Tuesday, January 13, 2026
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Building 20 Auditorium
Live stream
The Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) 2026 opens tomorrow, launching eight days of keynote lectures, performances, and campus-wide engagement under the theme “Adaptation: Reshaping for a Fluctuating Future.”
The opening day brings the KAUST community together to explore how people, ideas, and systems adapt and evolve in response to rapid global change—across science, technology, society, and culture.
Opening Keynote
Dr. Abdulaziz Almalik, Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), will kick off WEP 2026 with the opening keynote titled: “Adapting for the Future: Innovation, Resilience, and Transformation.” The keynote sets the intellectual foundation for WEP 2026 by examining how innovation and resilience are shaping national transformation and future readiness, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.
Featured opening performance
The opening of WEP 2026 will be marked by a signature artistic performance that reflects the program’s theme through creativity and movement.
The evening will feature a live performance by Julien Breton, presented in collaboration with ALIF – Motion Art.
Internationally recognized for his pioneering work in light painting and motion art, Breton blends Arabic calligraphy, motion, and light to create immersive visual experiences. Through ALIF – Motion Art, the performance explores themes of transformation, rhythm, and adaptation—offering a powerful artistic interpretation of how ideas evolve and reshape over time.
Serving as the artistic opening of WEP 2026, the performance translates the program’s theme into a compelling visual narrative and sets the tone for the conversations and discoveries to come.
About the Program
WEP 2026 is chaired by Professor Deanna Lacoste, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and co-chaired by Professor Atif Shamim, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
For more information, view the full agenda here