King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and American University in Cairo (AUC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 30, 2007, to establish collaborative research and academic development that will positively impact the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region.

Nadhmi A. Al-Nasr, interim president of KAUST, and Dr. David D. Arnold, president of AUC, signed the MOU to establish a solid base of research and academic development that will be internationally competitive across a broad range of science and technology disciplines.

"This Memorandum of Understanding represents a wonderful opportunity for both KAUST and AUC," said Nadhmi Al-Nasr, interim president of KAUST. "We are thrilled and honored to partner with such a venerable institution in the Middle East, and I look forward to the opportunities we will have to advance the objectives of both institutions for the benefit of the region, and for the benefit of the world of scholarly research as a whole."

KAUST and AUC agreed to collaborate in many research areas including: Red Sea marine ecology and marine genomics; desert development, water and energy management in arid areas, desert buildings technology and advanced agriculture; and nanotechnology and advanced materials.

Both parties also pledged to consult on the establishment of graduate and other educational programs and curricula in the fields of study and research relevant to KAUST; enable exchange of students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty for fixed terms; and establish fellowships to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from AUC or KAUST for research in the Middle East.

In addition to AUC, KAUST has also entered into formal partnerships with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Institut Français du Pétrole in France, the National University of Singapore, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

About KAUST
KAUST is being built in Saudi Arabia as an international, graduate-level research university dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific achievement in the Kingdom, the region and around the globe. The KAUST global research and education network supports diverse talents both on its campus and at other premier universities and research institutions, through collaborative research agreements, grants, and student scholarship programs. The core campus, located on more than 36 million square meters on the Red Sea near Rabigh, is set to open in September 2009.

For more information about KAUST, visit www.kaust.edu.sa.