The International Advisory Board (IAB) of King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) convenes its sixth meeting in Madrid, Spain for two days starting Monday. It will discuss and review the progress of various education and research projects, including research programs that have global context. The board will review the development and status of the plans and ventures taken during the fifth meeting held in Riyadh last Jan. 10-11. During that meeting, the AIB reviewed the status and progress in the faculty recruitment and development, key performance indicators, KFUPM-MIT research collaboration program, centers of research excellence, and important research areas. KFUPM's performance plans and recommendations for future directions and priorities were also taken up during the Riyadh meeting. An update of the plans and ventures will be presented at the Madrid meeting. The AIB meets on a bi-annual basis, during which members of the board advise, guide, and provide input on the university activities, including the development of action plans and specific strategies on key educational and research areas of national interest. The IAB is composed of 15 members who are internationally known academic and corporate leaders. It advises KFUPM on strategic planning, future directions, and policy development, support KFUPM in developing a competitive edge so as to improve its international standing, and to sustain the KFUPM traditions of teaching and research programs. Among the members of the board are Abdallah S. Jum'ah, immediate past president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, KFUPM President Khalid Al-Sultan, Sabic CEO Mohamed Al-Mady, and Khattab G. Hinai, manager of the Research and Innovations Support at KFUPM.
