King Saud University & KAIST discuss joint AI institute
The Saudi and Korean universities may start joint research on AI models
#SaudiArabia #research - South Korea’s KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) and Saudi Arabia's King Saud University are discussing the potential to form a joint AI research institute. The institute would focus on developing open-source artificial intelligence models and exploring practical industrial applications. The joint research institute was one of the collaborations discussed during King Saud President Abdulla Al-Salman’s visit to KAIST in Seoul. Meeting with KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee on Thursday, a variety of collaboration opportunities were discussed, including Lee’s Tripartite Platform Strategy to build an open-source AI alliance spanning the Middle East, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia.
SO WHAT? - Established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea, KAIST is a multi-disciplinary research institute with 1,500 faculty and 12,000 students. The university is the R&D powerhouse who’s basic and applied research underpinned the industrialisation of Korea, lead the nation to emerge as a global economic power. KAIST has many international collaboration programmes including joint research projects, scientist exchange programmes, and overseas centres such as KAIST Europe, a research lab in Saarbruecken, Germany, and the Indo-Korea Science and Technology Centre, in Bangalore, India. Therefore, the outputs of a potential KAIST-King Saud University partnership could prove to be of national significance.
Some key points regarding KAIST-KSU discussions:
King Saud University President Abdulla Al-Salman met with KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee on July 3rd during his official visit to KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) in Seoul. The two university leaders agreed to pursue strategic cooperation in AI and digital platform development.
Among the collaborations discussed was a potential KAIST and King Saud University joint AI research centre to co-develop open AI models and explore practical industrial applications.
The collaboration would combine Saudi Arabia's capital and digital infrastructure with South Korea's leadership in core AI technologies, semiconductor development, and applied research capabilities.
The two university heads also discussed a partnership to promote international collaboration based on open-source principles to foster technological diversity.
The partnership would support KAIST President Lee's Tripartite Platform Strategy, a potential open-source-based AI alliance spanning the Middle East, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia regions, as a neutral alternative to US-China technological dominance..
Cooperation areas include joint development of open-source AI technologies, launch of a KAIST-KSU dual graduate degree programme, plus student and faculty exchange initiatives.
South Korea advanced science and technology institute KAIST brings expertise in semiconductor technology, applied research, and talent cultivation to the partnership.
Al-Salman’s visit to the KAIST Campus was initiated under the Korea Foundation's Distinguished Guests Invitation Program, overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with continued institutional support expected. KAIST and KSU plan to formalise collaborations agreed by signing an MOU in the near future.
Founded in 1957, King Saud University is Saudi Arabia's first national university and leading research institution in AI, energy, and biotechnology fields.
ZOOM OUT - The South Korean government has been working methodically on expanding Korea-Saudi government, business and trade relations over the past five years. South Korea's Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong led a delegation of Korean companies to Saudi Arabia in 2022 pitch for NEOM and smart city business. Following this, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's made a state visit to South Korea later that month. Meanwhile, the Saudi Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) and Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) opened the Riyadh Global Business Center in 2023. Reciprical visits between Korean and the Kingdom ministers and officials continued throughout 2023, leading up to an official visit to Saudi by then President Yoon Suk Yeol. The bilateral activity between the two countries continues to grow.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]