DHAHRAN: In a quiet corner of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, a group of Ph.D. candidates is working to solve some of the most pressing technological challenges of the modern era.
Among them are Asma Yamani and Linah Ali Abuhajar, two researchers operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — fields that are increasingly shaping the future of technology.
KFUPM, a STEM-focused institution founded in 1963 as an all-male university, opened its doors to women in 2019. The students featured in this story are among the first generation of women to study and graduate from the university, and one of their earliest priorities was building a community of support and collaboration.
“What we like to highlight is experts — who happen to be women,” Yamani told Arab News.
That vision recently came to life through the university’s annual Women in Data Science conference, held as part of the global WiDS Worldwide initiative under the theme “AI-Security Nexus.” The event drew around 250 attendees from across the region.
