The first students at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology will walk through the gates of the campus for their first day of tuition next week, marking the unofficial start of the completion of a royal dream that goes back several decades. Some 400 male and female students will sit down to study on Sept. 5 ahead of the university's official opening on Sept. 23 in what is promised to be a grand event to be conducted personally by King Abdullah. The opening of the university in Thuwwal, 70 km to the north of Jeddah, comes two years after the King laid the first foundation stones for plans projected to cost SR10 billion. The town of Thuwal itself has undergone a transformation in preparation for the official opening with the plantation of palm trees and flowers along the major thoroughfares approaching the university. Story of a dream “The creation of a university of science and technology and scientific research matching international standards is something that had been on my mind for 25 years,” said King Abdullah at the ceremonial laying of the university's foundation stones on Oct. 20, 2007. “We thank God for helping us today make that a reality, as the Kingdom and its people will now enjoy a global research center, financially and administratively independent and based on the highest academic foundations to form at the same time a scientific base and driving force for the national economy.” King Abdullah also cited in his speech the desire to set new standards and put in place a system rejecting the shortcomings of old. “Admission to the university,” the King said, “will be based on the competence, ability and talent of applicants, and there will be no place for favoritism.” “The creation of this university will serve as a model for the rest of the Kingdom and all Arab and Islamic countries which, we feel, need to enter the age of science and technology through universities providing all the groundings for success in terms of facilities and staff, researches and student talent, to bring about the transition in civilization we seek for our nation. King Abdullah's vision for the university is not restricted to the university itself however. “I am fully confident that this step will be followed by other similar steps whether here in the Kingdom or in other Arab and Islamic countries.” Studies at the university of Science and Technology will begin Sept. 5 with 400 male and female students and an academic staff of between 75 and 80 recruited from universities and educational institutions around the world to give initial instruction in dozens of subjects in centers specialized in areas deemed of vital importance to the national economy. The centers include the buildings for science and engineering, applied mathematics research, the university library, and a 1,000-person conference hall, while four large facilities have also been completed for housing specialist research centers, notable for their design which incorporates an outer covering of solar panels. Main fields of research designated as the focus of the university's activities to address issues facing humanity linked with social advancement and economic development include resources research, energy, environment, science and materials engineering, biological sciences and biological engineering, applied mathematics and computer sciences.
