Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Partnership builds science acumen among young Arab readers

Science articles are not always accessible to young people due to complex terms and concepts, but finding the story in science can bridge this gap.
An innovative, science publications collaboration between King Abdullah University of Science Technology (KAUST) and Frontiers for Young Minds (FYM) is inspiring Arabic speaking youth in the Kingdom and around the world towards discovery and scientific research by engaging them in the publications process. The partnership has resulted in its first article written and reviewed originally in Arabic.

“KAUST has been our [partner and contributor] since the inception of our Arabic version of the journal, and through their kind support we have created extensive publications in Arabic since launch in mid-2021,” said Laura Henderson, head of the public outreach program at Frontiers. The award-winning FYM program provides child-friendly, high-quality scientific articles — uniquely edited by children (age 8-15) — to engage youth globally.

In 2020, KAUST partnered with FYM to help produce materials for young readers on FYM’s Arabic website. Up until now, these articles all have been translations. However, on April 17, 2023, the initiative published its first Arabic-original science article, The Story of Legionella: From Surviving inside Amoebas to Causing Pneumonia, written by Yousef Abu Kwaik, a professor of molecular microbial pathogenesis in the College of Medicine, and doctoral student Tasneem Al-quadan, both at the University of Louisville, USA.

“The inaugural science article written and reviewed originally in Arabic shows how KAUST’s collaboration with Frontiers supports an accessible understanding of complex scientific concepts for even the youngest readers,” said Dr. Najah Ashry, vice president of KAUST for Strategic National Advancement. “Early engagement with Saudi youth and other Arabic-speaking young people helps ensure this region develops the necessary STEAM leadership for the future.”

Mentorship from KAUST PhD student

For English-speaking readers, The Story of Legionella: From Surviving inside Amoebas to Causing Pneumonia is already available online. In both the English and Arabic versions, the article describes Legionella pneumophila — a water-dwelling bacteria that has evolved to thrive in amoebas and can infect human macrophages, potentially causing disease.

Three children, including two Saudis, reviewed the manuscript. A KAUST PhD student mentored the youth. As with other FYM articles, young reviewers worked under the science mentors’ guidance to provide authors with direct feedback on how to make the article clear and fun for children to read.

Somayah Albaradei, 35, who graduated from KAUST in 2022 with a PhD in Computer Science, served as one of the article’s science mentors. Now an assistant professor at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Albaradei said that the opportunity to pass on knowledge and encourage innovation in Arabic was unique and valuable.

“The best way to make future remarkable discoveries and more promising young scientists is to invest in them by enabling young people and scientists to work together to create accurate and exciting articles. This will have an impact on achieving the Saudi 2030 Vision of a vibrant society, thriving economy and an ambitious nation.”

An opportunity to support FYM

With the pilot established, Henderson said that FYM is encouraging more Arabic-speaking researchers to support the program, and that it is increasing opportunities for Arabic-speaking youth to participate in and learn from this unique peer-review process. The program calls for Arabic-speaking PhD-holders, experienced in peer review and specialist science areas, to apply as mentors, and Arabic-speaking researchers with active publication records to apply as authors.

According to Henderson, FYM and KAUST support each others’ missions by uniting to communicate the best ground-breaking research to the widest possible global audience, inspiring the next generation of top scientists. “I am sure that the relationship will continue to develop to support further new projects and events, expanding our Arabic-speaking recognition and prestige.”

By working with science mentors and by being part of a crucial stage in the research process, young reviewers gain critical-thinking skills while learning about the latest science and how the scientific method works. For more information on supporting the program, contact FYM at kids.arabic@frontiersin.org.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
×