Global university leaders meet at KAUST: World Academic Summit 2025
Academic leaders from around the world convene at KAUST for the 2025 Times Higher Education World Academic Summit — the first held in the Middle East.
Across the Kingdom and around the world, governments and industries are turning to universities as partners in solving the defining challenges of sustainability and economic diversification.
With that in mind, academic leaders from top global institutions converged at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) during the Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit 2025, held October 7-9, to share ideas and solutions that shape the path ahead for nations.
“If universities aren’t addressing themselves to these problems in a really proactive way, nobody will solve them,” said KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC. Hosted for the first time in the Middle East, the event gathered more than 800 delegates from 65 nations under the “Universities as Agents of Progress” theme. Sir Edward described the summit as an outstanding success, with extensive global participation and a rich exchange of ideas.
KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC addresses delegates during the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2025 at KAUST.
He said universities must broaden their partnerships beyond traditional regions by collaborating with the full diversity of institutions represented at the summit to tackle shared priorities. “You know, we need to work together.”
Phil Baty, THE’s chief global affairs officer, called universities “the engine of societal change.” Acknowledging the historic significance of THE holding this year’s summit in the Middle East, he said it was a “glaring omission” not to host the event in the region sooner. Baty said he was delighted to see the summit in Saudi Arabia, adding that KAUST provided the ideal setting for such a milestone event.
“We’ve all been inspired by what you’ve built here — and what’s being built here in such a short space of time — and by the wider ambitions of the Kingdom, which we can see writ large at KAUST as a powerful symbol of that ambition,” he said.
Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at Times Higher Education, praises KAUST during the World Academic Summit 2025.
This year’s summit focused on outlining approaches for shaping future leaders while collaborating to improve lives worldwide. Among the global higher education calendar’s most prestigious events, it aligns with KAUST’s evolving mission-driven strategy, which emphasizes national priorities, translational research, and measurable impact in support of Saudi Vision 2030 through science, innovation, and advanced education.
During the summit, Sir Edward reflected on KAUST’s founding purpose as a “house of wisdom in modern times” and its continuing impact in the Kingdom and beyond. He said: “Our basic story is just a fantastic story.”
A truly international summit
A key feature of the summit was THE’s announcement of the 2026 World University Rankings, which took place alongside high-level discussions on the evolving role of universities in addressing global challenges. Hosting the annual event also presented KAUST with a chance to highlight its growing alignment with national research and innovation priorities, as well as its focus on delivering tangible outcomes for the Kingdom.
Performers present a traditional Saudi dance during the opening ceremony of the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit 2025.
Sir Edward called on visiting delegates to remember KAUST as “a very interesting university,” adding that the real takeaway for them was witnessing “a country transforming itself at an incredible speed — sociologically, economically — driven by the needs of its very large young population to have productive lives and decent jobs.”
The summit’s esteemed list of dignitaries included Her Excellency Einas Al-Eisa, vice minister of education, Saudi Ministry of Education; Noha Kattan, deputy minister for national partnerships and talent development, Saudi Ministry of Culture; and Stephen Hitchen, British ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Speakers also represented elite institutions such as King’s College London, the University of Chicago, the University of Tokyo, and NEOM University.
Along with visitors experiencing the university firsthand through campus tours and dedicated exhibits, KAUST showcased how its researchers are translating discovery into practical solutions during the summit. Renowned faculty participating in fireside chats included Professor Jürgen Schmidhuber (Computer Science), Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor Carlos Duarte (Marine Science), and Professor Dana Al-Sulaiman (Materials Science and Applied Physics).
Women driving innovation forward
Reflecting its regional importance and international impact, more than 90 percent of summit speakers hailed from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Further demonstrating its diversity, inclusivity, and global relevance, this year’s THE event achieved 38-percent female representation.
During her session, “Women Leading the Next Wave of Scientific Innovation,” Al-Sulaiman highlighted the exceptional female role models at KAUST who are addressing the most pressing challenges facing the Kingdom and the world, while inspiring young women across Saudi Arabia and beyond in science, technology, and innovation.
Professor Dana Al-Sulaiman speaks during a fireside chat, highlighting women’s leadership in science and innovation.
She said the support of academia and society in research and leadership for women unlocks the creative potential of half the population in any nation. “When you sponsor women, you’re not only changing their personal trajectories, you’re also potentially changing the trajectory of innovation itself.”
From global collaboration to women’s leadership in science, the summit showcased how KAUST and universities worldwide are redefining what progress looks like for the future.