OREANDA-NEWS. October 25, 2012. The second SABIC Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards for researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) were presented at a function held at the university campus in Thuwal on October 17 as part of the company’s support for the university’s academic innovative research efforts.

During the ceremony, which was held in the presence of Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, and Prof. Choon Fong Shih, KAUST President, 13 fellows received the award and the funding to pursue their proposed research. The topics were selectively chosen to address SABIC-KAUST long-term research strategies. They include solar energy, feedstock and catalysis, separations, biorenewables, computation and environmental sciences.

Speaking at the function, Al-Mady said, “SABIC is committed to encouraging new ideas and the building of effective solutions. We believe in the power of human ingenuity – which is why we are committed to encouraging scientists and promoting cutting-edge research at higher education institutes in Saudi Arabia.”

He said that KAUST’s dedication to develop knowledge and technologies has made it one of the most important centers of teaching and research in the region. “We clearly see the benefits of our business and research partnership with KAUST in support of our customers’ needs as well as for the good of humankind.”

Prof Shih said that new ideas and approaches are needed to tackle critical challenges facing humanity today – water, food, energy and the environment. “To deliver novel and transformative solutions to these challenges it is essential to nurture talents – scientists and engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs – with drive and creativity. SABIC and KAUST are investing together in ambitious and enterprising talents for the Kingdom and the world, supporting postdoctoral research of the highest quality,” he said.

Ernesto Occhiello, SABIC Technology and Innovation Executive Vice President, pointed out that besides the postdoctoral fellowship awards SABIC was committed to support the KAUST mission via several key avenues. “Establishing SABIC Corporate Research and Innovation Center on the university campus, funding of projects in areas with direct impact on SABIC businesses, sponsorship of employees’ higher education at the university and hiring top KAUST talent are only a few examples of the methods of engagement,” he said

For his part, Prof. Stefan Catsicas, KAUST Provost, said that despite its short lifespan, KAUST has developed a strong tradition for innovative science at the interface between academic excellence and industrial relevance. “Postdocs play a crucial role in the success of our faculty and the visionary support from SABIC will strengthen this tradition. This year’s award winners have all the cards to make major contributions that will expand the body of knowledge within their research disciplines,” he said.

Dr. Abdullah Mojel, Vice President, University Development, praised SABIC’s continuing support to the university’s post-doctoral fellows and said it was highly valued. He pointed out that the 2011 recipients of the SABIC Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards have published 19 papers in prestigious scientific journals and have made nine presentations at international conferences. “We anticipate a similar success story for this year’s recipients. Donations and grants from individuals and the corporate sector are appreciated, and help drive research at the university,” he said.

Last year awardees patented their research findings, while some patents are awaiting approval. SABIC values the opportunity to reward research excellence as it is of significance not only to SABIC, but also to the university, the researchers, their supervisors, the region, and the scientific community at large.