New Arab University will be a revolution in science and society

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) - Saudi King Abdullah yesterday officially opened the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which bears his name. It was built in just three years in the desert north of Jeddah and is set to become a significant research institution in biology, physics, engineering, applied mathematics, and computer science. Students and scientists will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, and in addition, there will be revolutionary equality of men and women on campus, reports the AFP agency.
    King Abdullah is trying to fully bring his conservative country into the 21st century. This university will enable him to fulfill his officially unacknowledged goal - to end social restrictions on women, which are still being promoted by the conservative Muslim clergy.
    On the shores of the Red Sea, 80 kilometers from Jeddah, modern university buildings and student and staff accommodations have been successfully built on a 36-square-kilometer site within three years.
    The university has already announced research projects that will be conducted in collaboration with prestigious institutions such as the National University of Singapore, the French energy institute IFP, Stanford University, and the University of Cambridge.
    It will have its own research projects in various fields, including nanotechnology, applied mathematics, solar energy, and bioengineering.
    "Two years ago, there was only sand and sea here. Today, we have the highest quality scientific infrastructure," said the university's rector, Singaporean Fong Shih.
    Classes have already started in September. The language of instruction is English, with 374 students currently enrolled, taught by 71 professors. Fifteen percent of the students are domestic, with the rest coming from 60 countries. The school management is striving to attract the greatest scientific talents for teaching, particularly from the USA.
    An example is Shih, who as a research engineer managed to transform the Singaporean university into a prestigious scientific center.
    Edward Derrick from the American Association for the Advancement of Science believes that the success of KAUST will depend on whether this university can establish itself as a global institution and whether the results of its research will be published. Fawwaz Ulaby, who is involved in research in the USA, believes that it will also be important how much money will be allocated for research. In an oil-rich nation like Saudi Arabia, there should be no shortage. The university currently has a guaranteed grant of ten billion dollars for research, from which high salaries for teachers and student scholarships are already being paid.
    Ulaby also points out that social freedom, which should prevail at KAUST, will be no less significant compared to other educational institutions in the country that are bound by religious regulations. Fifteen percent of the female students will be foreigners, making it inconceivable to strictly separate women from men in research, as is commonly required in Saudi Arabia.
    On the university campus, women will be able to move around all areas together with men and the previously mandatory black abayas will not be required. Unlike other areas of Saudi Arabia, they will also be allowed to drive cars. However, not everything will be allowed here. There will be a prohibition on men entering the women's dormitory area.