Dear KAUST Faculty, Students, Postdocs, Staff and Community Members,
At KAUST, our international environment allows us to bridge people, ideas and traditions from around the world. We pursue the best ideas with passion, integrity and openness. Therefore, our reputation goes beyond our scientific and technological research and education—it also encompasses the way in which we uphold our professional and ethical standards as a community.
Since arriving at KAUST, I have endeavored to create a culture where everyone has access to information and processes to enable them to meaningfully contribute and to perform at their highest level. During the past year, we have updated the Schedule of Delegations and Authorities to streamline our business practices and push decision-making authority down to lower levels throughout the organization.
Because our ethical standards are at the core of our reputation, we also have updated the University’s Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and our general Code of Conduct to address the evolving needs of the University. In addition, we adopted a Whistleblower Protection Policy which provides a means through which any member of the community can confidentially report an observed act of wrongdoing without being concerned that his/her report may jeopardize his/her employment or position with the University.
As a valuable and contributing member of our research, education and administrative community, I encourage you to take steps to familiarize yourself with our policies and procedures, which are available to everyone on our policy site. If you have any questions regarding any of our codes of conduct or the Schedule of Delegations and Authorities, or any ethical wrongdoing you may perceive, the following resources are always available to you.
- Staff members may contact their immediate supervisors with questions and clarifications.
- Students, faculty, researchers and staff within the Academic Divisions may contact their academic or research advisors, immediate faculty or staff supervisors and higher levels of the administration including the Academic Deans and the Office of Graduate Affairs.
- Any member of the University may direct questions or inquiries regarding research or academic integrity to the Vice President of Research or the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
- Any member of the University may direct questions or inquiries to Human Resources, the Internal Audit Department or the Office of the General Counsel.
When there is a special need for confidentiality or anonymity, I encourage you to contact the University’s confidential email address, confidential@kaust.edu.sa.
In closing, I appreciate your ongoing commitment to upholding our standards of integrity in everything we do. Our goal is to continually cultivate an environment where inquiry takes place with purpose, passion and respect while we uphold our standards of moral, ethical and professional conduct at work and throughout the community.
Thank you for helping make KAUST a destination for excellence in research and education.
Jean-Lou Chameau
President