New alliance announced today

“KAUST’s decision to enter into an academic alliance with both the Department of Chemical Engineering and Department of Materials at Imperial College is based on its pre-eminent global reputation, built on the long-time scientific achievements of its faculty,” said Nadhmi Al-Nasr, KAUST’s Interim President.

He added, “Imperial College will provide KAUST not only with the practical tools to build the new University’s intellectual capital, but is also a model of the sort of research university KAUST aspires to be.”

KAUST has also signed Academic Excellence Alliances with Stanford University, University of Texas at Austin and University of California-Berkeley.

For further Imperial College information please contact:

Colin Smith
Press Officer
Imperial College London
Email:
Tel: +44 (0)207 594 6712
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors:

1. About KAUST

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (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. As an independent, merit-based institution, KAUST will employ many of the best practices from leading research universities and enable top researchers from around the globe and across all cultures to work together to solve challenging scientific and technological issues. The KAUST global research and education network will support diverse talents, both on its campus and at other premier universities and research institutions, through collaborative research agreements, grants, and student scholarship programs. KAUST will be merit-based, open to men and women from all cultures around the world, and governed by an independent, self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. The core campus, located on more than 36 million square meters on the Red Sea at Thuwal, is set to open in September 2009. For more information about KAUST, visit http://www.kaust.edu.sa

2. About Imperial College London

Imperial College London - rated the world’s fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings - is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 12,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise
culture.
Website: www.imperial.ac.uk