KAUST held its 7th annual Career Fair, featuring preparation workshops and an alumni panel. The panel included engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs from Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Taibah University, and Dow Chemical. Panelists emphasized pursuing passions, professional conduct, and demonstrating value to prospective employers. Why it matters: Such events help connect KAUST graduates with leading companies in Saudi Arabia, fostering local talent development and contributing to the Kingdom's knowledge economy.
MBZUAI hosted its first in-person Opportunities Fair on September 7, connecting graduate students with 38 employers from various industries. Companies like ADNOC, Mubadala, DP World, G42, and McKinsey participated in the event, which included an exhibition and career development workshops. MBZUAI ranks 24th globally in AI, computer vision, machine learning, and NLP. Why it matters: This fair highlights the growing demand for AI talent in the UAE and MBZUAI's role in supplying qualified graduates to meet this demand.
KAUST's Plant Science Program hosted a two-day workshop for early-career researchers, focusing on leadership and career development. The workshop, facilitated by Dr. Paul Dalby, covered grant proposal writing, leadership skills, and career planning. Participants also learned about project management, budget development, and attracting funding from various sources. Why it matters: Such programs enhance the skills of researchers at KAUST, preparing them for leadership roles in academia and industry, and fostering a stronger research ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
KAUST held its Eighth Annual Fall Career Fair on October 26, with representatives from the KAUST Discovery Company engaging with students. An alumni panel featured Mona Alsomali (DOW), Hussain Shibli (KAA-CARE), and Mustafa Mousa (Sadeem) offering career insights. Hussain Shibli, director general at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, also participated in the alumni panel. Why it matters: The career fair and alumni engagement highlight KAUST's efforts to connect students with industry opportunities and support career development in Saudi Arabia.
In a 2018 keynote, Saudi Aramco VP Nasser Al-Nafisee recounted the rapid construction of KAUST. Al-Nafisee described building KAUST in under three years as a "mission impossible" requiring immense effort. He advised KAUST attendees to push beyond their comfort zones and adopt a "can-do attitude". Why it matters: The talk highlights the ambitious vision and rapid development that characterize Saudi Arabia's investments in research and technology.
Wesam Manassra, an MIT-trained full-stack engineer at OpenAI, spoke to MBZUAI students about his experiences in tech and entrepreneurship. Manassra, who also worked at Uber and Microsoft and co-founded two startups, emphasized the importance of communication, adaptability, and team culture. The event was held in collaboration with startAD and sponsored by the MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center. Why it matters: The talk highlights the growing interest in AI careers among UAE students and the role of local institutions like MBZUAI in fostering tech entrepreneurship.
KAUST highlights postdoctoral fellows Yi Jin Liew, Isabelle Schulz, Maren Ziegler and Neus Garcias Bonet outside the University Library. The article mentions King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1924 – 2015). It encourages applications to KAUST's Discovery Postdoctoral program. Why it matters: This brief announcement signals KAUST's ongoing investment in attracting international research talent to Saudi Arabia.