A student of King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU) has been listed by Lucent Technologies among the best 56 electrical engineering students in the world. Dhaifullah Mustafa Al-Zahrani, 25, said he applied for Lucent scholarship after reading an advertisement at a university corridor. "I never knew that the advertisement was placed by one of the world famous centers for research and inventions," Al-Zahrani told Arab News. Al-Zahrani was later interviewed by a group of experts. After his selection, he was invited to meet his counterparts from other countries at the Lucent Center in New York. He said he was the only student from the Arab and Islamic world selected by the center. At Lucent, Al-Zahrani had an opportunity to meet with six Nobel Prize winners who have been working there as scientists. Al-Zahrani later participated in a research led by a German Nobel Prize winner on using plastic material as electrode instead of silicon. Silicon, which is currently used in many electronic products, is very expensive. Its quality is lower than plastic's. Al-Zahrani said he had received a gold medal from Christine Park, president of the Lucent Technologies Foundation, for his contribution to the research. The Lucent Center has offered to employ Al-Zahrani after providing him with necessary training. Professor Saleh Abdul Aziz Al-Kareem, dean of student affairs at KAAU, honored Al-Zahrani for his achievement.
