Chosen by your suggestions, keynote lectures are the highlight of the Winter Enrichment Program. The 2015 keynotes cover myriad topics and are delivered by international experts and award winners. Here’s a look at the 2015 keynotes:
Leading by Example: the Role of Centers of Excellence
January 11
KAUST Board of Trustees member and highly successful Saudi businesswoman Lubna Olayan gives a unique insight into how businesses can actively promote excellence in a regional and international context.
The Nabateans: The Mada’in Saleh excavations
January 12
Hegra is the ancient name of the site known as al-Hijr and Mada’in Salih, and was the first Saudi Arabian site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. French Archaeologist Laïla Nehmé details the excavations undertaken at this site since 2002 and what they have revealed about the daily life of the Nabataean people.
A Neandertal Perspective on Human Origins
January 13
Neandertals lived in western Eurasia and the Middle East until becoming extinct around 40,000 years ago. Svante Pääbo of the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology shows how study of the Neandertal genome is informing our understanding of the development of humanity.
A Journey To The Edge of Human Limits
January 14
Multiple world champion and world record holder Guillaume Nery will take you with him to the depths of the ocean and into the fascinating world of free diving; the act of diving as deep as possible on a single breath.
Back to the Beginning in Cosmology and Radio Astronomy
January 18
Caltech’s Anthony Readhead shows how the current renaissance in low frequency radio astronomy is enabling small groups of radio astronomers to study the last frontiers of cosmology, and how Saudi Arabia is optimally placed to be a major player in this exciting new field.
The Promise of Urban Science
January 19
If you could know anything about a city, what would you want to know? Mike Holland of the Center for Urban Science + Progress illuminates how new data tools can provide a more scientifically rigorous understanding of how major urban systems operate, how they interact, and how they can be optimized to improve the quality of city life.
Deserts of the Earth
January 22
Adventurer Michael Martin uses photography and film to take us on his travels across the deserts and polar regions of the world, exploring the severity, beauty and commonality of these remote and beautiful parts of our planet.
If you have questions related to WEP 2015, please contact the Office of Enrichment at contactwep@kaust.edu.sa
2 comments
Why does this list omit Hosoi’s keynote? Has it been cancelled?
Hi Davaid,
Anette Hosoi’s lecture has not been cancelled. It was somehow omitted from this list. Our apologies for the confusiion. Anette’s keynote is at the building 20 auditorium on Tuesday, january 20 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.