End poverty in all its forms everywhere
1.1 EDUCATION & RESEARCH
Helping low-income countries assess their energy resources
Currently classified as a low-income country , Rwanda ’ s goal is to be a high-income country by 2050 . However , developing a country with limited access to energy and critical levels of environmental depletion is a big challenge . Studies such as these are valuable tools to ensure a full understanding and minimization of mismatches between available resources and the developmental goals of a country .
Fighting poverty through the eradication of Striga
The
Striga Solutions project , led by researchers from KAUST ’ s Center for Desert Agriculture , aims to eradicate witchweed ( Striga hermonthica ), a parasitic plant that attacks cereal crops , including pearl millet , a staple food for African smallholder farmers . It is estimated that Striga infestations cause annual losses of more than $ 7 billion , impacting the livelihoods and food security of approximately 300 million people .
The multidisciplinary project has a global collaborative network of experts from Saudi Arabia , Japan , The Netherlands , Burkina Faso , and Kenya , and is
supported by a $ 5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation since 2019 . Over 2021 and 2022 the team has been developing efficient hormone-based methods , is working on the identification of genetic targets for breeding and generating Striga-resistant pearl millet varieties . So far , some of these methods have shown promising results , with a
field trial in Burkina Faso resulting in a 60 % reduction in Striga emergence .
Prof . Salim Al Babili ’ s Group
1.2 OPERATIONS
Fully sponsored education
Through its
fully-funded graduate programs , KAUST enables students from any socio-economic background to access its wide range of renowned academic programs , live on the shores of the Red Sea , and conduct groundbreaking research in its state-of-the-art facilities . The fellowship - attributed to all admitted KAUST students - includes campus housing , a monthly living allowance ( from $ 20,000 to $ 30,000 annually , depending on qualifications ), relocation support , and free tuition fees . Students are also entitled to free medical and dental care as part of their insurance scheme . Support for processing and paying for legal bureaucracy to live and study in Saudi Arabia for the student and its dependents is also covered .
Fully funded graduate research
Living Stipend
Free Housing
Free Tuition
6 | KAUST SDG HIGHLIGHT REPORT