Enrichment Spotlight: Omar Arafat
Omar Arafat, Cohort 7
In July, KGSP student Omar Arafat completed his summer internship in New Mexico at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, or LANL. As a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, selection for LANL student internships is very competitive and limited to students with a diverse background and significant academic promise. As a sophomore Chemistry major at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Omar excels in his coursework and serves as a positive role model to other students as an International Student Ambassador for the Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars.
KGSP’s commitment to providing meaningful enrichment opportunities tailored to individual student needs, talents and professional goals differentiates the Scholarship from other programs of its kind. KGSP students benefit from participating in at least two such activities each year—one in the summer, and one during the regular academic term. Summer enrichment activities include academic research at the home university, specialized research and enrichment programming at a visiting institution, industrial internships, and summer research placements with a KAUST faculty member on campus. Additional opportunities available throughout the year include attendance at conferences, seminars, short courses, training, as well as additional engagement activities with KAUST faculty and leadership. In 2016/17 academic year, over 90 percent of all undergraduates participated in such activities.
STUDENT PROFILE
KGSP students represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s future scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders. As both individuals and as a community, they reflect the KAUST mission of driving scientific discovery through excellence in education and cutting-edge research, and share a commitment to fostering innovation, economic development, and social prosperity throughout the Kingdom and the world.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Selection to the KGSP is extremely competitive, and currently by invitation only. Successful applicants are Saudi Arabian students in their final year of high school who demonstrate impressive academic credentials within STEM fields, meaningful extra-curricular achievements, and who share the KAUST ethos of continuous discovery. Learn more here.
KGSP ADMINISTRATION
The KGSP is administered by the Office of Strategic National Advancement at KAUST, under the direction of Vice President & Senior Associate to the President, Dr. Najah Ashry. Strategic National Advancement directs the university's strategy to serve Saudi Arabia's transformational priorities: Through initiatives in young talent and Saudi workforce development, social responsibility, and national engagement, the Office contributes to a thriving innovation ecosystem by building knowledge capacity, creating opportunities, and strengthening impact.
—King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud
1924 – 2015