2015 April Beacon

April 2015/Jumada Al-Akhirah 1436 Volume 5, Issue No. 8 ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬

‫ المملكة العربية السعودية‬،‫ثول‬

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

www.kaust.edu.sa

‫وصول شاهين لجامعة الملك‬ ‫عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ Shaheen arrives at KAUST Page 4 Workshop explores the Arabian plate’s geology Page 6 Hikma offers startup development assistance Page 8 Workshop attracts top researchers to campus Page 9 AMPMC hosts KAUST research conference Page 10 Red Sea Rugby hits KAUST Page 12

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In brief A team of researchers from KAUST published their research in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters on April 1, 2015. Associate Professor of Marine Science Michael Berumen et al's research overturned the prevailing paradigm by showing that whale sharks (R. typus) observe year-round residency by simply living at greater depths further offshore for periods during the year. The team was recognized for their combined use of visual sighting and acoustic telemetry of whale sharks.

KAUST welcomed a group of Saudi Aramco retirees to the campus on March 16 as part of the Saudi Aramco Annuitants Reunion. Over 600 retirees from around the world visited the Kingdom during Saudi Aramco’s two-week reunion to participate in excursions, events and tours. As part of the Jeddah excursion, Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance Nadhmi Al-Nasr and General Counsel William Stamm welcomed the group to KAUST. The group toured the labs, library and museum, remarking on the exceptional opportunity to become reconnected to Saudi Arabia, as many of them still consider it their home.

The Office of the Arts will host several performances in April. Don’t miss the upcoming concerts featuring our own KAUST musicians at the Community Concert on April 20 and the Sunset Concert on April 22. Come discover the hidden talents in our community at the annual Talent Show on April 30.

The 2016 Artists of KAUST exhibit will open with a reception on April 22 from 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. in the University Library.

The exhibition will run through May 5, showcasing paintings, photography, textiles, jewelry, sculpture and ceramics created by the KAUST community.

The Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) team has called for proposals for the 2016 WEP event. Proposals should be aimed at developing interdisciplinary activities to create a sense of community at KAUST. As of publication, the deadline for submissions is April 30. Email ContactWEP@kaust.edu. sa for more information. WEP 2016 will take place from January 10 to 21, 2016.

The Beacon Volume 5, Issue 8 PUBLISHED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

The Beacon Staff Managing Editors: Michelle D’Antoni, Salah Sindi Editor: Nicholas Demille Designer: Mahjubeh R. Mashhadi Arabic Editor: Saad Al-Husainan Writers: Caitlin Clark, David Murphy, Meres Weche Photographer: Ginger Lisanti Translator: Adel Alrefaie

The Beacon is published monthly. © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

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THE BEACON | APRIL 2015

Cover: KAUST celebrates the arrival of Shaheen on campus.

1. Participants of the 2015 Saudi Aramco Annuitants Reunion pose with Nadhmi Al-Nasr and William Stamm during their visit to KAUST. 2. The KAUST Petrobowl team receives their Middle East award. From left to right: Scott Berdahl, Stepan Shpakov, Ahmed Saad, Petrobowl judge Robert Kuchinski and Dias Urozayev.

Accolades Alfadhel receives best research paper honors Doctoral candidate Ahmed Alfadhel’s innovative artificial skin design has earned him the best research paper award at the 2015 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) Sensors Applications Symposium. Alfadhel is an electrical engineering student in the Sensing, Magnetism and Microsystems research group.

He worked with his supervisor, Professor Jurgen Kosel, to fabricate a layer of touches. The breakthrough will allow for the “development of a new range of cheap, disposable devices such as portable sensors for patients and elderly people or robotic arms and prosthetics with haptic perception,” Alfadhel said.

Mark Crowell named vice president of Innovation and Economic Development Mark Crowell has been named the vice president of KAUST's Innovation and Economic Development. As of July 1, 2015, his responsibilities will include the development, management and commercialization of our intellectual property portfolio, the creation and support of new businesses, fostering joint ventures and collaborations with industry partners and enabling a strong culture of entrepreneurship at KAUST. In addition, he will oversee the development and management of KAUST’s Research and Technology Park and will help drive the strategic positioning and operation of preseed, seed and/or venture funding initiatives.

Crowell brings over 25 years of experience as a leader in academic innovation and business development. He has consulted for organizations such as the World Bank, BIO, PhRMA, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Arkansas Research Alliance, Eva Klein and Associates, Wexford Science + Technology, the Research Triangle Institute and others.

“I look forward to building upon the momentum created at KAUST and contributing to the University’s vision to be a catalyst for innovation and economic development in Saudi Arabia and the world,” Crowell said.

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KAUST SPE student chapter wins Petrobowl On March 9, the KAUST student chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) won the Middle East regional qualifier for the 2015 Petrobowl. The KAUST team took top honors at the regional qualifier with a win in the final against Texas A & M, Qatar.

KAUST was represented by Ahmed Saad, Stepan Shpakov, Dias Urozayev and Scott Berdahl. The victory gives them a seat at the global Petrobowl championship in September, which will be held in Houston, Texas. SPE was founded in 1957 with the goal of exchanging industry knowledge and helping professionals grow their careers.

Crowell’s most recent international consulting work includes innovation capacity-building initiatives in Eastern Europe on behalf of the World Bank, innovation policy and best practices advisory projects in South America on behalf of BIO and keynote addresses at international conferences and symposia in Singapore, China, Thailand, Japan and Brazil.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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Shaheen arrives at KAUST

By Meres J. Weche

4 KAUST recently acquired a new Cray XC40 supercomputer. The new Shaheen is 25 times faster than its predecessor and IBM's Blue Gene system, also named Shaheen, which had been in use since 2009.

Weighing in at around 109 metric tons, Shaheen arrived in Jeddah on March 15, carefully packed into 123 crates aboard a chartered Saudi Airlines 747 from Chicago’s O’Hare international airport. The shipment was then loaded onto seven eighteen-wheeler trucks and caravanned to KAUST.

Why do we need a new supercomputer?

Supercomputers have a lifespan typically of somewhere between four to six years. “The original Shaheen is at end of life.

It has been here for six years, so it's time to refresh,” said Greg Newby, Manager of KAUST’s Supercomputing Laboratory.

The former system has limitations in the sense that it wasn’t as general-purpose as the new Cray XC40. The Blue Gene has relatively small memory per node and a fairly limited bandwidth—the speed at which it communicates with outside devices like storage and networks was slower.

“Shaheen is going to be much more broadly useable,” said Newby.

This was one of the university’s main requirements when selecting a new system. Currently, around 20-25% of the university’s faculty, as well as students, postdocs, researchers and external collaborators use Shaheen, according to Newby.

The characteristics of the original Shaheen meant that it could not respond to the needs of everyone on campus. IT researchers working in computing and computational biology, for instance, acquired their own clusters. “These are fine systems,” Newby explained. “But if the Blue Gene was more broadly useable, they might not have needed those systems.”

Why do scientists use supercomputers?

“Shaheen is made up of nearly 6,100 individual sets of processors called nodes, which are basically just individual computers,” said Newby. “If a scientist has a big data analysis job to run requiring the use of multiple computers, a supercomputer is needed."

Scientists might be interested, for example, in predicting how the wind will transport sand and dust across the desert to the Red Sea. This information may be of interest to those developing solar cells, where dust is a major factor. But modeling and predicting the wind is complicated, so computing the wind requires the use of a supercomputer.

Shaheen allows scientists to divide an entire region into X, Y and Z coordinates to form a 3D grid system of one-kilometer square subsections. The system would then analyze the wind in a particular cell and advance the clock by a fraction of a second in order to determine how the wind’s movements have evolved.

Each processor node handles the computation for a different cell. So the supercomputer essentially divides the problem into grids handling different computational elements.

“That’s what makes a problem good for supercomputing. If you can take the problem and divide it into component parts, you then spread out those component parts to the different computational processors. Kind of similar to a car engine that has six or eight pistons - they're all working together," Newby said.

1.The new Shaheen, a Cray supercomputer, arrives in Saudi Arabia on a chartered 747.

2. Jeddah station manager of Saudi Arabian Cargo Emad Zain and KAUST public relations representative Saad Al-Husainan, look on as the XC40 is unloaded.

3,4. A team of Cray and KAUST experts took several months to prepare the room and install the Cray XC40.

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THE BEACON | APRIL 2015

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‫وصول شاهين‬ ‫لجامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية‬

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‫ً‬ ‫أخيرا اقتنائها نظام الحاسب اآللي الخارق‬ ‫اعلنت جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيضا إسم شاهين ويزن حوالي‬ ‫كراي ‪ XC40‬الجديد والذي اطلق عليه‬ ‫‪ 109‬طن وهو ‪ 25‬مرة أسرع من الحاسب اآللي الخارق السابق والذي‬ ‫تستخدمه الجامعة منذ عام ‪.2009‬‬ ‫وتم شحن وحدات شاهين بعناية إلى مطار جدة بتاريخ ‪ 15‬مارس ‪2015‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫صندوقا على متن طائرة ‪ 747‬الضخمة التابعة للخطوط الجوية‬ ‫في ‪123‬‬ ‫العربية السعودية من مطار أوهير الدولي في شيكاغو‪ .‬ثم نُ قلت وحدات‬ ‫الحاسب اآللي العمالق من مطار جدة الدولي إلى جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫محملة على ‪ 7‬شاحنات كبيرة‪.‬‬

‫ما الداعي القتناء حاسب آيل خارق جديد؟‬ ‫ألن العمر االفتراضي للحاسبات اآللية الخارقة عادة ما يكون بين أربع‬ ‫إلى ست سنوات‪ ،‬يوضح البروفيسور جريج نيوباي‪ ،‬مدير مختبر جامعة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫قديما بعد فترة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل للحوسبة الفائقة‪" :‬أصبح شاهين األصلي‬ ‫ست سنوات من االستخدام‪ .‬لذلك فإن الوقت اآلن مناسب ً‬ ‫جدا لتحديث‬ ‫وتطوير النظام"‪ .‬كما أن الحاسب اآللي السابق يفتقر للعديد من المزايا‬ ‫خصوصا تلك المتعلقة بتعدد مجاالت االستخدام كما في نظام كراي‬ ‫‪ XC40‬الجديد‪ ،‬وبذلك ال يلبي احتياجات جميع الطلبة والباحثين والعاملين‬ ‫ً‬ ‫نسبيا‬ ‫في الحرم الجامعي‪ .‬اضافة الى أن ذاكرة شاهين باتت صغيرة‬ ‫وسرعة اتصاله محدودة وبطيئة عند االتصال مع األجهزة الخارجية مثل‬ ‫وحدات التخزين والشبكات‪ .‬ووصف البروفيسور جريج استخدامات شاهين‬ ‫بأنها واسعة النطاق أكثر من النظام السابق‪ ،‬وسيعود ذلك بفائدة كبيرة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوصا أن حوالي ‪ 25%-20‬من أعضاء هيئة التدريس ‪ ،‬فضال عن‬ ‫للجامعة‬ ‫الطلبة وزمالء ما بعد الدكتوراه والباحثين والشركاء الخارجيين يعتمدون‬ ‫على خدمات شاهين في أبحاثهم ودراساتهم‪.‬‬

‫كيف يستفيد العلامء من الحواسيب الخارقة؟‬ ‫يقول البروفيسور نيوباي ‪" :‬عندما يريد عالم إجراء عملية تحليل لبيانات‬ ‫كبيرة ً‬ ‫جدا فإنه يحتاج ألجهزة حاسب آلي ذات سرعة وقدرة معالجة عالية‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫واحدا على األكثر‬ ‫معالجا‬ ‫وأغلب الحاسبات الشخصية الموجودة تمتلك‬ ‫وهذا ال يكفي لتحليل ومعالجة هذا الكم الهائل من المعلومات‪ .‬ولكن‬ ‫معالجا تعمل ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫معا لمعالجة‬ ‫الحواسيب الخارقة مثل شاهين تضم ‪6100‬‬ ‫البيانات بقدرة فائقة ً‬ ‫جدا مما يوفر الكثير من الوقت والجهد للحصول‬ ‫على النتائج"‪ .‬فعلى سبيل المثال تعتبر عملية التنبؤ بكيفية نقل الرياح‬ ‫لألتربة والغبار عبر الصحراء إلى البحر األحمر عملية حسابية معقدة للغاية‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ولكنها مفيدة ً‬ ‫خصوصا‬ ‫جدا للعلماء المهتمين بتطوير الخاليا الشمسية‬ ‫أن تراكم األتربة على اسطح الواح الخاليا الشمسية يعتبر من التحديات‬ ‫الكبيرة في المناطق الصحراوية‪ .‬لذلك تحتاج هذه العملية إلى حاسب‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

‫آلي خارق للقيام بهذه المهمة‪ .‬شاهين سيمكن العلماء من تقسيم‬ ‫إحداثيات المنطقة بأكملها إلى أجزاء رئيسية وإعداد وتنسق نظام شبكي‬ ‫ثالثي األبعاد بمساحة واحد كيلومتر مربع لكل قسم‪ .‬ثم يبدأ بتحليل الرياح‬ ‫في كل قسم على مدار الساعة من أجل تحديد نمط حركة الرياح‪ .‬ويقوم‬ ‫كل معالج في شاهين بتولي مهمة معالجة العمليات الحسابية المعقدة‬ ‫والمختلفة على حدى ليعطينا تنبؤ كامل عن نمط حركة الرياح تحت كل‬ ‫الظروف‪ .‬ويصف نيوباي ذلك بصمامات محرك السيارة التي تتحرك ً‬ ‫معا‬ ‫لتوليد الطاقة الحركية ودفع السيارة‪.‬‬

Workshop explores the Arabian plate’s geology

By David Murphy We are very proud to have attracted a very distinguished set of both local and international speakers.” Dr. Martin Mai The Imaging and Active Tectonics of the Red Sea region workshop, held between Tuesday, March 10 and Friday, March 13, gathered over 20 international speakers and 30 In-Kingdom researchers to KAUST with the aim of developing an improved understanding of seismicity, seismotectonics, volcanic activity and the Earth structure of Saudi Arabia and the region.

Saudi Arabia is a natural laboratory for studying active tectonic processes, including rifting, volcanism and earthquakes, and how these shape local geologic features. The spectacular geology of the Arabian Peninsula offers the opportunity to investigate the formation and evolution of the Earth's upper-most geological layers (i.e. the continental lithosphere).

These active processes provide crucial information on how the lithosphere is deformed and modified, and how these processes drive volcanic and earthquake hazard.

This information formed the backbone of the discussion at the Imaging and Active Tectonics of the Red Sea region workshop.

A diverse collection of experts Scientists and researchers attended from countries that surround the Red Sea (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia), and from the U.S. and the U.K., France, Brazil and South Korea, along with representatives from the Saudi Geological Survey and the United States Geological Survey, from KACST, KSU, KAU, KFUPM and Saudi Aramco.

“We are very proud to have attracted a very distinguished set of both local and international speakers,” said Martin Mai, Professor of Geophysics, Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE).

A second successful session This is the second workshop on this topic at KAUST. The previous workshop was held in 2011. The four-day workshop consisted of presentations, a poster session, topical breakout meetings, a general discussion session and a geological field trip, plus a “state-of-knowledge” review on the tectonic evolution of Red Sea. A wide range of presentations were given in three main focus areas, namely: “Structure and Tectonics” of the Red Sea and its relation to the East African Rift; "Seismic Imaging and Earthquake Activity" that helps to illuminate the geodynamic processes occurring in the Earth's interior underneath the Arabian Plate, the Red Sea and the Afar Plume; and "Deformation and Volcanism" as manifestations at the Earth's surface of its deeply rooted geodynamics.

“The goal was to gather more information about new ideas, data and results from the field that address scientific questions on the evolution and present state of the Red Sea and the Arabian plate,” said co-organizer Sigurjon Jonsson, Associate Professor of Geophysics in the PSE division.

Impact in the Kingdom The workshop is part of ongoing collaborative research efforts in Saudi Arabia in the fields of monitoring and modeling seismic and volcanic activity in the Red Sea Region.

"Volcanic activity here is ongoing, and recent volcanic activities in the Southern Red Sea lead to the birth of new islands,” said Mai. “As recently as May 2009, a volcanic dike intrusion in the area of Harrat Lunayyir (200km north-west of Madinah) caused an intense seismic swarm that culminated in a magnitude 5.7 earthquake.”

“As the coastal regions of Saudi Arabia continue to develop and grow, we need to understand and quantify the natural hazards of the area that are caused due to earthquakes and volcanoes,” Mai noted.

“It is also an opportunity to present KAUST and its research, facilities, students and postdocs to in-Kingdom and international visitors who otherwise might not visit KAUST. Throughout the event we hope to facilitate international collaboration and data exchange,” said Mai.

1. Participants pose for a group photo outside building 16 during the 2015 Imaging and Active Tectonics of the Red Sea region workshop.

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THE BEACON | APRIL 2015

‫ورشة عمل حول التصوير‬ ‫الجيولوجي لمنطقة البحر‬ ‫األحمر ودراسة تركيب‬ ‫القشرة األرضية بها‬ ‫‪1‬‬ ‫طبيعيا لدراسة التغيرات‬ ‫مختبرا‬ ‫تتميز المملكة العربية السعودية بأنها‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫النشطة في تركيب القشرة األرضية أو ما يعرف بالعمليات التكتونية‬ ‫النشطة مثل التصدعات والبراكين والزالزل وتأثيرها على المالمح‬ ‫الجيولوجية المذهلة لمنطقة شبه الجزيرة العربية‪ .‬حيث توفر هذه العمليات‬ ‫التكونية النشطة معلومات هامة حول ما يطرأ من تشوهات وتغيرات‬ ‫على الغالف الصخري القاري وما يتبعها من مخاطر بركانية وزالزل‪ .‬وفي‬ ‫هذا السياق ‪ُ ،‬عقدت في جامعة الملك عبداهلل ورشة عمل حول التصوير‬ ‫الجيولوجي لمنطقة البحر األحمر والنشاط التكتوني بها في الفترة من‬ ‫الثالثاء الموافق ‪ 10‬مارس إلى الجمعة الموافق ‪ 13‬مارس بمشاركة‬ ‫متحدثا من مختلف أنحاء العالم وحضور ‪ً 30‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫باحثا من المملكة العربية‬ ‫‪20‬‬ ‫السعودية ومن جامعة الملك عبداهلل وذلك لبحث سبل تطوير دراسة‬ ‫األنشطة الزلزالية وبحث التغيرات النشطة في تركيب القشرة األرضية جراء‬ ‫هذه األنشطة‪ ،‬اضافة للنشاط البركاني ودراسة جيولوجيا المملكة العربية‬ ‫السعودية والمنطقة العربية‪.‬‬ ‫وجاء العلماء والباحثين من الدول المحيطة بالبحر األحمر وهي ( إريتريا‬ ‫وإثيوبيا واليمن ومصر والمملكة العربية السعودية) كما حضر علماء‬ ‫وباحثين من الواليات المتحدة األمريكية والمملكة المتحدة وفرنسا‬ ‫والبرازيل وكوريا الجنوبية‪ ،‬هذا باإلضافة إلى ممثلين من هيئة المساحة‬ ‫الجيولوجية السعودية وهيئة المسح الجيولوجي بالواليات المتحدة‬ ‫األمريكية‪ ،‬وكذلك علماء وباحثين من مدينة الملك عبدالعزيز للعلوم‬ ‫والتقنية‪ ،‬وجامعة الملك سعود‪ ،‬وجامعة الملك عبدالعزيز‪ ،‬وجامعة الملك‬ ‫فهد للبترول والمعادن وشركة أرامكو السعودية‪.‬‬ ‫وناقش المشاركون في ورشة العمل استراتيجيات وسبل البحث التعاوني‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مستقبال وذلك من خالل عقد شراكة مع الجامعات السعودية‬ ‫الدولي‬ ‫والمؤسسات البحثية في داخل المملكة والشركاء في مجال األبحاث‬ ‫العالمية‪ .‬وتحدث البروفيسور مارتن ماي‪ ،‬أستاذ مشارك في هندسة وعلوم‬ ‫األرض‪ ،‬قسم العلوم والهندسة الفيزيائية في وصفه لهذا الحدث الهام‪:‬‬ ‫" نحن فخورون بحضور هذه المجموعة المتميزة من المتحدثين المحليين‬ ‫والدوليين‪ ،‬كما أن هذه الورشة تشكل فرصة سانحة للتعريف بجامعة‬ ‫الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية وأبحاثها ومرافقها البحثية وهيئة التدريس‬ ‫والطلبة وزمالء ما بعد الدكتوراه‪ .‬كما انها مناسبة جيدة للتعريف بالجامعة‬ ‫للزوار من داخل المملكة أو خارجها ممن لم تتاح لهم الفرصة لزيارة الجامعة‬ ‫من قبل‪ ،‬ونأمل من خال هذه الورشة تعزيز أوجه التعاون الدولي وتبادل‬ ‫المعلومات‪".‬‬ ‫كما أوضح سيغورجون جونسون األستاذ المساعد في هندسة وعلوم‬ ‫األرض‪ ،‬بقسم العلوم والهندسة الفيزيائية والمشارك في تنظيم الورشة‬ ‫أن "هذه الورشة هي ثاني ورشة عمل تعقد في جامعة الملك عبد اهلل‬ ‫حول هذا الموضوع حيث ُعقدت الورشة االولى في عام ‪ ، 2011‬وتهدف‬ ‫لجمع المزيد من المعلومات حول األفكار الجديدة وبيانات ونتائج المسائل‬ ‫العلمية المتعلقة بتطور منطقة البحر األحمر والصفيحة التكتونية العربية"‪.‬‬ ‫واستمرت ورشة العمل لمدة أربعة أيام تخللها العروض التقديمية التي‬ ‫ركزت على ثالثة مجاالت رئيسية وهي "تركيبة منطقة البحر األحمر‬ ‫والنشاط التكتوني لها" وعالقة ذلك بالتصدع في منطقة شرق أفريقيا‪،‬‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

‫"التصوير الزلزالي والنشاط الزلزالي" والذي يساعد على إلقاء الضوء على‬ ‫العمليات الجيولوجية الديناميكية التي تحدث في الطبقة األرضية الداخلية‬ ‫للصفيحة التكتونية العربية ومنطقة البحر األحمر ومثلث عفار وتشوهات‬ ‫القشرة األرضية والبراكين" حسبما ظهرت على سطح الكرة األرضية التي‬ ‫عكست الجذور العميقة للعمليات الجيولوجية الديناميكية‪ .‬كما اشتملت‬ ‫ورشة العمل على جلسة عرض ملصقات االبحاث واجتماعات فرعية حسب‬ ‫الموضوع وجلسة مناقشة عامة ورحلة ميدانية جيولوجية‪ ،‬هذا باإلضافة‬ ‫إلى مراجعة أحدث ما تم التوصل إليه في مجال التطور التكتوني لمنطقة‬ ‫البحر األحمر‪.‬‬ ‫جزء من الجهود التعاونية المستمرة في‬ ‫وتعتبر هذه الورشة المتميزة ً‬ ‫المملكة العربية السعودية لرصد النشاط الزلزالي والبركاني في منطقة‬ ‫البحر األحمر ووضع نماذج لها في الوقت التي أصبحت فيه مخاطر الزالزل‬ ‫والبراكين من التحديات الهائلة خاصة في المجتمعات السريعة النمو التي‬ ‫كبيرا‬ ‫خطرا‬ ‫تتوسع من حيث البعد المكاني والكثافة السكانية‪ ،‬مما يمثل‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫على أصول البنية التحتية في ظل استمرار نمو المناطق الساحلية وتطورها‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫قائال‪ " :‬األنشطة البركانية في منطقة جنوب‬ ‫وأضاف البروفيسور مارتن باي‬ ‫البحر األحمر مستمرة وقد أدى أخرها إلى تشكل جزر جديدة‪ ،‬ففي عام‬ ‫‪ 2009‬تكونت قناة تسريب بركانية في منطقة حرة لونير بمحافظة العيص‬ ‫(على بعد ‪ 200‬كم من الشمال الغربي للمدينة المنورة) كنتيجة لتوالي‬ ‫النشاط الزلزالي الذي وصل إلى الذروة بما يعادل قوة زلزال بمقدار ‪."5.7‬‬

Hikma a new catalyst for startup development KAUST recently launched a new accelerator program called Hikma to help identify, develop and speed up the development of intellectual property (IP) based startups. In mid March, teams from KAUST and regional universities took part in a series of workshops to kick off a six-month process to accelerate their technology and startup development.

Hikma is run by the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center, with assistance from the KAUST Technology Transfer Office. It’s designed for students, postdocs and academics who wish to explore the startup potential of their technology.

“We have been very successful at launching new initiatives in KAUST over the last year, from corporate innovation to new startups to new entrepreneurship classes for students,” said Gordon McConnell, head of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center.

Similar to the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) I-Corp program, Hikma is designed to help the Kingdom increase the number of knowledge-based startups and maximize their benefits.

“The development of Hikma is the next logical step in terms of supporting the economic development aspects of the KAUST mission. We hope to expand the process in the next iteration to bring in additional KAUST and other Saudi university teams," McConnell said.

Building capacity in Saudi Arabia Hikma teams make use of techniques and methodologies developed to validate the commercial potential of startup projects. These are recognized, effective methods of customer and business model development. The Entrepreneurship Center has also created a new process to help startups manage the development of their patent-protected technologies into products.

“KAUST, like other universities in the Kingdom, has grown to a stage where we are starting to produce patents and other forms of IP from our intensive research activities. This new program is part of the continuing commitment of KAUST to impact the economic development of the Kingdom,” McConnell noted.

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THE BEACON | APRIL 2015

US National Science ‫الشركات التابعة للمؤسسة األمريكية الوطنية للعلوم‬ ‫وقد سمي البرنامج "حكمة" تيمنً ا‬.Foundation's (NSF) I-Corp program ‫دائما ما‬ ً ‫بالمصطلح العربي الحكمة وهو ما يعبر عن جامعة الملك عبداهلل التي‬ ."‫ُيطلق عليها اسم "بيت الحكمة الجديد‬ " ‫ رئيس مركز ريادة األعمال بجامعة الملك عبد اهلل‬،‫وقال غوردون ماكونيل‬ ‫استطعنا تحقيق نجاحات منقطعة النظير في إطالق مبادرات جديدة على مدار‬ ‫بدء من االبتكارات المتعلقة بالشركات والشركات الناشئة‬ ً ،‫العام الماضي‬ ً ً ‫قائال" إن‬ ‫وصوال إلى حلقات دراسية للطلبة حول الريادة في األعمال "وأضاف‬

‫تطوير برنامج حكمة يعتبر الخطوة المنطقية بالنسبة لنا في المركز من منطلق‬ ‫ ويحدونا‬،‫الدور الذي تلعبه جامعة الملك عبد اهلل في دعم التطور االقتصادي‬ ‫األمل في أن يتسع نطاق عمليات البرنامج ويتكرر ليضم فرق عمل من الجامعات‬ ."‫السعودية األخرى‬

‫دعم اقتصاد المملكة العربية السعودية‬ َ ‫الم‬ ‫طورة‬ ُ ‫تستخدم فرق العمل في برنامج حكمة التقنيات والمنهجيات‬ ‫للتحقق من جدوى اإلمكانات التجارية لمشروعات الشركات الناشئة المشاركة‬ ،‫وذلك بطريقة محددة وفاعلة بما في ذلك تطوير نموذج العمالء واألعمال‬ ‫أيضا االحتياجات التنظيمية والشخصية‬ ً ‫هذا باإلضافة إلى أن البرنامج يدرس‬ ‫جديدا‬ ‫مسارا‬ ‫ أنشأ مركز ريادة األعمال‬،‫ كذلك‬،‫والتسهيالت الالزمة لفرق العمل‬ ً ً ‫لمساعدة تلك الفرق الناشئة في المراحل المبكرة على إدارة تطوير تقنياتهم‬ .‫المحمية ببراءة االختراع وتحويلها إلى منتجات‬ ‫ كغيرها من‬، ‫ " وصلت جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬:‫ويقول ماكونيل‬ ‫ مرحلة تطوير وإصدار براءات االختراع وغيرها‬،‫الجامعات األخرى في المملكة‬ ‫ ويعتبر‬،‫انطالقا من أنشطتنا البحثية المكثفة‬ ‫من أشكال الملكية الفكرية وذلك‬ ً ‫جزء من التزام جامعة الملك عبداهلل المستمر في تعزيز‬ ً ‫برنامج حكمة الجديد‬ ."‫التطور االقتصادي للمملكة‬

1 Workshop attracts top researchers to campus

By Caitlin Clark KAUST’s Second International Spin-Orbit Torque Workshop was held on February 26 – 28. The workshop gathered scientists in spin electronics, or “spintronics,” from around the world to discuss the emerging field of spin-orbit torques.

‫جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم‬ ‫والتقنية ُتطلق برنامج حكمة‬ ‫لتسريع إجراءات حقوق‬ ‫الملكية للشركات الناشئة‬ ‫اعلنت جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية عن اطالقها برنامج حكمة‬ ‫وذلك لمساعدة الشركات الناشئة في تسريع إجراءات تحديد وتطوير حقوق‬ 2015 ‫ مارس‬21 ‫ واقيمت ورشة عمل توجيهية بهذه المناسبة في‬.‫الملكية‬ ‫شارك بها فريق عمل من جامعة الملك عبداهلل والجامعات اإلقليمية لمدة‬ ‫ثالثة أيام كنقطة انطالق لعملية تستمر ستة أشهر لتسريع تطوير التقنيات‬ .‫والشركات الناشئة الخاصة بهم‬ ‫ويدير مركز ريادة األعمال بجامعة الملك عبداهلل برنامج حكمة بالتعاون مع‬ ُ ‫ وهذا البرنامج الجديد موجه للطلبة ولزمالء ما‬،‫مكتب االبتكار ونقل التقنية‬ ‫بعد الدكتوراه واألكاديميين ممن يرغبون في معرفة إمكانيات تقنياتهم‬ ‫المبتكرة في تسويق شركاتهم الناشئة حيث يقدم عملية تطوير ممنهجة‬ ‫ وهو األمر الذي‬،‫ألنشطة الشركات الناشئة التي ترتكز على حقوق الملكية‬ ‫من شأنه أن يساعد في تأسيس أعمال وطنية تعتمد في تطورها على تقنيات‬ ‫ وبالتالي زيادة عدد الشركات الناشئة في المملكة‬،‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫استنادا إلى المعرفة الجيدة وهذا يتشابه مع النموذج األمريكي لبرنامج‬ ً

The spintronics field marries nanoscale electronics and magnetism, and spin-orbit torque as an alternative method to control magnetism in nanodevices. The phenomenon, first predicted in 2008 by Aurelien Manchon, KAUST Assistant Professor of Material Science and Engineering, and Professor Shufeng Zhang from the University of Arizona, was confirmed experimentally a year later.

“Spin-orbit torque is currently attracting massive attention from researchers and the microelectronics industry, as it offers a new paradigm for non-volatile magnetic memories,” said Manchon, who was also a speaker and chair of the organizing committee for the event.

The workshop featured talks by world-renowned speakers in the field, including M.I. Dyakonov, a pioneer in semiconductor spin physics, and Stuart Parkin, winner of the 2014 Millennium Technology Prize for his research in increasing magnetic disk drive storage capacity.

“I was impressed by the number of new results that were shared for the first time during the workshop,” said Manchon.

He noted the participants were fascinated by the announcement of the first demonstration of the electrical manipulation of an antiferromagnet, as this followed a theoretical prediction made by a collaboration of researchers from KAUST, the Institute of Physics in Prague, Czech Republic, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.

The first observation of room-temperature skyrmions in ultrathin metallic multilayers also triggered intense debate among attendees, as skyrmions are topological magnetic defects that may be used for ultra-high data storage.

“The workshop was designed to encourage interaction between the participants in discussion sessions,” explained Manchon. “These sessions were a fantastic opportunity to share our views and understanding of complex effects and to identify the next hot directions for research.”

Manchon noted that the next workshop will be held in Germany in 2016, and in Korea in 2017.

“Although the conference began at KAUST, the fact that it will be held in Germany and later in Korea is a clear indication that the concept we developed for the workshop, which includes much interaction and discussion between participants, is attracting increasing interest in the field,” he said.

1. KAUST researchers and visiting academics view posters during KAUST's Second International Spin-Orbit Torque Workshop.

www.kaust.edu.sa

9

AMPMC hosts KAUST research conference

By Caitlin Clark

Attendees were particularly impressed with the caliber of the facilities and people at KAUST.” Dr. Ingo Pinnau

Thirty-five KAUST master’s and doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and research scientists took part in a poster session on February 23. Lukasz Weselinski, a postdoctoral fellow in Eddaoudi’s Functional Materials Design, Discovery & Development (FMD3) group, presented a poster at the session.

From February 23-25, KAUST’s Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center (AMPMC) hosted the AMPMC/ KAUST Research Conference entitled Recent Developments in Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials for Energy, Environmental and Water Applications.

“The conference has been excellent, featuring the top scientists from the membranes and porous materials field,” Weselinski said. “It has been remarkable to have such great scientists here to view our work in our relatively small research community.”

The conference focused on membranes for energyenhanced output, such as natural gas separations and petrochemical separations; clean environment, such carbon capture and separation; and novel functional materials, such as porous materials for gas storage and separations, controlled drug delivery and other biomedical applications.

Fostering networking and collaboration opportunities

In total, the conference featured 16 invited guest speakers and 11 speakers from KAUST. Its 216 attendees included representatives from several Saudi universities, including King Abdulaziz University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Taibah University and Taif University, and industrial representatives from Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Saudi Binladin Group.

“The sessions were very interactive and attendees asked many questions,” said KAUST Professor Mohamed Eddaoudi, AMPMC’s associate director. “It was very exciting to host such an outstanding conference with key speakers on campus.”

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Poster session showcases research

THE BEACON | APRIL 2015

Ingo Pinnau, director of the Advanced Membrane and Porous Materials Research Center, noted that the conference helped KAUST students, postdocs and researchers “interact with state-of-the-art scientists in the field, which was a valuable opportunity for them,” he said.

“We received excellent feedback from all the participants about the conference,” Pinnau added. “The attendees highlighted new networking possibilities with KAUST, and also expressed a strong interest in returning to collaborate with us. Attendees were particularly impressed with the caliber of the facilities and people at KAUST.”

2

1

3

Poster competition winners announced Doctoral student Dalal Alezi (poster entitled: “Construction of Porous RE-MOFs Based on the Assembly of Two Highly Connected Rare-Earth Molecular Building Blocks”).

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Dongxu Xue (poster entitled: “Tunable Rare Earth fcu-MOFs Platform: Access to Adsorption Kinetics Driven Gas/ Vapor Separations via Pore Size Contraction”).

Research scientist Dr. Madhavan Karunakaran (poster entitled: “Highly Ordered Nanoporous PS-b-PEO Membranes by Water Induced Phase Inversion Technique”).

1. Posters on display at the AMPMC/KAUST Research Conference poster session on February 23.

2. Members of the KAUST research community and visiting professors view posters on display at the AMPMC/KAUST Research Conference poster session.

3. Attendees at the AMPMC/KAUST Research Conference.

www.kaust.edu.sa

11

My University Faten Barayyan Faten Barayyan has been working at KAUST since September 2009. She works in the University Library in the document delivery service in a vital role that helps students, researchers, faculty and staff get their hands on scholarly articles that aren’t available in the library’s current collection.

It’s not an easy job. In fact, Faten has had the rare opportunity to help cobble together the system of lending and purchasing networks that currently delivers these services to campus. In the process, she has picked up some invaluable experience, co-authored a paper on the topic, and has even been appointed to the International Federation of Library Associations Standing Committee on document and resource sharing.

“I am now the first member in this standing committee in the Gulf and Arab countries level,” Faten said.

"KAUST is investing in me," she added. "It has given me the opportunity to attend the trainings and conferences necessary to achieve, and the quality of management has put our objectives in the right lane."

1 Red Sea Rugby hits KAUST The Red Sea Rugby Club hosted a 10s tournament at Safaa Stadium on Friday, on Friday, March 27. Players of all ages took part, with children's games in the early afternoon and men's games leading up to the final in the evening.

The KAUST team performed admirably, but ultimately the Jeddah Rugby Football Club took home first place honors.

KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau was in attendance to hand out medals to the children. He congratulated all the participants at the end of the evening and gave the winners' trophy to Jeddah Rugby FC.

Wejdan Khan Wejdan Khan is an Early Childhood Arabic and Islamic Studies teacher at The KAUST School.

Before moving to KAUST, Wejdan worked as an English kindergarten teacher in Jeddah. Her job here is centered on exposing the K1 students to the Arabic language through play-based learning experiences, including art, games, songs, stories and role playing.

"I love working with children of this age. From my time with them I get a chance to see life through their eyes, and it is a liberating and precious experience," she said.

2

Wejdan is quick to advocate how KAUST has helped her grow on both a personal and professional level. “KAUST continues to give me opportunities to improve my skills and deepen my knowledge of education. A continued daily interaction with people from different backgrounds and cultures has helped make me more open-minded and willing to adapt to change when needed," she said.

She describes KAUST as a unique and safe environment for both her and her family. "Life here is easier for us - we don't have to worry about much here, it is so safe," she noted. "You cannot find this type of lifestyle elsewhere. With all of the facilities, free equipment and parks right next to your door, it is really astounding."

3 1. President Chameau hands the trophy to Jeddah Rugby FC, winners of the KAUST Red Sea Rugby Tournament.

2. President Jean-lou Chameau hands out medals to young participants of the rugby tournament.

3. Players compete for the ball during a match at Safaa Stadium.

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THE BEACON | APRIL 2015