King Abdullah Institute for Nano Technology and Prince Sultan International Distinguished Research Scholarships at King Saud University

Image source: King Saud University / KAIN / Science Photo LibraryText source: SciDevNet (under CCL 2.0 / England,Wales)Saudi Arabia boosts nanotech researchAuthor: Wagdy SawahelMarch 2009Saudi Arabia will launch several new centres to boost nanotechnology research in the region.The Saudi Arabian national research and development organisation and international research organisation IBM Research announced an agreement last week (26 February) to establish the Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in the capital, Riyadh.The centre will collaborate with IBM Research to identify and develop promising opportunities in nanotechnology. It will research materials for solar energy and nanomembranes for the desalination of seawater. Researchers will also investigate new methods for recycling plastic materials.King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has also donated US$9.6 million to establish further nanotechnology institutes at universities around the country, to promote education and research in nanotechnology.The US$3.2 million King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology will open by mid-2008 at the King Saud University in Riyadh, according to the Arab News website.Theodor Hänsch of the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany — winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in physics — will teach as a visiting professor at the institute, as part of the university's Nobel laureates programme (see Nobel laureates to strengthen Saudi science).Two other nanotechnology institutes are also planned, for King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah and the King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals in Riyadh, at a cost of US$3.2 million each.Mohammed Kuchari, associate professor at King Abdul Aziz University told SciDev.Net, "These nanotechnology initiatives along with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, due to open in 2009, will provide good tools for implementing [Saudi Arabia's] 25-year plan for higher education."Kuchari says nanotechnology, information technology and biotechnology are central elements in the plan, which is expected to be announced later this year.Abdel Wahab Rajab Hashem, a professor at King Saud University, says the centres will provide the human resources, innovation and pioneering technology needed to implement the Gulf strategy being prepared by the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, to transform their industries from petroleum production to knowledge-based industries using nanotechnology and biotechnology._______________________________King Saud University / King Abdullah Institute for NANO Technology / IBM Research Joint Ventures:http://www.scidev.net/fr/new-technologies/news/l-arabie-saoudite-relance-la-recherche-en-nanotech.htmlKing Saud University:http://www.ksu.edu.sa/sites/ksuarabic/Pages/Home.aspxPSIDRS:http://www.ksu.edu.sa/Administration/RectorDeputies/UDB/Programs/nanop/Pages/default.aspxKAIN collaborations with China:http://nano.ksu.edu.sa/NewsDetailes.aspx?NewsId=10KAIN collaborations with England:http://nano.ksu.edu.sa/NewsDetailes.aspx?NewsId=9

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LaVerne L Poussaint October 21, 2008 at 11:06pm

Indeed. Are you familiar with SciDevNet?

http://www.scidev.net/en/middle-east-and-north-africa

Just this month, the Islamic Conference of the Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced the creation of a new science citation index which will record contributions of researchers and scholars within Islamic countries to knowledge creation and discovery.

-LLP
PROF.DR.MOHAMED ABDELALL IBRAHIM October 21, 2008 at 10:11pm

Now i think the meddle est countries beginning new visions about advanced science ,Saudi Arabia and Egypt for SUSTANABLE FUTURE and GLOBAL COMPACT

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