King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is strengthening its commitment to fostering world-class innovators and entrepreneurs through a  new partnership, appointing global powerhouses Burson and Landor as the official Brand and Communication Educational Partners for the industry-leading Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) Program.

This collaboration is set to equip KAUST TIE students with essential, real-world branding and communications skills, crucial for navigating the competitive landscape of entrepreneurial success.

The partnership was launched with a high-impact, two-day hands-on workshop, delivered by senior experts from Burson and Landor. Students gained invaluable insights into building credible, compelling startup brands and developing robust communication strategies rooted in global best practices. This initiative underscores KAUST’s broader mission to accelerate innovation and impact by embedding industry-aligned, practical learning directly into its graduate education framework.

KAUST’s TIE Program is designed to transform science and engineering-focused students into innovation-driven entrepreneurial thinkers. It curates a new generation of world-class technology founders and innovation leaders, not just within Saudi Arabia but globally. Through cutting-edge entrepreneurship education and training, the TIE program actively fosters innovation and economic diversification, directly supporting KAUST’s mission to accelerate technology commercialization and contribute significantly to the Kingdom’s knowledge-based economy. 

While often overlooked in traditional technical education, branding and communications are undeniably vital to startup success. The TIE program strategically integrates these critical skills to empower students to effectively articulate their groundbreaking ideas, attract crucial investment, and confidently scale their ventures.

As official Brand and Communication Educational Partners, Burson and Landor delivered an intensive workshop facilitated by four senior consultancy leaders – bringing together Burson's Head of Corporate and Public Affairs Caroline Winters and Senior Director and TIE Program Brand and Communications Module Principal Zoë Holder with Landor's Executive Strategy Director Ash Banerjee and Senior Strategist Rasha Kawar. Topics covered included brand fundamentals and strategic frameworks, drawing on real-world startup case studies such as Savvy Games, Zaam, and Slack. Students also delved into communication strategies tailored for early-stage ventures (0-5 years), audience segmentation, compelling storytelling and executive coaching – all designed to provide a holistic understanding of effective brand-building and communication.

Professor Aamir Farooq, Director of the TIE program and Principal Investigator of the FASTER laboratory at KAUST, emphasized the importance of this collaboration. "In today’s competitive innovation landscape, the ability to communicate a bold, clear and credible vision is just as critical as the technology and innovation behind it. Our partnership with Burson and Landor equips our students with world-class branding and communication capabilities, skills that are often missing in STEM education but essential for entrepreneurial success."

Zoë Holder echoed this sentiment. "Burson and Landor are honored to be recognized as TIE’s Brand and Communication Educational Partners and to teach at this prestigious institution, sharing our leading expertise on the role of communications and brand in a successful business with the next generation. This partnership reflects our joint commitment to empowering students and creating competitive advantage through instilling deep expertise, compelling positioning strategies, and brand narratives, reinforcing Burson and Landor’s commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation in the Kingdom, and its impact across the world."

This significant collaboration reinforces KAUST’s Accelerating Impact strategy by seamlessly embedding industry partnerships and hands-on learning directly into its curriculum. It further solidifies KAUST’s position as a global leader in interdisciplinary entrepreneurship education, preparing its graduates to make a tangible difference in the world.