Four researchers from KAUST attended the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany, which focused on physics. The meeting provided an opportunity for young scientists to interact with 39 Nobel laureates, including Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou. KAUST attendees included Abderrahmen Trichili, Ibrahim Dursun, Abdullah Almansouri, and Latifah Al Maghrabi, who participated in lectures, talks, and open exchanges. Why it matters: Participation in such events raises KAUST's profile and provides invaluable networking and learning opportunities for its researchers.
KAUST Professor Dr. Bakr was elected as a member of the Arab-German Young Academy (AGYA). AGYA selects Arab and German researchers from universities and research institutions across the Middle East and Germany. The academy promotes cooperation between Arab and German researchers within the first 10 years of their Ph.D. Why it matters: This appointment fosters international research collaboration and provides a platform for interdisciplinary projects between Arab and German researchers.
KAUST hosted a Saudi-German innovation summit with Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, exploring international collaboration to accelerate innovation and economic resilience. KAUST signed MoUs with BRYCK Startup Alliance, Start2 Group GmbH, and SWX Innovators GmbH to support early-stage companies. The collaborations aim to connect startups and innovation networks across both countries through joint events and knowledge exchange. Why it matters: This summit strengthens KAUST's role as a hub for international collaboration in science and technology, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia.
Isabelle Schulz, a postdoctoral fellow at KAUST's Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), was visited by her parents who drove over 9,000 kilometers from Germany to Saudi Arabia. Schulz's connection to the region dates back to her childhood in Riyadh and Algeria, where her father worked. She later joined KAUST after completing her Ph.D. in marine biology in Germany, inspired by her experiences in North Africa and the Middle East. Why it matters: This human interest story highlights KAUST's international environment and its appeal to researchers with roots in the Middle East.
KAUST Ph.D. student Hanan Mohammed and postdoctoral fellow Yizhou Zhang presented their research at the Falling Walls Conference in Berlin. Zhang presented a novel MXene-hydrogel composite with biosensing applications, while Mohammed discussed 3D data storage architectures to reduce data center energy consumption. They were selected after winning the KAUST Falling Walls Lab in September. Why it matters: Showcasing KAUST researchers' work on an international stage highlights the university's contributions to materials science and sustainable computing.
MBZUAI adjunct professor Iryna Gurevych was appointed to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and received the “Social Impact Award” at the 18th Conference of the European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics. The Social Impact Award recognized her study on sociodemographic prompting, a technique that steers prompt-based models towards answers reflecting specific sociodemographic profiles. Gurevych was also named one of the 15 most important women in AI in Germany by Manager Magazin for her work building an AI assistant with Amazon. Why it matters: Recognizing experts at MBZUAI raises the visibility of the university and its contributions to cutting-edge NLP research, particularly in areas like ethical and responsible AI development.
The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have signed a memorandum of understanding. The collaboration focuses on thin-film photovoltaic technology. Why it matters: The partnership between a leading German research institution and KAUST could accelerate advancements in solar energy research and deployment within Saudi Arabia.
KAUST Professor Raul Tempone received the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship at RWTH Aachen in Germany. The award recognizes Tempone's international leadership in mathematics for uncertainty quantification. The professorship includes up to 5 million euros in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Why it matters: This award highlights KAUST's strength in applied mathematics and its relevance to simulation-based decision-making with potential benefits for Saudi Arabia and the world.