Message from President Chameau

Dear KAUST Community,

I am pleased to announce the creation of the President’s Task Force which will focus on community, arts and cultural activities and events. As outlined at the February Town Hall meetings, I spoke about enjoying the range of community, cultural and recreational activities at KAUST. They are not just enjoyable, but also intellectually stimulating and a great opportunity to meet others. I have been impressed with the growing number of events to engage the community—from the sunset concert series, Thursday Night Live!, self-directed groups, the Winter Enrichment Program to cultural trips around the Kingdom, the Parade of Nations, and last week’s Festival of Flavors—we do it all! This list can go on, and to me it is proof that we have dedicated teams who invest countless hours making sure that we have a range of options for children and adults, literally almost every day of the year. At the Town Halls, I also emphasized that like many organizations we must continually improve and look for ways to explore new ideas through a constructive process. The Task Force offers such an opportunity. We have a great foundation and now we must ask ourselves—how can we improve?

Why a Task Force?

This Task Force will have two simple goals: (1) gain broad community input about activities and event that can enrich the community experience at KAUST, and (2) recommend ways we can improve coordination and communication to support existing and future activities and events. I know we have good ideas within our community and I anticipate the recommendations from the Task Force will be diverse and thoughtful.

As part of their work, I will ask the Task Force to take the time to review what we currently do, and ask the questions: what is missing and how can we improve? The Task Force will also be asked to use their networks and relationships to reach into the community for ideas and input. Whether it is through focus groups, presenting at meetings, or simply gathering their friends for coffee and conversation—the engagement should be robust and open to all. Lastly, I came to KAUST not just to join you in building a great university, but also to explore the Kingdom and learn about its rich history. I will ask the Task Force members to look at existing and potential activities that build upon our connections with the people and culture of the Kingdom.

As I discussed at the Town Hall meetings, the Task Force will not exist for an indefinite time. I will ask them to begin their work in April and to present their preliminary recommendations before the next academic year.

Task Force Membership

The Task Force is not meant to serve as the answer for all the community life needs, but it does represent another step in our journey forward and could serve as a future model of how we deepen community ownership and engagement. I hope the opportunity to serve inspires you to fill out a volunteer form. In order to ensure that we represent all of our community, the size of the Task Force will be larger than usual, but no more than 25 people.

Even if you don’t get selected, I encourage you to stay connected to the Task Force especially as it begins what I like to call ‘idea sessions’ around the community.

I have heard many of you express your pride in KAUST and a desire to contribute to the vibrancy of our community. I hope you welcome this opportunity to support an effort that will be driven by you for you.

Volunteer Now

Volunteering for the Task Force is open to all community members. To apply, please go to the Task Force website http://taskforce.kaust.edu.sa, which also has additional information for you to review. The deadline to submit your application will be on Monday, March 31 at midnight. I hope you will share the link with your friends and colleagues around campus and in the community.

Thank you again for your commitment to KAUST and I look forward to our partnership to continue building a strong and vibrant community.

Yours in service,

Jean-Lou