TIE 234 opens for Fall 2026 registration this week. Over one semester, KAUST M.S. and Ph.D. students take a research insight, an emerging technology, or a problem worth solving and turn it into a tested, evidence-based concept. The course sits within KAUST’s IMPACT framework and is open across disciplines.
What you will do
- Work in an interdisciplinary team.
- Interview real stakeholders and uncover problems that matter.
- Define a value proposition and competitive position.
- Stress-test assumptions, design experiments, and collect evidence.
- Build a testable design and prototype: hardware, software, or service.
- Present what you built, what you learned, and what the evidence says.
You do not need
- A pre-existing startup idea.
- A business or IT background.
- A fully developed technology or prototype.
You do need
- Curiosity and a willingness to work across disciplines.
- Active participation in a team.
- Time for stakeholder interviews, testing, and project work outside scheduled class hours.
One hour of concepts. Two hours of guided studio work. One semester to find out whether an idea can create real value.
Course details
| Course code | TIE 234 |
| Instructors | Prof. Mikkel Draebye and Prof. Coles |
| When | Tuesdays, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. September 1 to December 15, 2026 |
| Who | KAUST M.S. and PhD students |
| Eligibility | Registration is open and subject to academic advisor approval. Confirm your eligibility with your GPC before registering. |
| Register | Through the KAUST portal at https://portal.kaust.edu.sa. Registration closes Thursday, August 13. |
Course full, or not eligible this year?
Join the waitlist. Places open during the add and drop period, and waitlisted students will be contacted first. If your program guide does not currently list TIE 234 as an elective, adding your name registers your interest for future terms.
Have questions about the course? The TIE Program is hosting open sessions where you can meet the teaching team and talk through whether TIE 234 is right for you.
- August 19 and 20, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
- Building 2, Room 2290
- Drop in, no registration required.
