STEM Research and Lab in Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Upcoming Webinar – November 12
We would like to extend an opportunity to learn about our global STEM research internship program at an online information session that we will be hosting soon on November 12, 8:00 am PT.
About VSRP internships
As you may be aware, VSRP is a 3-6 month research internship program for Bachelors and Masters students to work with KAUST faculty on specific research projects on a range of STEM subjects. All projects are available to view online here: https://vsrp.kaust.edu.sa/internship/search
All accepted students receive funding for travel, health insurance, accommodation, as well as a monthly stipend of USD 1000. The program runs through the year and students have also done it as a co-op for their degree program.
Register here: https://kaust.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SoutxQigR-at0eb46F_qrg#/registration
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) offers funded internships in laboratory research for both undergraduate and graduate students from around the world, including University of Oregon students. Interns at KAUST will have access to close faculty mentorship, cutting-edge laboratory equipment, and excellent amenities.
Internship Duties
Example intern duties might include monitoring, research, data collection, lab work, and data analysis. Areas of internship cover a wide range of scientific topics, including biology, environmental science, computer science, mathematics, marine biology, chemistry, neuroscience, bioengineering, human physiology, physics, and data science. This program is highly individualized and is the only paid internship opportunity we offer through our program.
Internship assignments vary. While internships help develop technical abilities, they provide more fundamental life skills. Interns will get an introduction to the professional world as well as the opportunity to gain career ready competencies in critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and global and intercultural fluency.
KAUST is located near the town of Thuwal, on the shores of the Red Sea and near the historic cities of Medina, Jeddah, and Mecca. KAUST itself is home to approximately 8,000 individuals from over 120 countries who live inside the university gated community. Interns have access to all amenities at KAUST, including shops, restaurants, clinics, recreation facilities, and Red Sea beaches. KAUST has an average summer temperature of 38℃.
Geographic Region:
Middle East
Population:
KAUST – 8,000
Thuwal – 18,000 [2010]
Official Language:
English
Program Length:
8-12 Weeks
Housing:
Furnished Apartment (KAUST student housing)
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Flexibility to take on multiple job responsibilities, including entry level tasks
- Ability to take initiative, work independently and deal with ambiguity
- Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work on a team
- Strong attention to accuracy, details, and organizational skills
Students will enroll in 1 course for a total of 2 quarter credits.
Course #1: Intercultural Communication (online)
This course is designed to provide ongoing support to students doing internships abroad. Students will observe, explore and investigate the core cultural values in their host country during the internship, conduct comparison in the differences between their host and home country, and develop critical thinking skills and culture learning strategies. A weekly assignment for the online course includes: reading assignments, group discussions and a weekly journal. It will begin one week before your internship begins and end one week after completion. Due to the intense nature of interning, we recommend you do not enroll for any other classes during the internship period.
KAUST is open to graduate students and third or fourth year undergraduate students majoring in Biology, Environmental Science and Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Coastal & Marine Biology and more. This is a laboratory research internship and applicants are expected to have a relevant research focus.Minimum GPA: 3.5
This internship is conducted in English.
Estimated program costs and a detailed budget of projected expenses can be found on the Locations and Costs page.
Questions?
Please contact us at globalworks@uoregon.edu
During my time here I was a lab assistant in a microbiology lab. I mostly worked under a postdoc and Ph.D. student. It was under their guidance that I was able to expand my knowledge in microbiology and the scientific process. The project we were focusing on was astrobiology. Specifically, we were looking at how bacteria from Mars grow and survive in conditions similar to Mars. This is one of the first times that experiments have been conducted on bacteria collected from Saudi Arabia. The goal of our project was to see if these microbes could be used as model organisms for future astrobiological purposes.
The summer I have spent here at KAUST has been one of the best experiences of my academic career. I have learned a lot about myself and my future career goals. Over the course of the two months at KAUST, I completed 3 experiments (in the realm of academia, this is a lot for two months). The first one was one of the largest experiments that both the Ph.D. and postdoc have ever completed.
One of the reasons I decided to come to KAUST was to see if I enjoyed research and would want to peruse and career in academia. I was worried that I had an over-glorified idea of what the day-to-day life is like as a researcher. But after the heavy grind of this experiment, I can say that I don’t mind the tedious aspects of research.
I am also proud of the way I navigated and adapted to this new cultural experience. The campus itself at KAUST is very westernized, but I was still in Saudi Arabia. This kingdom had been heavily stigmatized in our media so I was very curious to experience it for myself. Within the first week of being here, I realized that a lot of the notions a came here with were nothing more than western prejudice. Of course, nowhere is perfect and this place is far from perfect, but I loved my time here. The people of Saudi are so incredibly nice and welcoming. Most of the friends I have made here are from Saudi, so this has been a great way to know the place better. I frequently left the KAUST campus to go the Jeddah or Thuwal, and they showed me the best places to eat and go in the area. Every weekend we were doing different activities like going to the Abha, boat trips, and private beaches in Jeddah. This was a great way to experience the culture here.
As I mentioned before, one of the reasons I chose this program was to see if a career in academia was something I liked and want to pursue. Both of my parents got a Ph.D. and were professors so this is something that I’ve wanted to do since a very young age. My parents have never glorified the world of academia and have been very honest with me about its difficulties. After my two months here I can say that I love the challenge that research provides and I can’t wait to keep learning. As of now, I am playing on coming back here to get my master’s degree and continue my career in academia.