KAUST has announced the call for applications for the Al-Khwarizmi doctoral fellowships. The fellowships offer stipends, free tuition, and supplementary grants for Ph.D. studies at KAUST. The fellowships are open to nationals or residents of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe holding an MSc degree. Why it matters: This program aims to attract top international talent to KAUST, fostering research and development in science and technology within Saudi Arabia.
Historian Mike Bruton spoke at KAUST about scientific disruptors from the House of Wisdom during the Islamic Golden Age. These scholars made contributions like introducing the concept of zero and debunking the Greek theory of sight. Ibn al-Haytham revolutionized knowledge of optics, demonstrating that light bounces off objects and enters our eyes. Why it matters: The lecture highlights the significant scientific advancements made during the Islamic Golden Age and their lasting impact on modern civilization.
Salim T. S. Al-Hassani from the University of Manchester presented at KAUST's 2019 Winter Enrichment Program about the contributions of Muslim civilization to science and engineering. The lecture highlighted inventions like early clocks from Muslim heritage, including Al-Jazari's elephant clock. Al-Hassani aims to address the neglect of non-European cultures' impact on humanity. Why it matters: The talk emphasizes the historical significance of Islamic contributions to science and technology, relevant for promoting STEM education and cultural awareness in the region.
The article mentions several KAUST faculty and staff, including Matteo Parsani (Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics), Teofilo Abrajano (Director of Sponsored Research), and David Keyes (Director of the Extreme Computing Research Center). It also references a talk by NASA Senior Scientist Mark Carpenter at the SIAM CSE 2017 conference. The article includes a photograph of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Why it matters: This appears to be general information about KAUST faculty and activities, but lacks specific details on research or AI developments.
MBZUAI researchers presented a study at NAACL 2024 analyzing errors made by open-source LLMs when solving math word problems. The study, led by Ekaterina Kochmar and KV Aditya Srivatsa, investigates characteristics that make math word problems difficult for machines. Llama2-70B was used to test the ability of LLMs to solve these problems, revealing that LLMs can perform math operations correctly but still give the wrong answer. Why it matters: The research aims to improve AI's ability to understand and solve math word problems, potentially leading to better educational applications and teaching methods.
KAUST Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini received the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Science and Technology (S&T) Achievement Award at the First OIC Summit on Science and Technology. The award recognizes Alouini's contributions to science and technology within the OIC member states. Why it matters: Recognition at the OIC level highlights KAUST's impact and Professor Alouini's leadership in advancing science and technology across the Islamic world.
Ahmed Abdulmajeed Alabdulkarim, a KAUST alumnus (M.S. '11), pursued a Ph.D. at MIT and now leads a research lab at KACST and MIT. His research interests include big data, AI, and machine learning. He credits KAUST as a starting point for his growth as a scientist, providing a perfect research environment and interactions with distinguished scientists. Why it matters: The success of KAUST alumni in leading research roles at prominent institutions like KACST and MIT highlights the university's contribution to developing Saudi Arabia's AI research capacity.
Dr. Abdulla AlHajri, a Senior Researcher at the Quantum Research Center (QRC), co-authored a paper published in Nature Communications titled “Quantum Physics in Connected Worlds.” The research, conducted with scientists from the University of Oxford, investigated the impact of geometry and structure on fundamental system properties. It identified structures with unusual geometry capable of altering material magnetic properties uniquely. Why it matters: This publication highlights the growing quantum research capabilities in the UAE and QRC's contributions to cutting-edge physics.