw sponges,

sea urchins, starfish, and clams at the edge of the brine and a lot

of organisms, like small sharks, shrimps, and eels diving into the

brine layer but exiting swiftly.”

latterly, the team managed to collect some 28 individual

sponges, in addition to tubeworms, clams, sea urchins, and a

starfish. “We were surprised that the biggest sponge collected

was only 4.7x3x2cm,” said prof. Ravasi. “in the pictures that

we have of them from last year’s expedition, they looked bigger

than my fist.” prof. Ravasi’s group has been working on Red Sea

sponge diversity and their associated bacteria. “We can compare

our results from the sponges found in shallow waters (about 20m

depth) to those collected on this expedition to be analyzed by

prof. Qian’s group,” explained Ms. emily Giles, lab Manager of

prof. Ravasi’s group.

although neither Ms. Giles nor Dr. cornelia Roder, postdoctoral

fellow of prof. Voolstra’s group were able to join the expedition

as planned, they are nevertheless excited to be able to collaborate

with prof. Qian’s group in the near future to reveal the expedition

findings. as Dr. Roder put it, “The most important thing is that

we have the samples.”

The KRSe is concluding with leg 5, enabling a pioneering, sys-

tematic study of the seafloor at 50-300m deep—specifically

looking for deep-sea corals. “We want to know where corals

stop,” said prof. Berumen, who is heading this study. “Scuba

diving takes us down to about 50m, and people usually go much

deeper with submarines. The region between 50 and 300m is one

where people just don’t look very often.”

The ROV will be used to survey and sample the seafloor. “We

will start from what we know, about 50m deep, and move along

the seafloor,” explained Jessica Bouwmeester, a phD student from

prof. Berumen’s group and team leader of leg 5. “as long as we

find corals, we will keep going deeper.” For Bouwmeester, the

cruise is “a great opportunity that not everyone gets” and she is

very excited to get up ‘close and personal’ with the ROV that she

has learned so much about. another student from prof. Berumen’s

group, Mehreen Mughal, will be onboard to help out and this will

be her “first cruise ever.”

prof. Voolstra and Dr. Roder, together with prof. Berumen, will

also explore to depths of nearly 1000m for another type of coral.

“Deep-water coral reefs worldwide have so far only been found

in cool water,” said Dr. Roder. “if such reefs are discovered in the

warm Red Sea waters, it will be interesting to see how they differ

in diversity and physiology from the cold water reefs.”

The aegaeo set off for leg 5 on november 30 and is scheduled

to return on December 16.

leg 2

leg 3 leg 4

leg 5

kAust 2011 red seA expedition

Leg 3, Day 3: Flushing the multinet after sampling

Red Sea skinnycheek lanternfish >

Leg 3, Day 3: Retrieving the Hamburg Plankton Net after trawling

Sponge samples collected on Leg 4

Sponge samples collected on Leg 4

Leg 3 Team

Leg 2 Team

Leg 3, Day 6: Sunset over the Red Sea

leg 3 ph

otos pro

vided

by eivind

dypvik And

perdAn

A kArim

leg 4 photos provided by emily giles

leg 2 photos (including november beAcon) provided by dAnielA cAtAniA

Red Sea Research6 December 2011 The Beacon

the kAust school 2nd grAders visit rsrc the kAust school 2nd grAders visit rsrc

The dazzling white sands of south pacific beaches are largely due

to the activities of the larger species of parrotfish, of which some

can exceed 1m in length. They remove up to 5 tonnes of both

live and dead corals from reef systems each year, excreting it as

sediment. By removing live coral of the faster growing species,

the slower growing corals seem better able to survive by taking

over the available space, and so coral diversity is encouraged.

parrotfish activity is not only important for the replenishment and

recovery of corals, but both small and large species can prevent

algae from choking coral by their grazing. in lightly fished loca-

tions parrotfish can completely graze each square meter of reef

every 18 days, and in doing so remove up to 40kg of sediment

from each square meter per year.

a paper published in the Proceedings of The Royal Society in

november, with KaUST co-author Dr. andrew Hoey, discusses the

estimated rates of important ecosystem processes on coral reefs

across the indian and pacific Oceans in response to human fishing

activity. Rates of bioerosion and coral predation by parrotfishes are

highly sensitive to human activity being almost lost at population

densities above 16 individuals per square kilometer, while grazing

and sediment removal appear resilient to fishing. This is because

large-bodied species are particularly attractive to fishermen, and

lightly fished locations were shown to have more than 50 times the

biomass of large fishes compared to overfished locations.

These results offer new insights into the vulnerability and resil-

ience of coral reefs to the ever-growing human footprint. “We can

still find some of the larger parrotfishes on Saudi arabia's Red Sea

reefs.” affirmed Dr. Hoey, “On a recent trip to offshore reefs in

the al lith region, i regularly saw Bolbometopon muricatum (green

humphead parrotfish) up to 1.3m in length but this does not justify

complacency. These and other large parrotfish are regularly seen in

local fish markets. There is a real threat that the Red Sea reefs will

follow the demise we have documented across many indo-pacific

reefs. as part of my postdoctoral fellowship, i have been document-

ing the role of parrotfishes on reefs in the Red Sea to see if they

display parallels with those of other regions in the world.”

last month, over 60 excited and engaged Grade 2 students

visited the Red Sea Research center in an event organized and

coordinated by postdoc Manuel aranda. There were stations

covering four Red Sea related topics and each child attended

every station as part of a smaller group so that they could par-

ticipate in a hands-on way.

fISh (LeD By PhD STUDeNT, JeSSIe CoChrAN)Jessie’s enthusiasm for the sharks he is studying was clear

as he used tiny milk sharks (less than a year old evidenced by

their umbilical scar) and a larger white tip shark to explain the

anatomy and physiology of fish. The students were able to feel

the tiny, sharp teeth of the milk sharks (so called because they

were thought to be a superfood for nursing mothers) and saw

the “electronic” gel in the sharks’ pores. They learned that sharks

use this gel to sense the heartbeats of their prey at one mil-

lionth of a volt, and that they can smell tiny amounts of blood

equivalent to a drop in a swimming pool. When a reef shark is

dissected, its age can be determined by counting the number of

rings in its spinal vertebra in a similar way that the age of trees

is deduced. Jessie explained that if a shark stops swimming, it

sinks to the bottom. “So how do they sleep?” asked a student.

Jessie explained that it is thought that they just rest one hemi-

sphere of the brain at a time. “if we need to take blood,” he

explained, “we turn the shark upside-down and it goes to sleep!”

CorAL (LeD By MANUeL ArANDA) at the coral station, the students were amazed to learn that

“coral is an animal” and that the fragments they were handling

were “just the skeleton!”. They learned of the coral polyps that

use the pores in the skeleton as home, herding algae “like cattle”

as their food and only waving their tentacles to collect necessary

small amounts of proteins and minerals to feed their symbiotic

friends. They heard about crabs, which may fiercely defend the

corals from nibbling fish. The students helped to extract Dna

from a mashed strawberry – its strands visible to the naked eye

after just a few minutes.

PLANkToN (LeD By rSrC DIreCTor Prof XABIer IrIgoIeN)

at the plankton station, the students used a microscope to

see these tiny sea creatures clearly, commenting “they look too

pretty to eat!”. They saw video footage of some extraordinary

creatures invisible to the naked eye and learned how important

plankton is as a food to many fish both large and small.

SCUBA DIVINg (LeD By PhD STUDeNT, PeDro De LA Torre)

The students enjoyed learning about how humans could

breathe and cope with the pressure of the water above them as

they explored underwater and were able to try the scuba diving

gear. Throughout the visit, the students were busy drawing what

they saw and taking notes from the talks.

On their way back to the classroom, they collected seawater

from the dock for some in-house experiments. What an amazing

opportunity our KaUST School enjoyed!

remArkAble pArrot fish

Bolbometopon muricatum also known locally as "buffalo fish" because of their tendency

to travel in herds

photo

s provid

ed by d

erek hAlverso

n

photo

s provid

ed by m

ichAel beru

men

December 2011Research 7www.kaust.edu.sa

Special events are planned for degree candidates and their fami-

lies during the week of commencement. campus tours are being

conducted for visiting families, and rehearsals and receptions are

planned for degree candidates to prepare for and celebrate this

important occasion.

The commencement ceremony will be held at the Discovery

Walk Spine on the afternoon of Friday, December 16. This invita-

tion-only event will be followed by a reception for graduates and

their invited friends and family at the University library.

On the day of the ceremony, access to the academic campus will

be restricted to those who have an invitation and valid KaUST

iD or commencement Guest iD. additionally, several academic

buildings will be closed. please note that from 1:00 – 7: 00 p.m.

the shuttle bus service to the administration Building will be sus-

pended and the campus Diner will be closed.

campus Tours for Visiting Families will take place on December

13, 14, and 15. please visit the Student center (building 18) for

more details.

Matjar is the University’s souvenir and gift store, located near

the Student center. Hours of operation will be extended during

the week of commencement:

Tuesday, December 13 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 14 from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 15 from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Friday, December 16 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

For more information about events and details

about commencement, visit

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/student_services/commencement.html

or use your mobile device to scan the QR code below:

THe engaging Dehwah brothers, ahmad and abdullah, have

always been close and it was no surprise to their family when

abdullah, younger by a year, followed in his brother’s footsteps

and came to study at KaUST ahmad, one of the founding class, is

pursuing a phD in electrical

engineering and currently

working with prof.

christian claudel on

a pilot project that

aims to serve

the Kingdom

o f S a u d i

arabia by the early detection of flooding and traffic congestion.

On the other hand, abdullah -inspired by what he learned when

he arrived - changed the focus of his master’s from industrial sys-

tems engineering to environmental science and engineering soon

after his arrival here. abdullah has been motivated by his professor

Thomas Missimer and currently working with him in developing

sustainable and economic intake system for sea water desalina-

tion in the Red Sea coastal line. Sons of a professor of structural

engineering at King Fahd University of petroleum and Minerals

(KFUpM), where they both studied as undergraduates, ahmad and

abdullah were drawn to the University by its “attitudes and aims

and its excellent professors,” attracted by the idea of campus life

in an “atmosphere that nurtures study.” evidently attached to one

another, the brothers were born in Saudi arabia and raised in the

eastern province in a close-knit intellectual family; their faces light

up as they speak fondly of a father who always encouraged their

studies. They continue to seek his wisdom and count him their

"number one mentor and advisor.” Discussing their future plans

with the relaxed intimacy of siblings, each “looks forward to mak-

ing significant contributions in his chosen field.”

WHen noura Shehab won second prize in

an international competition, her thoughts

were not just those of pride in her own

achievement. She told The Beacon, “i

would like to encourage all those studying

in Saudi arabia and the arab world and

say, ‘Yes, we can!’ and to my fellow stu-

dents here at KaUST, ‘We are KaUST-ians.

Of course we can!’”

Born and raised in Jeddah and a gradu-

ate of King abdulaziz University, noura

competed with over 730 students from the

Mena, Gcc countries, india, and pakistan

in the 2011 Siemens Student award, win-

ning a cash prize and an internship at

Siemens. She was the only student from

Saudi representing The Kingdom. Students

were asked, “How can you build a sustain-

able city in the desert?”

noura's desert city capitalizes on many of

the natural resources that such an environ-

ment offers: sun, sand, and wastewater. She

combines a portfolio of elements around a

three-chambered microbial fuel cell that

not only produces electricity, but also

uses novel membranes to simultaneously

recycle wastewater for irrigation purposes

and desalinate salt and brackish water for

drinking water. This builds on a recently

developed bioelectrochemical system called

a microbial desalination fuel cell (MDc),

which uses microorganisms to catalyze the

oxidation of biodegradable materials in the

anode chamber and delivers electrons to

the anode (see Fig. 1). These electrons can

be captured for direct energy generation,

such as current or hydrogen gas produc-

tion, or used to remediate groundwater

contaminants. This system has significant

advantages over traditional desalination

processes, such as reverse osmosis or elec-

trodialysis because it is powered

by renewable resources (waste-

water). Water for household

consumption in the model city

would be further cleaned using

a small-scale concrete bio-sand

filter for household use compris-

ing a column with different sand

and stone layers. Treated waste-

water from MDc moves down

through the filter using gravity;

microorganisms in the biolayer consume

contaminants in the supernatant and upper

layer of the sand bed while adsorption and

settling of contaminants occur in the lower

layer of the sand bed. additionally, it is

proposed to heat water with solar energy

with individual panel owners accountable

for the amount of power used within each

household.

noura works in the Water Desalination

and Reuse center where her co-advisors

are assistant professor pascal Saikaly

and center Director Gary amy. in her

undergraduate degree she majored in

microbiology, her master’s at KaUST was

in environmental engineering, and her

phD focuses on integrating science and

engineering such as Microbial Fuel cells

and Microbial Desalination cells.

KaUST’s location on the shores of the Red Sea is enviable and

for the many people who work here, its proximity to Makkah

and Madinah is a great privilege. This is especially so at the time

of the annual hajj – literally the “resolve to set out for a sacred

place,” when people of all nationalities and races to gather at

Makkah. it fulfills one of the five pillars of islam – a spiritual,

physical, and emotional journey required of every able-bodied

Muslim once in a lifetime. The sacred mosque that currently

holds up to 730 thousand pilgrims is being expanded to increase

its capacity to 2.5 million.

The months of careful preparation that precede a hajj visit

ensure that a visitor approaches this spiritual summit with the

modesty and humility manifest in the unstitched ihram worn

with simple sandals, so that no individual is distinguishable from

another in terms of earthly wealth.

in what is perhaps the world’s most astonishing logistical

peacetime enterprise, no fewer than 2,927,717 including the

very young, elderly, and the infirm, had all their needs met for

the average five-day stay. at peak times, airplanes arrive every

minute at King abdulaziz international airport in Jeddah, while

other pilgrims arrive by sea and over land.

One returning visitor from KaUST explained that as one among

such a multitude, when patience and compassion is inevitably

tested, each pilgrim “becomes aware of their individual insignifi-

cance” and begins to consider their earthly legacy. “i realized that

in the greater scheme of things, i was but a dot in the whole equa-

tion,” explained Roshida abdullah an employee from economic

Development, “and it made me focus on what i will want to leave

behind from this life.” Muhammad Usman, a master’s stu-

dent in applied Math, found the time he spent in prayer

and contemplation at Mount arafat “particularly special.”

Mr. Mutleb al Shammeri, a senior administrator at

KaUST, was among this year’s visitors after a gap of a

quarter of a century. He was reminded of the extraordinary

diversity of the hajj, which he sees reflected by the KaUST

family, in “the acceptance of one another, the sharing of

soil and water, of the spirit of helping on another in the face

of tremendous language barriers.” He was impressed by the

technological advances he saw including the al Mashaaer al

Muqaddassah Metro, a fully automatic 18km long elevated

railway that transports pilgrims between holy sites and is

able to transport over 72,000 pilgrims an hour. Similarly, he

thought that the ability to react to the needs of an individual

using zoned cameras and geocoding was an impressive opera-

tion. He was delighted to chance upon an international group

of “Messengers of peace” – scouts who had been at the camp

in Thuwal in October and who remembered their visit to KaUST

with warmth.

The University’s Government affairs (Ga) ensured that some

235 of the KaUST family were able to participate, making the

process as smooth as possible in order not to detract from the

significance of the experience. Ga worked closely with the hajj

participants, the Ministry of Hajj, and hajj campaign agencies

so that practical details did not interfere with the spiritual focus

of the event. “Ga’s attention to detail was absolutely amazing,”

commented one returning pilgrim.

the brothers dehwAh

kAust group visits mAkkAh for hAjj

commencement 2011

Fig. 1

AccolAde

December 2011 The BeaconCommunity8

www.kaust.edu.sa

December 2011 / Muharram 1433 Volume 2, Issue No.4

King Abdullah University of Science and Technologyat Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

املنارةأكدت الشركة السعودية للصناعات األساسية

“سابك” عزمها على متويل العديد من الباحثني يف جامعة امللك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية مباشرة من

أجل الرتكيز على بعض التحديات اليت تواجهها مثل تطبيقات الطاقة الشمسية وعمليات الفرز والتحفيز

الكيميائي واملواد البيولوجية القابلة للتجديد واملواد اليت تقوم بوظائف حمددة.

وذكرت الشركة أنه يف حالة قيام أحد الباحثني يف اجلامعة بتطوير تقنية مناسبة فسوف يكون لذلك

الباحث احلق يف “جائزة التحدي للتطبيق التجاري”، واليت تصل قيمتها إىل مليون دوالر مقدمة من شركة

سابك عند استغالل التقنية جتاريا. وحىت ذلك الوقت تسعى الشركة للتعرف واستكشاف املواهب يف

وقت مبكر من خالل عرض فرص التدريب للطالب اخلرجيني بعد إقامة مركزها لألحباث واالبتكار يف

اجلامعة والذي تعمل على إنشائه حاليًا.

ويرى الدكتور أيرنستو أوجيلو، نائب الرئيس التنفيذي للتقنية واالبتكار يف سابك، أن أعظم التحديات

املؤسساتية اليت تواجه جامعة امللك عبداهلل يف سبيل حتقيق رؤيتها يف أن تكون أداة للنمو االقتصادي

للمملكة يف املستقبل وبالتايل تعزيز حتقيق حلم مؤسسها خادم احلرمني الشريفني امللك عبداهلل بن

عبدالعزيز، “ستكمن يف أن تغدو جامعة ضاربة اجلذور يف املجتمع املحلي”. جاء هذا الرأي يف حديث صحايف

The“ للدكتور أوجيلو أدىل به إىل مطبوعةا جلامعةBeacon” إبان زيارته هلا يف شهر نوفمرب ملنح جوائز

شركة سابك ملا بعد الكتوراه للعام 2011.

واختارت شركة سابك وضع وتأسيس مركزها اجلديد لألحباث واالبتكار يف حديقة األحباث يف اجلامعة بعد أن اجتذبها موظفو اجلامعة من ذوي السمعة العاملية

واملختربات املركزية املتقدمة وتوقعًا ملا يتوفر من تربة غنية للتوظيف تتمثل يف جمموعة من طالب اجلامعة. ويشرح الدكتور أوجيلو الفكرة قائال: “إن املنظمات والشركات نادرا مامتيز نفسها يف واقع

األمر مبرافقها ولكن باكتساب جمموعة املهارات اليت قد يستغرق العديد من السنوات”. ويضيف: “بدأنا

شراكتنا مع جامعة امللك عبداهلل مدفوعني بإدراكنا العميق لنوعية هيئة التدريس واملوظفني والثقافة

السائدة فيها”. ويستطرد أيرنستو قائاًل إن الشركة تستهدف توظيف 150 من العلماء االستثنائيني يف

خمتلف التخصصات يف املركز اجلديد حبلول العام 2015. وسيعمل هؤالء العلماء وسيعيشون يف احلرم اجلامعي بهدف استقطاب جمتمع األحباث العريض

يف اجلامعة والقيام بأحباث أفقية تقوم فيها فرق متعددة التخصصات بالتحري واالستقصاء يف مسائل

وتساؤالت األحباث التكميلية متعددة العناصر.

وتطمح هذه العالقة إىل الوصول إىل ذروة العالقة املتبادلة، بعد أن دخلت شركة سابك يف استثمارات ضخمة يف مركز األحباث واالبتكار الذي سريكز على

التقنيات اليت تستهدف خلق أسواق جديدة، وهي

فرانك رودز عضو جملس األمناء..

الرجل الذي جعلته جامعة امللك عبداهلل حيبس أنفاسه!

فرانك رودز عضو جملس األمناء..

الرجل الذي جعلته جامعة امللك عبداهلل حيبس أنفاسه!

وعدت مبزيد من التمويل والدعم وتقدمي جائزة مبليون دوالر

سابك تنشىء مركزها الرابع

لألحباث واالبتكار يف جامعة امللك

عبداهلل

تستخدم سابك أساليب حسابية متقدمة يف تصميم منتجاتها املتعددة

حىت وهو يغادرها نهائيًا بعد أن أمضى فيها مخس سنوات مؤسسًا وأستاذًا، ال يزال الدكتور فرانك رودز الرئيس الفخري جلامعة كورنيل واألستاذ والعضو السابق يف جملس أمناء جامعة امللك

عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية، مذهواًل من إنشاء اجلامعة بهذه السرعة وعلى هذا املستوى العايل

واملتقدم من احلداثة والتقنيات. يؤكد رودز صعوبة تأسيس جامعة من الصفر ويقول: إنه عندما

يعيد ذاكرته إىل بدايات التأسيس فإنه حيبس أنفاسه لكي يتأكد هل هي حقيقة أم خيال !..

وترجع بدايات فرانك مع اجلامعة إىل العام 2006 عندما كان املشروع جمرد فكرة وتصور، وكان

حينها أحد أفراد الفريق الوليد الذي قدم النصائح واإلرشادات ملؤسسي اجلامعة.

ويقول رئيس جامعة امللك عبداهلل شون فونغ شي “أنا شخصيا سوف أفتقد حكمة فرانك

ونصائحه الغالية ومثله العليا وتوقعاته وأكثر من ذلك سوف أفتقد صديقا عزيزا ورفيق سفري يف هذه الرحلة االستثنائية... فهو منوذجي ومثلي

األعلى”.

ويوصف رودز يف أوساط زمالئه بالقائد األكادميي ذو الرؤية والبصرية النافذة، وهو إىل جانب ذلك

يتمتع بنشاط شاب يف اخلمسني من العمر، حاماًل العديد من سنوات اخلربة يف إستقصاء وحتليل

مفاهيم الدراسات العليا يف الغرب. ولعب الدكتور رودز دورًا حموريا يف صياغة ميثاق اجلامعة

ولوائحها الداخلية ونظامها األساسي واليت مشلت مجيعها ضمانات قوية وداعمة حلرية البحث

األكادميي، كما نصت هذه اللوائح على جملس أمناء مستقل ومنتخب ذاتيًا وعلى دخل ومردود

من الوقف.

جرأة الفكرة

يقول املهندس نظمي النصر، نائب الرئيس التنفيذي، عن فرانك رودز، “إنه يتمتع بالعقلية

والشغف اللذين حنن حباجة إليهما ومع ذلك فإن املوقف ال خيلو من التحديات اليت تنشأ عن بناء اجلسور بني ثقافتني خمتلفتني تتمتعان كلتاهما

مببادىء وقيم نبيلة”. وعند قيام معايل املهندس علي بن إبراهيم النعيمي، وزير البرتول والثروة

املعدنية ورئيس جملس أمناء اجلامعة، بتعريفه على رؤية خادم احلرمني الشريفني امللك عبداهلل بن

عبدالعزيز للجامعة وبصورة عامة على ثقافة اململكة وتراثها، جاءت استجابة الدكتور رودز بأن أطلع الوزير

على تعقيدات ومتاهات التعليم العايل وعرض عليه مطبوعات غربية خمتارة حول هذا املوضوع وكانا دائما ميضيان وقتًا لبحث ومناقشة.املسائل ذات

االهتمام املشرتك اليت يتطرقان إليها.

بعد شهور قليلة من ذلك، أْي يف احتفال وضع حجر األساس للجامعة، احتفى الدكتور رودز بالرؤية اجلريئة

والتصميم املبتكر اللذين حيمالن الوعد جبعل اجلامعة ذات تأثري حتويلي وأهمية مستدامة، مذكرًا

جبرأة فكرة امللك عبداهلل يف إحياء بيت احلكمة وإعادة أجماد العرب واملسلمني يف العصر احلديث بسالح العلم واملعرفة. والدكتور رودز كرجل ذي

قامة وهيبة، ديبلوماسي لبق يبدي ترحيبه الدائم بكل من يسعى لالستفادة من خرباته املرتاكمة، فيحتفي

وجيتمع بصورة منتظمة مع خرجيي جامعة امللك عبداهلل الذين يزورون جامعة كورنيل. كما نشط يف

استقطاب وجلب الطالب املتميزين إىل اجلامعة فضاًل عن وساطته وحفاظه على العديد من العالقات الدولية

اليت أسهمت يف تأسيس بداية األحباث.

الثمرة األوىل للحلم

ويعلق د. حممد مساحة، نائب الرئيس للتنمية اإلقتصادية والتقنية ، بأن “فرانك ترك بصماته الواضحة ليس فقط فيما يتعلق برؤيته للنموذج

األكادميي ولكن أيضًا يف كل موضع يف اجلامعة فهو مبثابة مهندسها الفكري غري املرئي”، مدلاًل على

ذلك باستخدام الدكتور رودز للعلوم كطاقة توحيدية إلقناع اآلخرين باحللم حىت أنه اقرتح يف البداية

ضرورة تركيز اجلامعة على الطالب اخلرجيني واجلودة النوعية لألحباث.

ويف حديثه يف احتفال التخرج األول يف ديسمرب 2010والذي وصفه بأنه “الثمرة األوىل للحلم”،

أعرب الدكتور رودز عن شكره هلم على الثقة اليت

أولوها للجامعة من خالل حضورهم إىل بلد جيهله معظمهم، وإىل حرم جامعي مل يكن موجودا

حينذاك وإىل هيئة تدريس مل يتم تعيينها بعد وإىل جتربة جديدة يف التعليم مل تتم جتربتها وقتذاك وإىل برامج درجات جامعية مل يتم التخطيط هلا

بصورة كاملة.

وحتدث فرانك من القلب متذكرا جتربته وممتدحًا “األمل القائم على أساس األحالم الكبرية

والتطلعات العظيمة وهدية جامعة امللك عبداهلل يف حتويل املجتمع إىل خلية وفريق عمل ومعرفة

للوصول إىل اهلدف الكبري واستغالل التقنية وتسخريها خلدمة اإلنسان وحتويل املهارات إىل

o”.منافع للجميع

فرانك رودز

ولد فرانك يف وارويكشري, إجنلرتا وحيمل اآلن اجلنسية األمريكية.

متزوج ويتلقى الدعم الوثيق من زوجته روزا كارلسون.

تلقى تعليمه العايل يف جامعة بريمنجهام يف إجنلرتا وله 35 درجة فخرية.

نشرت له أحباث على نطاق واسع يف جماالت تشمل اجليولوجيا ودراسات ما قبل التاريخ ونظرية

النشؤ وتاريخ العلوم والتعليم.

الرئس الفخري جلامعة كورنيل, 1977-1995

عضو املجلس الوطين للعلوم )الرئيس رجيان(

عضو جلنة الرئيس للسياسات التعليمية )الرئيس بوش(

رئيس اهليئة الوطنية 1987 ملشاركة األقليات يف التعليم واحلياة األمريكية مع رئيس مشارك فخري

للرؤساء جريالد فورد وكارتر.

الرئس السابق جلمعية الفلسفة األمريكية.

األخوين دحوه: نأمل يف تقدمي مساهمات معتربة يف جمالنا

طالبة دكتوراه من جامعة امللك عبداهلل تفوز جبائزة عاملية مرموقة

“نورا شهاب” تبين مدينة يف الصحراء قابلة لإلستدامة

أكادمييو وموظفو جامعة امللك عبداهلل: قرب اجلامعة من مكة واملدينة ميزة عظمى

235 فردًا أدوا فريضة احلج هذا العام

ظلت العالقة بني األخوين الودودين أمحد وعبداهلل دحوه وثيقة للغاية لدرجة أن العائلة مل تصب

بالدهشة عندما قررعبداهلل الذي يصغر شقيقه بسنة أن حيذو حذو أخيه ويلتحق بالدراسة يف جامعة امللك

عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية.

وكان عبداهلل قد شجع أحد أصدقائه لإللتحاق باجلامعة ولكنه أصيب خبيبة أمل عندما إكتشف أنه

مل يفعل ذلك. أما شقيقه أمحد فهو أحد الطالب الذين ألتحقوا جبامعة امللك عبداهلل لنيل درجة

الدكتوراه يف اهلندسة الكهربائية، إال أنه سرعان ما غري توجهه لنيل درجة املاجستري من هندسة النظم الصناعية إىل علوم البيئة بعد وقت وجيز من وصوله

إىل اجلامعة.

أمحد وعبداهلل أمضيا دراستهما اجلامعية يف جامعة امللك فهد للبرتول واملعادن، وقد إجتذبتهما

اجلامعة بفضل أهدافها وأساتذتها ونوعية احلياة يف احلرم اجلامعي يف بيئة تشجع الدراسة.

وقد ولد كل من أمحد وعبداهلل يف اململكة العربية السعودية وترعرعا يف املنطقة الشرقية يف عائلة

مرتابطة، ويتحدثون عن والدهما باحلب والتقدير

نالت الطالبة نورا شهاب اجلائزة الثانية يف مسابقة عاملية كبرية نظمتها شركة “سيمنز” بني أكثر من 730 طالبا من الشرق األوسط ومشال أفريقيا

ودول جملس التعاون اخلليجي واهلند والباكستان خمصصة لطالب عام 2011 حيث نالت جائزة نقدية وفرصة التدريب يف الشركة.

وكانت نورا هي الوحيدة اليت مثلت اململكة بورقة عمل وحبث جييب على السؤال الذي مت توجيهه للطالب يف املسابقة وهو: “كيف تبين مدينة قابلة

لالستدامة والبقاء يف الصحراء؟”.

ومل يتوقف طموح الطالبة نورا اليت تدرس ختصص اهلندسة البيئية يف جامعة امللك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية عند هذا اإلجناز فقط، بل إنها ذهبت إىل أبعد من ذلك مؤكدة يف تعليق هلا أدلت به لصحيفة اجلامعة“The Beacon” ،حني تقول: “أود تشجيع اجلميع وحثهم

على الدراسة يف اململكة العربية السعودية والعامل العريب وجيب عليهم االعتقاد بإمكانية حتقيق ذلك”.

ففي املدينة الصحراوية اليت تصورتها قامت باستغالل العديد من املوارد الطبيعية املتوفرة يف البيئة مثل الشمس والرمال واملياه املستخدمة. وجنحت نورا يف جتميع جمموعة من العناصر حول خلية وقود ميكروبية من ثالث حجريات ال تقوم فقط بإنتاج الكهرباء ولكنها تستخدم أيضًا

األغشية املبتكرة للقيام يف الوقت نفسه بإعادة تدوير مياه الصرف الصحي الستخدامها يف أغراض الري مع استخدام املياه املحالة

واملنزوعة امللح يف أغراض الشرب. هذا املفهوم يبين على نظام بيولوجي كيميائي ميكانيكي مت تطويره مؤخرا وأطلق عليه إسم “خلية الوقود

امليكروبية للتحلية” وتستخدم الكائنات املجهرية لتحفيز أكسدة املواد

القابلة للتحلل بيولوجيا يف حجرية األنودات وتوفر اإللكرتون لألنودات )الشكل “1”(.

وباإلمكان استخالص هذه اإللكرتونات لتوليد الطاقة بصورة مباشرة وعلى سبيل املثال إنتاج التيار أو غاز اهليدروجني أو استخدامها الستصالح امللوثات يف املياه

اجلوفية . ويتميز هذا النظام مبميزات هامة على طرق التحلية التقليدية مثل أسلوب التناضح العكسي أو التحليل الكهربائي ألنه يزود بالطاقة من موارد متجددة

هي املياه املستخدمة. ويتم إخضاع املياه لالستهالك املنزيل يف هذه املدينة النموذجية للمزيد من عمليات التنظيف من خالل استخدام مرشح بيولوجي رملي

من احلصى صغرية األقطار وهو عبارة عن عمود يتألف من طبقات خمتلفة من الرمل واحلجارة . ومترر املياه املعاجلة بنظام خلية الوقود البيولوجية إىل األسفل

عرب املرشح بفعل اجلاذبية حيث تقوم الكائنات املجهرية يف الطبقة البيولوجية باستهالك امللوثات يف طبقة املياه الصافية والطبقة العلوية من املرشح الرملي ويتم ترسيب امللوثات يف الطبقة السفلية من املرشح الرملي. وفضاًل عن ذلك

ينطوي النظام على اقرتاح يتيح تسخني املياه بالطاقة الشمسية حيث يتمكن مالك األلواح الشمسية من حتديد كمية املياه املستخدمة يف كل منزل.

وتعمل نورا يف مركز أحباث حتلية املياه وإعادة استخدامها حتت إشراف مستشاريها املشاركني األستاذ املساعد باسكال سيكايل ومدير املركز غاري آمي . وكان موضوع ختصصها يف الدراسات اجلامعية امليكروبيولوجي، بينما كان موضوع درجة املاجستري

يف جامعة امللك عبداهلل يف اهلندسة البيئية، فيما ركز حبثها لدرجة الدكتوراه على o.دمج العلوم واهلندسة مثل خاليا الوقود امليكروبية وخاليا التحلية امليكروبية

والثناء ألنه مل يتواىن حلظة عن تشجيعهما على الدراسة والتعلم

ويقتادون حبكمته ويعتربانه مبثابة مرشدهما األول. ويتطلع األخوان أمحد وعبداهلل بكل جد وإجتهاد

إىل تقدمي مساهمات معتربة يف املجاالت اليت إختارا دراستها

o.والتخصص فيها

ميثل موقع جامعة امللك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية على ساحل البحر األمحر مصدرا لغبطة اجلميع، لكن األكثر أهمية لكثريين ممن يعملون هناك، هو قربها من مكة املكرمة واملدينة املنورة إذ يعد ذلك ميزة إضافية عظمى، حبسب تعبريهم، خاصة يف موسم احلج السنوي والذي يعين حرفيا التصميم على اخلروج والذهاب إىل هذه البقاع

املقدسة عندما جيتمع املاليني من مجيع اجلنسيات والثقافات واللغات واألصول للذهاب

إىل مكة تلبية ملتطلبات الركن اخلامس من أركان اإلسالم، وهو الركن الذي ميثل رحلة روحية

وبدنية وعاطفية تظل مطلوبة من كل مسلم قادر بدنيًا وعقليًا على القيام بها مرة واحدة يف العمر.

وجيري اآلن توسعة احلرم املقدس “املسجد احلرام” لرفع طاقته االستيعابية إىل مليونني

ونصف من املصلني، وهو الذي يستوعب يف الوقت احلاضر مئات اآلالف من حجاج بيت اهلل.

وتسبق احلج أشهر من االستعدادات والتهيئة لضمان وصول الزائر إىل هذه املرحلة من السمو

الروحي بكل الطهر والتواضع والسكينة واليت تبدو جلية يف مالبس اإلحرام غري املخيطة والصنادل البسيطة اخلالية من الزخرف حبيث يتعذر متييز

الغين عن الفقري.

ويشرح أحد الزوار العائدين إىل ثول من رحلة احلج قائاًل إنه كواحد من بني هذه املاليني املحتشدة

ويف األوقات اليت خيترب فيها صرب الناس وتعاطفهم يصبح كل حاج مدركًا لضآلته الشخصية ويبدأ يف التفكري يف القول املأثور أنه عرف يف إطار الفكرة العظمي وأنه ليس سوى نقطة يف املعادلة، حسب

قول السيدة رشيدة عبداهلل، إحدى موظفات التطوير االقتصادي يف جامعة امللك عبداهلل، مما

جعلها تفكر يف اإلرث واألشياء اليت ستخلفها وراءها يف هذه احلياة. أما حممد عثمان، أحد

طالب املاجستري يف الرياضيات التطبيقية، فقد وجد أن الوقت الذي أمضاه يف التضرع والتأمل يف

جبل عرفات ذو خصوصية فريدة.

السيد مطلب الشمري، نائب الرئيس للخدمات، كان هو اآلخر من ضمن حجاج هذا العام وتنبه

يف نفرته تلك إىل التنوع االستثنائي يف احلج والذي الحظه منعكسًا يف قبول أفراد عائلة جامعة امللك

عبداهلل لبعضهم اآلخر واملشاركة يف الرتاب واملياه وروح املبادرة إىل مد يد املساعدة على الرغم من

احلواجز اللغوية الضخمة.

وأبدى الشمري إعجابه الشديد بالتطورات التقنية اليت شاهدها مبا يف ذلك قطار املشاعر املقدسة

وهو عبارة عن خط سكة حديد أتوماتيكي بطول 18 كيلومرتا يقوم بنقل احلجيج بني املناطق املقدسة

مبعدل 72000 حاج كل ساعة. وكان من دواعي سروره مصادفة جمموعة عاملية من كشافة “رسل السالم” الذين كانوا موجودين يف معسكر ثول يف

شهر أكتوبر املاضي والذين تذكروا رحلتهم إىل جامعة امللك عبداهلل بكل تلقائية وحب.

وكانت إدارة الشؤن احلكومية يف اجلامعة، قامت جبهد كبري لتمكني 235 من أفراد عائلة اجلامعة من

أداء فريضة احلج حيث أنهت اإلجراءات بكل يسر وسهولة لكي حتافظ على أهمية وروحانية هذه التجربة الفريدة. وتعاونت اإلدارة بصورة وثيقة مع املشاركني

يف احلج ووزارة احلج ووكاالت محالت احلج حبيث مل تتداخل التفاصيل العملية أو تؤثر على الرتكيز

الروحي للمناسبة. ويعلق أحد احلجاج العائدين قائاًل: اهتمام اإلدارة بالتفاصيل الدقيقة كان مثريا للدهشة

o.”.واالنبهار

Fig. 1

التقنيات اليت تعرف بأنها تقنيات جديدة حتل بصورة غري متوقعة التقنيات القائمة . وفضال عن ذلك ستؤمن

الشركة مبلغ مليون دوالر سنويا لدعم الباحثني بعد مرحلة الدكتوراة من خالل منح غري مقيدة ، كما أنها وفرت متويال سخيا لكرسي أستاذية جديد يف وسائط التحفيز ملادة البوليمر. وبعض املنح اليت مت متويلها

تبدو بكل وضوح من اللمحة األوىل كما لو كانت ال متت بصلة باهتمامات ومصاحل سابك التجارية

مثل التنقيب يف البيانات البيولوجية املحاسبية واليت يشبهها الدكتور أوجيلو بالعثور على إبرة يف كومة من

القش كما يربر الدكتور هذا التنوع معتقدًا أن الوسائل البيولوجية قد حتل يف املستقبل حمل العمليات

الكيميائية ولذلك يقوم بالتحرى يف أفضل الوسائل لالستفادة من االستثمار الذي تقوم به سابك.

وتتعاون سابك يف الوقت احلاضر مع علماء اجلامعة يف جماالت تشمل وسائط التحفيز الكيميائي وإعادة

استخدام املياه واإللكرتونيات املرنة وحصاد الكربون واستخدام الطحالب، كما سبق للشركة أن قامت بالفعل بتوظيف العديد من خرجيي اجلامعة

من محلة درجيت الدكتوراه واملاجستري. وقدم رئيس اجلامعة الربوفسور شي شكر جامعة امللك عبداهلل للسيد حممد املاضي، نائب الرئيس وكبري اإلداريني

التنفيذيني “ملجهودات سابك الرامية إىل تعزيز وتقوية جماالت التعاون بني املؤسسات من أجل دعم اجلامعة ورؤيتها اجلريئة يف جماالت األحباث والتعليم

واإلبتكار والتطوير اإلقتصادي”.

كفاءات منافسة

ويف وقت سابق من هذا العام حتدث الدكتور عطية أبورقبة، مدير عام مركز األحباث واالبتكار، عن فرص

سابك لربط علمائها مع أقطاب املعرفة يف جامعة امللك عبداهلل لتعزيز إميان الشركة القائم منذ مدة

طويلة يف النشاطات املفتوحة لعمليات االبتكار وأعرب عن تطلعه لتشجيع االبتكار والتفكري اخلالق

باسم التقدم والعلوم.

ونوه الدكتور عطية إىل أن الشركة تعرضت عرب السنوات للعديد من عمليات التطوير منذ إنشائها مبوجب املرسوم امللكي يف العام 1976 من أجل حتويل منتجات الزيت الثانوية إىل منتجات مفيدة

تشمل البوليمر واملواد الكيميائية واألمسدة إىل أن أصبحت من أجنح شركات إنتاج املواد الكيميائية يف العامل قاطبة. وكانت الشركة تفتقر آنذاك إىل

املعرفة الضرورية لتطوير التقنيات اخلاصة بها، بيد أنها حتولت منذ ذلك احلني إىل شركة عاملية تتمتع

بشبكة تقنية وابتكارات قوية تتألف من 61 مركزا لتطبيقات التقنية واملواد املنتشرة يف مجيع أحناء العامل، تدعمها 7000 براءة اخرتاع. وسيكون مركز التقنية واالبتكار هو املركز الرابع يف اململكة حيث

يقوم بتطوير كفاءات منافسة جديدة ويتوىل يف الوقت نفسه تدريب اجلنسني يف اململكة.

وتطرق يف حديثه إىل اإلجنازات اليت سبق لشركة سابك حتقيقها كشريك اسرتاتيجي عايل الفعالية يف

برنامج التعاون الصناعي يف جامعة امللك عبداهلل منذ العام 2009. ومشلت نشاطات هذا الربنامج

الندوات ولقاءات الدائرة املستديرة واحلوارات وأيام املهنة، مما أكد التزام سابك بتطوير وترقية العلوم

o.واألحباث

الدكتور عطية أبو رقبة مدير عام مركز األحباث واالبتكار

نورا شهاب