Date: Monday, April 27, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Location:Â Virtual
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The Policy Institute at KAUST invites you to a timely discussion with Dr. Basil Mahfouz, research fellow in metascience at University College London, titled Measuring How Well Governments Use Scientific Evidence with Machine Learning.
Moderated by KAUST Professor David Pugh, director of the SDAIA-KAUST Center of Excellence, this Policy Institute Speaker Series session will explore how governments use evidence in policymaking, while highlighting the persistent challenge of assessing how effectively scientific research is taken up in practice.
Drawing on an AI model trained on millions of research papers and policy documents, Dr. Mahfouz will show how machine learning can identify research likely to have policy impact, even when it is not directly cited. This approach highlights a new way to evaluate how selective government evidence use is and what factors shape whether policy-relevant research is adopted.
The session will also discuss how this work can support stronger alignment between research and national policy priorities, while improving institutional capacity for translating knowledge into policy impact.
Bringing together KAUST researchers, faculty, and the wider policy community with leading experts from around the world, the Policy Institute Speaker Series supports thoughtful dialogue on how science, technology, and research can better inform public policy decision-making in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
We would greatly value your participation in this discussion and hope you will be able to join us.
The Policy Institute at KAUST