Saudi Higher Ed Goes Co-ed

It's illegal for women to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, but women now can attend a university with men, according to an Associated Press story that appeared in USA Today and other U.S. papers. The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or KAUST, was opened this week in the city of Jeddah.

According to the AP, KAUST "boasts state-of-the-art labs, the world's 14th fastest supercomputer and one of the biggest endowments worldwide. It breaks many of the conservative country's social taboos by allowing, for the first time, men and women to take classes together."

The more than 800 students presently enrolled represent more than 60 countries. Each student will receive a scholarship that covers tuition and includes a stipend for living expenses. KAUST officials told the AP that only 15 percent of the student body is Saudi. They expect to have a full enrollment of 2,000 students before 2020. There will be special measures made at the school to keep men and women separate.

"Humanity has been the target of vicious attacks from extremists, who speak the language of hatred," King Abdullah was quoted as saying at the ceremony. "Undoubtedly, scientific centers that embrace all peoples are the first line of defense against extremists. And today this university will become a house of wisdom ... a beacon of tolerance."

Oddly enough, "environmental research will be a priority at the university where more than 70 international faculty are on board," the Saudi oil minister, Ali Naimi, told the AP. "In a bid to recruit distinguished researchers, KAUST has tossed generous salary packages to prospective hires from around the world."

The Saudis hope, according to the article, that "KAUST will succeed in promoting scientific freedom in a country where strict implementation of Islamic teachings has often been blamed for stifling innovation."

Photo courtesy of Jebur, via Wikimedia Commons