January 14|25 2018
The future of blurred boundaries between humans and machines is a recurrent theme in science fiction. This future is today.
Join us for two weeks of discussions, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and cultural and recreational events that will inspire our shared vision for a brighter, human-machine future.
Is the future human?
Sensors monitor our state, health and behavior, relaying this data to configure a digital signature that is as much part of us as our biometric traits. Fed at petabyte levels, our digital signatures allow increasingly powerful machine learning algorithms to learn from the continuous data streams we generate and anticipate our needs and behaviors as consumers.
Machine learning algorithms can increasingly mimic the function of our brain and will soon establish a direct interface that allows for the seamless control of robots. Robots are endowed with powerful sensorial capacities in order to interact with other humans, as well as their robotic avatars, through virtual networks that may eventually replace much of our human-to-human interactions.
While this human-machine future offers to bring about unlimited potential, it also creates risks—of losing our privacy and the social traits inherent to our human nature. We live in a world where machines are increasingly embedded in our everyday lives. Machines shape our individual identities, social interactions, and society as a whole. During the 2018 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), we invite you to immerse yourself in a diverse and stimulating program, touching on the opportunities and risks of a future where the boundaries between machines and humans will become even more diffuse.
Advanced Running Academy 2/3
Location: Harbor Sports Club
Advanced runners, register now to improve your running techniques with an Olympic runner This advanced running academy is managed by Saudi Olympic professional runner, Abdullah A ... more
Program Your Own Swarm 2/3
Location: Bldg. 9 Computer Lab 2221 ≤ 18
Program Your Own Swarm of (Simulated) Robots Swarm robotics is the study of multi-robot systems inspired by animal collectives (e.g. ants and bees). One of the main ideas of swarm robotics is that th ... more
Build Your Sensor Network 4/4
Location: Bldg. 9 Computer Lab 2223 ≤ 36
Build Your Sensor Network Using Basic Sensors and ARM Microprocessors During this workshop, 25 participants will learn how to build a basic sensor network using set of sensors, BLE transceiver, ... more
The Science of Storytelling 4/5
Location: Spine Auditorium between Buildings 4 & 5
Science and technology have vital roles to play in helping solve the world’s great challenges Science and technology have great potential for solving local and global issues. In order to contri ... more
Make Your Stuff Talk: Workshop & Hackathon 2/5
Location: University Library, Level 3, Computer Lab 3134 ≤ 33
Workshop & Hackathon The modern interface between humans and machines is rapidly changing with new developments such as voice control, conversational user interfaces, as well as networked haptic ... more
Klungbot Workshop 2/2
Location: Building 19, Level 1, Mosti Auditorium
Klungbot, A Robot That Plays Angklung Angklung is a traditional musical instrument made from bamboo that UNESCO acknowledged as Indonesia's cultural heritage in 2010. Recently, a group from the Depar ... more
Cornell Entrepreneurship 7/14
Location: Building 19, Level 3, Conference Hall 1 & 2
KAUST Cornell Entrepreneurship Program KAUST is pleased to announce a partnership with Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management to offer a certificate program in entrepreneurship. Thi ... more
Visualizing the Human Machine Future Exhibition - JAN 17
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
About this Exhibition This exhibition will focus on visualization from the viewer’s perspective and will showcase photographs and scientific illustrations. It will be dispalyed from& ... more
Knowing How to See Exhibition - JAN 17
Location: Al-Khawarizmi East (Bldg. 1), Entrance Hall
Photography is a Bridge Between Art and Mathematics The starting point of this exhibition is to translate the language and the insights of mathematics into photographic images and vice versa. ... more
Golden Ratio and Art
Location: Al-Khawarizmi East (Bldg 1), Visualization Core Lab (MPR 2418)
This lecture is an explanation of the Knowing How to See Exhibition and will be presented by Al-Khawizmi group, in particular by Professor Gabriel C. Wittum (CEMSE) and Andrea Baczynski (KAUST photogr ... more
Interactive Virtual Reality Art Exhibit: Google Tilt Brush - JAN 17
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
Paint Inside a Virtual World with Google Tilt Brush Virtual reality is at the frontier of novel human machine interfaces. At this interactive exhibit you can paint inside a virtual world. By e ... more
Tilt Brush Instructor Workshop JAN 17
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
Paint Inside a Virtual World with Google Tilt Brush Virtual reality is at the frontier of novel human machine interfaces. At this interactive exhibit you can paint inside a virtual world. By e ... more
A Career with Purpose: Push Your Boundaries and Let Them Be Pushed
Location: Bldg. 20 Auditorium ≤ 912
A keynote lecture by Nasser Al-Nafisee, VP of Corporate Affairs for Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco is the state-owned oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a fully integrated, global ... more
Cornell Entrepreneurship 8/14
Location: Building 19, Level 3, Conference Hall 1 & 2
KAUST Cornell Entrepreneurship Program KAUST is pleased to announce a partnership with Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management to offer a certificate program in entrepreneurship. Thi ... more
Writing From the Reader's Perspective 4/4
Location: Bldg. 9 Classroom 3131 ≤ 42
Improve your scientific writing skills What is the purpose of a scientific article? Is it the mere presentation or rather communication of information and thought? An article describing a great scie ... more
Lab View Workshop 2
Location: Spine Auditorium between Buildings 2 & 3
NI Data Acquisition Workshop Mandatory Requirements: LabVIEW 2017: http://www.ni.com/download/labview-development-system-2017/6679/en/ DAQmx 2017: http://www.ni.com/download/ni-daqm ... more
Facebook On-Air Interview with Alexandru Ionut Budisteanu
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
The KAUST Facebook On-Air Series with Alexandru Ionut Budisteanu Alexandru is a 23 years old - Forbes 30 under 30 Europe alumni, TIME magazine nomination for one most influential teens in the w ... more
Engineering an Affordable Self-Driving Car: My Personal Journey
Location: Bldg. 20 Auditorium ≤ 912
"More than a million people die in car accidents each year, and most of those accidents are the result of human error” Alexandru Budisteanu is 23 years old and owns a group of startups inc ... more
About this Movie *This movie projection is offered exclusively to KAUST community members and is rated PG 13. Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate ... more
Beginners Running Academy 2/3
Location: Harbor Sports Club
Beginner runners, register now to improve your running techniques with an Olympic runner This beginners academy is managed by Saudi Olympic professional runner, Abdullah Alj ... more
