News
www.kaust.edu.sa
January 2014
3 Photo Credit: Laurence Hapiot
“Discover Saudi Arabia: The Hejaz Railway” Exhibition Displays Kingdom’s Rich History
WEP photographers in action, tracking the Ottoman Hejaz Railway.
The Hejaz Railway, an impressive feat of
Arabia’s cultural diversity and was very well
inaugurated in Madinah on September 1, 1908.
San Roman Alerigi, PhD student in the KAUST
engineering from the early 20th century made
received in the community,” explained Hapiot.
The line extended from Damascus to Madinah,
Photonics Lab and director of photography for the
famous in the 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia,
“This year, we decided to focus specifically on the
but never reached Makkah, as it was severely
exhibition. “Sometimes when people are living
was the subject of the Winter Enrichment
Hejaz Railway, a topic that is closely linked to the
damaged during the World War I Arab Revolt
here, they don’t have time to look up and see the
Program’s (WEP) second annual Discover Saudi
history of the Kingdom. Everybody has images of
against the Turks.
skyline or learn about the rich history. We wanted
Arabia photography exhibition.
it from movies and history books, so we wanted
The exhibition, organized by Laurence Hapiot,
to show it to the community.”
Hapiot and a team of several photographers
to show it to them.”
and history enthusiasts from KAUST, including
“We were very happy to see more of Saudi
KAUST research consultant and archaeologist,
The Hejaz Railway project began in 1900 under
staff, students, and other community members,
Arabia,” Hapiot said. “We didn’t realize how many
and Marie-Laure Boulot, WEP Manager, opened
Sultan Abdulhamid II, who ruled the declining
journeyed to different areas of the abandoned
fascinating things there are in the Kingdom. There
on January 20 in the Engineering Science Hall.
Ottoman Empire from 1876-1909. It was designed
railway line that crosses Saudi Arabia’s western
is always more to discover.”
It followed on last year’s Discover Saudi Arabia:
to facilitate a faster and easier journey for pilgrims
Hejaz region to take the exhibition’s photos.
Archaeological and Historical Heritage exhibition,
to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
which focused on cultural heritage sites across the Kingdom. “The previous exhibition showcased Saudi
“This was about bringing people who have a
the Hejaz Railway exhibition and the WEP 2013
After an arduous eight years of construction
talent with photography and who are interested
exhibition are available for display at other official
challenges through some of the world’s most
in the history of the Kingdom on a journey to
KAUST events. Please contact Hapiot at laurence.
desolate territory, the railway was officially
discover different sites,” explained Damian
hapiot@kaust.edu.sa for more information.
Facing Fear and Moving Forward
Mike Horn
The exhibition ran from January 20-27. Both
able to create your comfort zone, and in this comfort zone you have your car, your TV, your family, your friends, and your circle. You turn
“It’s only when the will to win
ski kite in over 27 months – as chronicled in the film Arktos – The
in circles. It’s like a fish in a pond a little bit; and that’s what your
becomes bigger than the constant
Internal Journey of Mike Horn.
comfort zone is. But life is lived outside the comfort zone. Nobody
fear of losing that we can go
Horn presented captivating images and videos to a packed
out there and do extraordinary
auditorium of another exploit he accomplished in 2006 with fellow
things,” said Mike Horn during
adventurer, Norwegian arctic explorer Børge Ousland. They became
While Horn advocates for everyone to push beyond their comfort
his WEP keynote lecture. The
the first men to trek unaided to the North Pole during the Arctic
zones in order to reach their full potential, he does acknowledge that
South African-born Swiss explorer
winter months of complete darkness. The audience was able to
one does not wake up one day and become an adventurer. “I think
and eco adventurer is world-
admire the first ever picture of a sunrise from the North Pole. He also
that we all have a certain DNA that makes us who we are and to be
renowned for having been the first
shared harrowing accounts of being raided by polar bears and the
able to discover this at a very young age, as I did, obviously helps me
human being to complete a solo
duo almost being engulfed in the frigid Arctic Sea.
to build a career in professional exploration,” he expounds.
said that you can’t create a comfort zone beyond your immediate comfort zone."
and un-motorized 18-month journey around the Equator, which he
Horn’s philosophy is that the vast majority of people on earth only
But one rule of thumb he learned from his father and which he
completed in 2000. Two years later, Horn set out on a pioneering
live at 10 % of their capabilities. “Human beings live in a comfort
believes applies to everyone is: "If your dreams don’t scare you
expedition to circumnavigate the Arctic Circle on foot, boat, and
zone, and we think that this is what success means. Success is to be
they’re not big enough."
:تتمة الصفحة األولى
Khalid Al-Falih | Continued from p1 knowledge-based economy. Both have a “common thread”
members represent the best of both KAUST and Saudi Aramco:
of “impactful research, technology, and talent, which are
people who use their knowledge of science and technology
necessary to spur economic growth and diversification,
to better the world by “combining their respective strengths,
create jobs, and address challenges” facing Saudi Arabia
expertise, and insights,” he said.
and the world.
This spirit of collaboration is one of KAUST’s main
Saudi Aramco currently counts more than 100 KAUST
strengths, Al-Falih said, as “innovation is not just a matter of
alumni as employees, and relies on the University as an
the most powerful electron microscopes or most sophisticated
important R&D partner. “KAUST serves as an example of the
nanotechnology clean room; it’s about scientists and
power of collaboration across disciplines and institutions,”
researchers collaborating to turn abstract ideas and theories
stated Al-Falih.
into transformative solutions.”
He noted an example of a team of eight KAUST graduates
KAUST and its work with academic and industrial partners
who are now Saudi Aramco employees. These men and
are a bridge “to an inspirational past, and will be a bridge to
women from four continents “designed and developed a robot
the future,” Al-Falih stated. “I believe also that [the University]
to inspect pipelines and hard-to-reach operational assets like
can bridge human understanding – an element that is essential
beams and elevated vessels,” Al-Falih explained. The team
to the spirit of open collaboration that drives innovation.”
كما أنها تنظر للجامعة كشريك استراتيجي مهم، من خريجي الجامعة100 أكثر من " تمثل جامعة الملك عبداهلل نموذجا لقوة التعاون بين المؤسسات: حيث قال، ، ثم تحدث عن فريق مكون من ثمانية من خريجي الجامعة."والتخصصات المختلفة هذا الفريق من رجال ونساء يأتون من.هم اآلن من موظفي شركة أرامكو السعودية والوصول إلى، أربع قارات " قاموا بتصميم وانشاء روبوت لتفقد خطوط األنابيب وهم يمثلون أفضل ما في الجامعة، األماكن الصعبة مثل الجسور والسفن المرتفعة وأفاد الفالح. بما يحملونه من معرفة وعلوم وتقنية لتحسين العالم،وأرامكو السعودية وأضاف "إن االبتكار،أن روح التعاون هي واحدة من نقاط القوة الرئيسية في الجامعة ليس مجرد مسألة تتعلق بأكثر المجاهر اإللكترونية قوة أو تطبيقات تقنية النانو وإنما االبتكار يتعلق بالعلماء والباحثين المتعاونين لتحويل،المعقدة واألكثر تطورا . " األفكار المجردة والنظريات إلي حلول تطبيقية وختم الفالح بقوله إن التعاون بين الجامعة وشركاءها في المجاالت الصناعية وأنه على يقين أن الجامعة،واالكاديمية يمثل جسرا بين ماضي ملهم ومستقبل مبهر يمكنها أن تبني مفاهيم االنسان – وهو عنصر هام لتشجيع روح التعاون الممتد الذي .يدفع االبتكار