29 January, 2026
Change is inevitable, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) approaches relentless uncertainty with optimism and innovation, grounded in preparing young changemakers for the benefit of both Saudi Arabia and the world.
This focus was reflected at KAUST’s Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) 2026, the University’s flagship education program, which brings together students and leaders from across the Kingdom to explore how science, ideas, and community help societies adapt and thrive.
Under the theme “Adaptation: Reshaping for a Fluctuating Future,” students and researchers at WEP examined how science, ideas, and community empower individuals and cultures to adapt and thrive amid disruption.
“Yes, there is more change — certainly in quantitative terms — than at almost any time in human history, and it is appropriate, indeed sensible at times, to have a degree of anxiety when you think about that,” said KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC. “But also, we have greater capacity. We have more tools at our command to deal with that change and lead to positive outcomes than we’ve ever had before.”
H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Al Malik, deputy minister for research and innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), told WEP participants that universities such as KAUST are key to Saudi Arabia’s ability to adapt. Challenges facing modern food systems and environmental resilience require sustained inquiry, interdisciplinary thinking, and the patience to pursue long-term impact, he said — conditions that KAUST is designed to address.
“MEWA’s partnership with KAUST is grounded in a simple idea: Adaptation happens when scientific excellence is connected directly to national missions, policy decisions, and real-world deployment. That alignment between research, policy, and adaptation is what turns knowledge into impact.”
Read more at KAUST News.