JEDDAH, 20 December 2004 — Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs is to start a new $1 million fund for encouraging scientific research.
The amount will be divided into 20 non-returnable endowments. The fund will be utilized every year for scientific researches on industries and trade investment “start-ups”.
University professors, students, and researchers are expected to benefit from the fund which is to be launched next year.
The new fund aims at encouraging industrial and trade investments in technology, biotechnology, medicine and other sciences. The fund will be part of the activities of the Arab Association for Science and Technology. It was announced at the opening of the second international assembly of the Arab association last Saturday.
The association is the first of its kind that brings together scientists from in and outside the Arab world. It encourages employment of qualified Arab male and female scientists, including those who have settled in the Arab world, in order to foster scientific research and technology in the Arab world.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services will launch a new website to receive works submitted by scientists and researchers, ensuring easy procedures for applicants. A high-level board is currently working on the modalities of the fund which is part of many other initiatives launched by ALJ Community Services Programs for the benefit of society.
Ibrahim Badawood, senior general manager of ALJ Community Services Programs, said: “Our aim is to expand job opportunities for young men and women in our society. Scientific research is important because it sets a challenge and encouragement for those in the scientific field and the fund helps them with proceeding with their research and applying it on trade projects.”
Sara, a science student, said: “We don’t have enough research, we don’t have enough labs, or enough funding for research works. Fields like marketing requires research, but we don’t do marketing research because we fail to understand the concept and importance of research. There can be no development without research.” Such funds, she felt, should encourage more students to take to research.
