With the aim of “inspiring a new age of scientific achievement,” the inaugural class of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) began taking lessons this September in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The graduate level institution has been dubbed a new “House of Wisdom,” in reference to The House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikmah) founded in 830 C.E. in Baghdad.
In a move that has upset some members of the religious establishment, the religious police will not operate on-site and women will be allowed to mix freely with men, drive on campus, and will not be required to wear veils in the coeducational classes. The university is funded through a $10 billion endowment from Saudi ruler King Abdullah, which will be managed by former World Bank and International Monetary Fund economist Gumersindo Oliveros. The university will have strong links to industry, having so far announced collaborative projects with Sumitomo Chemical, Schlumberger, Dow Chemical, LyondellBasell, SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), Boeing, IBM and Abdul Latif Jameel Co. Saudi Aramco will manage all non-academic aspects of the university. The university aims to be at the forefront of technology and will host Shaheen, the 14th fastest super computer in the world. This will serve as the hub of the Saudi Arabian Advanced Research and Education Network (SAREN), a high-speed optical network to connect research and educational institutions within the kingdom that is being constructed in partnership with the Saudi Telecom Company.
The university boasts a six-sided virtual reality facility, 10 advanced nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, a coastal and marine resources laboratory, and bioengineering facilities with labs to study cell molecules for DNA sequencing. The university also puts a strong emphasis on sustainability, with energy efficient buildings and shared bicycles and electric cars for travel around the 36 square kilometer campus, which also contains 17 million square meters of coral reef and 2 million square meters of mangrove ecosystems.
Following a highly competitive entry process, 817 students — the majority of them non-Saudi nationals — have been selected from more than 7,000 applicants to attend class this year.
