Saudis launch hi-tech university - 24 Sep 09BackSaudi Arabia has opened the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) near Jeddah, its first co-educational university. Authorities hope the mixed-gender centre will help modernise the kingdom's deeply conservative society. The high-tech campus will focus on science and technology, with professors and students drawn from around the world. The multi-billion-dollar university is being seen as an attempt by King Abdullah to promote reforms in the kingdom. Women will also not be required to wear veils in the co-educational classes. This is in contrast to the wider country where a strict Wahhabi branch of Islam is practised and women are completely segregated. Hussein Shobokshi, a columnist for the Asharq Alawsat newspaper, told Al Jazeera: "It is a paradigm shift. Education is the tool for empowering this change. This is a global initiative. "This is a very ambitious project that puts a lot of pressure on the Saudi institutions to raise the bar and meet the level of this university - culturally and ethics wise." Al Jazeera's Sabina Castelfranco reports from Jeddah. Category: News Uploaded: September 24th, 2009 @ 11:29 am Author: AlJazeeraEnglish Length: 02:39 Rating: Views: Tags: aljazeera sabina castelfranco saudi arabia university kaust king abdullah of science and technology middle east education reform conservative society conservatism wahhabi islam social change mixed gender Related Video Links:» View Video Comments For Saudis launch hi-tech university - 24 Sep 09 » View AlJazeeraEnglish's Other Uploaded Videos Video Thumbnails:Video Embedding Code:* Embed this video on your website, social bookmark, myspace, or blog. |
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