Saudi Aramco, MIT Strengthen Relationship with New MOU
| June 26, 2012 – Saudi Aramco and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that provides a framework to expand the research and education partnership between the two organizations. Saudi Aramco also announced plans to create a satellite research and development center in Cambridge, MA, to enhance research collaboration. Under the MOU, Saudi Aramco agreed to become a Founding Member of the MIT Energy Initiative, which will substantially increase the scope of research collaboration, focusing on several areas of energy, such as renewable energy, desalination, and hydrocarbon production. Saudi Aramco and MIT have also agreed to enhance the Ibn Khaldun Postdoctoral Fellowship, which is awarded to one Saudi woman each year to spend one year at MIT conducting research with MIT faculty. Other cooperation and collaborations agreed to in the MOU include Saudi Aramco’s participation in MIT’s Master of Engineering in Manufacturing program; enhanced pre-college teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; online education; entrepreneurship and professional development opportunities; job fairs and the development of career opportunities in Saudi Arabia; and cultural exchange and outreach programs. |