Proposal submissions for the Winter Enrichment Program (WEP 2016), which will take place from January 10-21, 2016, are currently being accepted until Monday, May 4th, 2015. The entire KAUST community is encouraged to submit their ideas for keynote lectures, courses, workshops, seminars, events, cultural activities or field trips by the upcoming deadline. This year’s theme is climate change and sustainability.

The theme was chosen around the important 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in December. WEP 2016 will launch at KAUST a few weeks after the conclusion of the meeting. As the Chair of WEP 2016, Prof. Mark Tester, highlights: “Climate change isn’t a theory, it’s a fact. So I think it’s a very good time to reflect on the future of the planet.”

Prof. Tester also notes that the WEP program “involves interests across all sorts of areas,” so people should not feel constrained by the overriding theme, although the WEP committee hopes that the majority of the submissions will ultimately focus on climate change and sustainability.

“Just do it; submit,” says Tester. He points out that the forms have been simplified this year. “So it’s easier to do it this year than ever before,” he adds. The idea is to speak to whomever you are thinking of inviting, get an agreement in principle and then submit your idea.

The WEP committee will be reviewing the proposals in May and decisions will be communicated in July. Should your suggested speaker be selected, they will be sent an official letter of invitation during the summer.

What would be expected from you should your proposal be successful? Tester says: “The amazing thing about Marie-Laure Boulot and her WEP team is, if you do suggest an idea that is selected, you get to do all the fun things as the main point of contact (planning your speaker’s itinerary to include dinner outings and the opportunity to introduce your event) and the WEP team orchestrates all the “behind the scenes” logistics such as organizing the transport, logistics, and accommodations.”

Click here to submit a WEP proposal! Deadline is Monday, May 4th, 2015.

For more information,email us at contactWEP@kaust.edu.sa