Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

NEOM appoints founding president of its flagship university ‘NEOM U’

NEOM appoints founding president of its flagship university ‘NEOM U’

NEOM, the sustainable regional development in northwest Saudi Arabia, announced on Wednesday the appointment of Dr. Andreas Cangellaris as the founding president of NEOM U — NEOM’s first university.
Dr. Cangellaris is joining NEOM from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he is the M. E. Van Valkenburg Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has been serving as Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost since 2018.

Education is central to the well-being of societies and the development of vibrant ecosystems.

NEOM aims to establish a world-class Education, Research and Innovation (ERI) hub that empowers future generations while using technology to engender new ways of learning from early years on, through primary, secondary, post-secondary education and beyond.

These goals support the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s educational sector.

NEOM U, as one of the key pillars of NEOM’s vision for its education sector, will contribute to this endeavor by creating a nexus of innovation and knowledge that will attract students from all over the Kingdom and the world.

Dr. Cangellaris will lead the development of NEOM U on its journey to become a pre-eminent knowledge institution that supports NEOM’s vision as an innovation hub and a society enhanced by the opportunities of new technology.

It will be a university without boundaries, leveraging next-generation educational technologies with both on-site and online learning. Its graduates will be known for digital/technological thinking and the ability to design innovative solutions in context.

The development of NEOM’s different sectors will provide a unique living laboratory for immersive ERI.

Initial academic and research programs will cover computer science, engineering and design, media, art and entertainment, as well as business. One common theme will be a CS+X undergraduate core curriculum rooted in the natural sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences.

Dr. Cangellaris has overseen the academic and research programs of a highly regarded US academic institution with over 50,000 students, 15 colleges and 150+ programs of study and in excess of $600 million in annual research expenditures.

A distinguished scholar in the fields of computational electromagnetics and electronic design automation, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and his graduate degrees, a Master of Science and Ph.D., in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Commenting on the new appointment, NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr said: “Education is central to achieving NEOM’s vision and ambitious goals. I am delighted that we have attracted a person of the caliber of Dr. Cangellaris to lead one of the critical pillars of our education sector.

“NEOM U is our first step toward developing a postsecondary education that is accessible to all, attracting the brightest students from all over Kingdom and the world. We want it to be a differentiator and a powerful signal of NEOM’s commitment to pioneering ideas in a world inspired by innovation.”

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Cangellaris said: “I am thrilled and honored to have been given the opportunity to be the founding president of NEOM U, to help build it and to lead it in its quest to inspire, catalyze, foster and enable the positive change NEOM aspires to bring to the world.

“To change the world for the better, you need everyone to become a change agent. And this is what NEOM U will do, by bringing together learners from the Kingdom and the world in NEOM’s living laboratory and immersing them in the learning of how the deliberate, responsible, innovative use of technology can improve our world and the human condition.”

Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, the chair of the International Steering Council (a council composed of world leaders in education and research that advise NEOM in matters pertaining to the Education, Research and Innovation sector), added, “Dr. Cangellaris, a distinguished scholar and teacher with extensive experience in academic leadership, brings a world-class perspective to NEOM U.

“The ISC and I were impressed by his vision and ideas for higher education and research: He can drive NEOM U’s efforts to become a destination as a global university for the best scholars and students as well as foster new pathways to academic degrees.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×