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KAUST is the decades-long vision of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to build a world-class University in Saudi Arabia that convenes the best minds to unlock the great mysteries of science and technology for the betterment of all humanity.
Now, that vision has become a reality in less than 1,000 days.
These events are the most important milestones reached on the Journey to KAUST.
December 7, 2005: In a speech to Muslim heads of state in Mecca, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud describes the "golden age" of Muslim achievement as "a radiant beacon," a term that has become a metaphor for KAUST.
July 2006: King Abdullah shares a concept document drafted by the Council of Ministers with H.E. Minister Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and describes his vision for a world-class university of science and technology.
July 2006: Mr. Nadhmi A. Al-Nasr, Vice President of Engineering Services at Saudi Aramco, is tapped to run the KAUST development plan. Mr. Al-Nasr had previously played a key leadership role in one of Saudi Aramco's most ambitious development programs—the Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia's desolate Rub' al-Khali desert.
July 22, 2006: H.E. Minister Al-Naimi gives Saudi Aramco, which is responsible for building the campus and designing the University, three years to complete the project—one year fewer than had been calculated for just the building phase.
December 11, 2006: The Royal Court approves KAUST's charter. The charter articulates the school's vision and mission, and calls for independent governance.
December 2006: The International Advisory Council (IAC) is fully assembled, with world-renowned scientists, academics, and business leaders agreeing to help guide the development of KAUST.
January 2007: Senior members of the KAUST development team embark on a global tour of leading research universities. The trip lays the groundwork for future partnerships with a number of prestigious institutions.
Spring 2007: KAUST forms the Academic Excellence Alliance (AEA).
April 2007: University officials embark on their second tour of global research universities, gathering "best practices" that inform the new academic paradigm at KAUST.
April 13, 2007: The Presidential Search Committee meets for the first time.
April 15, 2007: KAUST signs its first Academic Research Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
April 2007: KAUST's logo is approved. The logo selected by Minister Al-Naimi, and later approved by King Abdullah, exemplifies the key pillars of KAUST's brand: clarity, unity and transformation.
May 15, 2007: KAUST becomes independent from Saudi Aramco. The University now has a budget, an operating plan, and a Board of Trustees chaired by Minister Al-Naimi.
May 31, 2007: KAUST launches its Web site, a critical tool that helps the University gain credibility around the world. The site serves as a central information repository for prospective students, faculty, researchers, and international observers.
June 13, 2007: KAUST signs MOU with National University of Singapore.
June 22, 2007: KAUST announces MOU with Institut Francais du Pétrole (IFP). The two schools have much in common, as IFP also offers a graduate level–only education and focuses on the connections between research and industry.
July 2, 2007: KAUST signs an MOU with Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
July 2007: KAUST launches its Discovery Scholarship, which offers full financial support including tuition costs, a living stipend, and summer and career enrichment programs.
August 20, 2007: KAUST launches its Global Research Partnership (GRP) program. This rigorously competitive, peer-reviewed program provides grants to leading scientists and researchers interested in collaborating with KAUST, as well as established research centers and small groups looking to assemble research centers at the University.
August 22, 2007: KAUST holds a research summit at Woods Hole, in the United States, to discuss the University's bioscience curriculum and research.
August 30, 3007: KAUST signs an MOU with The American University in Cairo.
October 2, 2007: KAUST initiates the KAUST Scholar Award program for doctoral students. Recipients receive financial support in return for contributing to KAUST's principal research fields during the founding period.
October 19, 2007: KAUST launches the Arabic version of its Web site.
October 21, 2007: King Abdullah hosts a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future KAUST campus and tells the assembled dignitaries "I pray to God to make this university a 'House of Wisdom,' a forum for science and research, and a beacon of knowledge for future generations." Campus construction begins in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
October 22, 2007: KAUST holds its first research symposium, drawing a number of internationally recognized scientists and academic leaders to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
October 28, 2007: KAUST convenes 16 experts in computer science to examine the impact of information technologies on research. This meeting lays the groundwork for KAUST to build Shaheen, one of the world's most powerful supercomputers.
January 13, 2008: KAUST names Professor Choon Fong Shih, a respected engineering researcher and academic leader, as its Founding President. Shih, who will assume his position in December, comes to KAUST from National University of Singapore, where he built that institution's international research profile.
January 15, 2008: KAUST signs first private-sector MOU with General Electric.
January 24, 2008: KAUST signs research agreement with Technische Universität München (TUM) in Germany.
February 4, 2008: KAUST signs an MOU with The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.
March 2008: KAUST signs MOUs with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, both in Saudi Arabia.
March 10, 2008: KAUST concludes its AEA selection process, naming Stanford University, Imperial College London, University of California at Berkeley, University of Cambridge, and The University of Texas at Austin as partners.
March 13, 2008: KAUST announces the recipients of its GRP awards. Awardees receive five-year grants to support research on a variety of issues relevant to Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and the world. The group includes 12 scientists from six countries. [Provide link to pdf 03-03-00-003-0002_2008 Mar. 13]
April 14, 2008: KAUST establishes a partnership with the U.S. Library of Congress to promote research into the history of science in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
April 29, 2008: KAUST announces the recipients of its GRP Centers and Center-in-Development grants. Cornell University, The University of Oxford, Stanford University and Texas A&M University are awarded grants for existing centers; King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, National Taiwan University and Utrecht University receive grants to build future research centers.
May 27, 2008: KAUST hosts the GRP Technical Symposium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss frontiers and opportunities in science and research. This event marks the first global gathering of KAUST GRP award recipients.
June 22, 2008: KAUST announces research partnerships with the American University in Cairo and the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.
July 16, 2008: KAUST sponsors 30 graduating Saudi high school students in a one-year college preparatory program to qualify them for undergraduate studies at the world's top universities, and prepare them to eventually join KAUST.
September 22, 2008: KAUST announces plans with IBM to build the Shaheen supercomputer, one of the fastest in the world. Shaheen means "peregrine falcon" in Arabic.
October 6, 2008: KAUST introduces the 20 members of its inaugural Board of Trustees and releases its graduate program guide to prospective students.
October 17, 2008: KAUST announces partnership with University of California, San Diego to build CORNEA, an advanced computational and visualization lab.
December 2008: Professor Choon Fong Shih assumes his duties as Founding President of KAUST.
January 5, 2009: Students from KAUST's inaugural class gather in Jeddah for the Global Discovery Gathering.
February 24, 2009: The IAC holds final meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
March 9, 2009: Abdul Latif Jameel Co. Ltd., a Saudi company, becomes the first member of KAUST's Industrial Collaboration Program (KICP). The KICP fosters partnerships with businesses that are interested in converting new discoveries into practical applications and economic growth.
March 18, 2009: Dr. Gumersindo Oliveros leaves the World Bank to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of KAUST Investment Management Company (KAUST IMC), a subsidiary that sets the investment strategy for the KAUST endowment.
April 18, 2009: Succeeding the IAC, members of the Board of Trustees hold their first meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and approve the University's strategic vision. [Provide link to pdf 02-01-03-001-0001_2008 Oct. 4_Arab News]
Spring 2009: CORNEA, the world's brightest and highest-resolution virtual environment system, arrives in the Kingdom after being developed by the University of California, San Diego. It creates a 3D experience that allows users to take a hands-on approach to scientific discovery, such as walking through a protein or a jet engine.
Spring 2009: KAUST's Industrial Collaboration Program continues to grow with the addition of Boeing, IBM, Dow, SABIC, Schlumberger and other multinational companies.
June 10, 2009: King Abdullah tours the campus and announces that he will host KAUST's Inauguration Ceremony a few weeks after classes commence. The next day's edition of Arab News proclaims: "My KAUST dream has come true – King."
June 19, 2009: Top500 announces that Shaheen, an IBM BlueGene/P system, is the region's most powerful supercomputer.
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