KAUST is hosting its fourth annual International Research Competition for undergraduate students in January 2015. The competition invites students to submit their research in poster or video format. Up to 50 of the best abstracts will be invited to KAUST from January 17 - 23, 2015 to present their work and experience the university. Why it matters: This competition provides a valuable opportunity for international undergraduate students to engage with cutting-edge research and experience KAUST's facilities and community.
KAUST's Saudi Summer Internship (SSI) program hosted 29 undergraduate students from Saudi universities this year, up from just 6 students five years ago. The students were assigned to CEMSE labs for 8-12 weeks, conducting research alongside KAUST faculty. At the end of the program, the students participated in a poster competition to present their work. Why it matters: This program fosters local talent in STEM fields and strengthens KAUST's ties with other Saudi universities.
KAUST's Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) hosted an international undergraduate poster competition attracting 191 students from around the world. 32 shortlisted finalists presented their research at KAUST, representing top universities like MIT, Stanford, and the National University of Singapore. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony on January 21, with Qin Xiang Ng from the National University of Singapore taking first place. Why it matters: The WEP poster competition provides a platform for international students to showcase their research and engage with KAUST's research community, fostering collaboration and attracting talent to the university.
The KAUST Visiting Student Research Program (VSRP) has hosted over 210 interns since 2014, offering research experience with faculty and facilities. Interns, typically in their baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate studies, stay between three and six months. Several interns, like Mariana Prazeres who researched the Hamilton Jacobi equation, have pursued further studies at KAUST. Why it matters: The VSRP program at KAUST serves as a pipeline for attracting international talent to Saudi Arabia and fostering interest in STEM fields.
MBZUAI hosted 34 undergraduate STEM students from around the world for its inaugural one-month Undergraduate Research Internship Program (UGRIP) in Abu Dhabi. The interns, hailing from countries including the UAE, USA, and India, engaged in ongoing MBZUAI research projects spanning sustainability, education, and healthcare. Interns worked on projects ranging from fake news detection using NLP to tumor diagnosis using computer vision. Why it matters: This program strengthens MBZUAI's position as a global AI research hub and cultivates AI talent within the region.
MBZUAI welcomed 45 international STEM students to its month-long Undergraduate Research Internship Program (UGRIP), a 32% increase from its second year. The program exposes students to AI research and faculty, attracting applicants from universities like IIT Madras, Harvard, and Yale. Interns worked on AI projects including digital healthcare metaverse prototypes, baby cry analysis, and LLM generalizability. Why it matters: This program helps to foster AI talent and promote the UAE as a global hub for AI research.
Four students from the KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP) conducted summer research at KAUST in areas like solar cells, nanomaterials, composite membranes, and computational fluid mechanics. The students, who attend universities in the US, worked with KAUST faculty like Osman Bakr, Iman Roqan, Klaus-Viktor Peinemann and Ravi Samtaney. The KGSP program supports Saudi students studying science and engineering and prepares them for graduate studies at KAUST. Why it matters: This program helps KAUST attract top Saudi talent by providing research opportunities and encouraging students to pursue advanced degrees in STEM fields within the Kingdom.
Former Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI) student Abdullatif, now a junior at Berkeley, published a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). The paper, "Isomerically Pure Tetramethylrhodamine Voltage Reporters," details the design, synthesis, and application of Rhodamine Voltage Reporters (RhoVRs). Abdullatif, who worked at KAUST during her SRSI program on carbon dioxide capture, plans to return for advanced studies. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's role in nurturing young Saudi talent in STEM and contributing to high-impact scientific research.