KAUST ·
Lea Sublett, Manager of KAUST Alumni Affairs, developed a love for travel and diverse cultures through her upbringing. She initially pursued journalism but found herself working in alumni relations at universities, including five Australian universities before KAUST. Sublett's career has allowed her to meet alumni worldwide and learn about their experiences. Why it matters: This profile highlights the international and diverse community fostered by KAUST, emphasizing the importance of cultural exchange and global engagement in its mission.
KAUST · alumni affairs · Lea Sublett · international · Australia
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KAUST ·
Fahad Alsherehey, VP at SABIC, spoke at KAUST's Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) about authentic leadership. He cited SABIC's founding as an example of how leadership can turn challenges into opportunities. Alsherehey emphasized the difference between leadership and management, advocating for listening to one's team. Why it matters: The talk highlights the importance of leadership and vision in driving technological and economic development in Saudi Arabia.
MBZUAI ·
A delegation from the Australia UAE Business Council visited MBZUAI to discuss potential AI collaborations between the two countries. The council members, led by H.E. Abdulla Ali Alsubousi, toured MBZUAI’s campus and facilities and discussed the importance of connecting academia with industry. The Australia UAE Business Council recently launched its Artificial Intelligence Technologies Working Group to investigate AI technology enablers across Australia and the UAE. Why it matters: This partnership signals growing international interest in MBZUAI and the UAE's AI ecosystem, potentially fostering joint research and development initiatives.
KAUST ·
Todd Nims, a filmmaker born in Saudi Arabia, premiered his film "Joud" at KAUST's 2018 Winter Enrichment Program. The film, set in Saudi Arabia, explores the cycle of life in reverse and the meaning of "Joud" (generosity in the face of scarcity). Nims describes Saudi Arabia as a "magical place" due to its rich storytelling tradition. Why it matters: The article highlights KAUST's role in showcasing cultural works and supporting Saudi artists, though the AI relevance is limited.
arXiv ·
This paper introduces Absher, a new benchmark for evaluating LLMs' linguistic and cultural competence in Saudi dialects. The benchmark comprises over 18,000 multiple-choice questions spanning six categories, using dialectal words, phrases, and proverbs from various regions of Saudi Arabia. Evaluation of state-of-the-art LLMs reveals performance gaps, especially in cultural inference and contextual understanding, highlighting the need for dialect-aware training.