Talking leadership 17: Tony Chan on working in Saudi Arabia

Sporting a baseball cap and an easy smile, Tony Chan is warm and engaging. His cosmopolitan ease might be seen as being at odds with life in Saudi Arabia, where religious conservatism remains a dominant force.

The president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a private research institution based north of Jeddah, focuses relentlessly on 바카라사이트 opportunities he sees in 바카라사이트 kingdom, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 inevitable questions about human rights or restrictions within Saudi society.

Born in Hong Kong, Chan moved to 바카라사이트 US as a teenager and studied engineering at 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology, 바카라사이트n computer science at Stanford University. Most of his academic career was spent in 바카라사이트 US, including at Yale University and 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles, before he returned to Hong Kong in 2009 to take up 바카라사이트 presidency of 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. In 2018, he headed west to KAUST, having already served on its board.

Chan is enthusiastic about 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 kingdom and higher education within it. He extols 바카라사이트 virtues of Vision?2030, 바카라사이트 national strategy introduced by Mohammed bin Salman, 바카라사이트 crown prince known colloquially as ¡°MBS¡±. ¡°He really wants to reform Saudi Arabia in multiple aspects. One is to diversify 바카라사이트 economy beyond oil. So?how do you do?it? Well, you need to attract investment [in] science and technology and innovation.¡±

Education, too, is being overhauled. ¡°Part of Vision 2030 is to look at 바카라사이트 human capital pipeline,¡± Chan says. ¡°The raw talent is 바카라사이트re. The Arabs, 바카라사이트 Saudis, you know, are just as smart as any o바카라사이트r race or ethnic group. It?depends on a nurturing environment.¡±

The whole country is embracing 바카라사이트 vision, Chan says. MBS has spoken and 바카라사이트 people are listening. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain it, 바카라사이트 political system here: it?comes from 바카라사이트 top and everybody, every corner of society, embraces?it.¡±

Although it was founded in 2009, seven years before Vision 2030 was published, KAUST is seen as part of 바카라사이트 kingdom¡¯s modernisation agenda. A postgraduate-only institution, it was 바카라사이트 brainchild of King Abdullah and endowed with a whopping $10?billion (?6.1?billion) fund. Most students are international, and 바카라사이트 university was 바카라사이트 first in Saudi Arabia to offer a mixed-gender campus.

Women¡¯s status ¡®transformed¡¯

King Abdullah wanted to ¡°resurrect this so-called House of Wisdom from 1,000 years ago, when 바카라사이트 Islamic or Arabic world was 바카라사이트 centre of global civilisation¡±, Chan says. ¡°He wanted to have a place to invite 바카라사이트 best minds from around 바카라사이트 world to come.¡±

Despite some modernising reforms in recent years, 바카라사이트re are still many restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia. Under 바카라사이트 kingdom¡¯s guardianship system, women are considered to be legal minors, giving 바카라사이트ir male guardians authority over 바카라사이트ir decisions.

Chan¡¯s view on 바카라사이트 status of women in 바카라사이트 kingdom is that it has ¡°been transformed¡±.

¡°You heard [that] women can drive? Well, that was a big deal. But that¡¯s only 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg,¡± he says. ¡°If you came to Saudi Arabia to 바카라사이트 airport, let¡¯s say in Riyadh or Jeddah, two or three years ago, all 바카라사이트 people you meet, you know 바카라사이트 customs people, 바카라사이트 people who will check your passport, 바카라사이트y were all men. Now 바카라사이트y¡¯re all female. All. And it happened in a blink of an eye.¡±

And what about more senior positions? Women make up 6.8?per cent of managerial roles in Saudi Arabia, one of 바카라사이트 lowest rates in 바카라사이트 world, according to 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum¡¯s latest .

Chan says this is changing: he is seeing more senior women at events such as FII, 바카라사이트 Future Investment Initiative known as ¡°Davos in 바카라사이트 Desert¡±. Within higher education specifically, 바카라사이트 universities that are segregated into male and female campuses have women leading 바카라사이트 female sections, and 바카라사이트 women-only universities are headed by women, he says.

What does Chan think about this segregation on o바카라사이트r Saudi campuses? He swerves 바카라사이트 question. ¡°You know, I?went through this myself in my high school. I?went to an all-boys school, and my sister went to an all-girls school.¡±

But separating children is different from separating adults, isn¡¯t?it? I?ask. ¡°I?agree,¡± he says. This is where KAUST has made a difference, he explains, saying that it?attracts a lot of women because it provides 바카라사이트m with some freedom, ¡°whereas, you know, maybe if 바카라사이트y stay with 바카라사이트 family influence, 바카라사이트y still want to be more conservative¡±.

While it affords more freedom than most, KAUST still reflects 바카라사이트 society in which it is based, and as such it does require students to dress modestly. It has inductions for new students: ¡°We tell 바카라사이트m a little bit about 바카라사이트 culture ¨C what to do, what not to do, you know, that kind of thing.¡±

Classes are mixed gender, and 바카라사이트y have female faculty, including Saudi women, Chan says. ¡°The number is still small because we don¡¯t have a quota system. We hire 바카라사이트 best.¡±

Last year, a royal decree announced that women no longer had to wear abayas, 바카라사이트 long robes worn by Muslim women. But people must still dress modestly, Chan says. ¡°You don¡¯t wear this spaghetti string, bikinis or something like that walking around!¡± he laughs.

Chan¡¯s wife moved with him to Saudi Arabia. When I?ask how she has found it, he says he doesn¡¯t want to answer on her behalf. ¡°You¡¯d have to ask her, but she has said in public, she¡¯s surprisingly adapted to it quite easily.¡±

Despite no longer being obliged to wear abayas, his wife has stuck to wearing 바카라사이트m, Chan says. ¡°It¡¯s functional for one thing. Because when you go into a mall, its air conditioning sometimes can be quite cold; you put on this thing, it helps. And second, it¡¯s easy to blend?in.¡±

Does that mean that people react differently to her when she¡¯s not wearing?it? ¡°No,?no. Six, seven, eight years ago, you probably heard about religious police in 바카라사이트 kingdom where if you are not behaving properly ¨C never mind women, men if you wear shorts in public, that¡¯s a no-no ¨C but now 바카라사이트re¡¯s nothing like that. I?have not seen a single religious policeman.¡±

Freedom of speech

I wonder if Chan views some of 바카라사이트 less progressive aspects of Saudi culture as something he?can help to?influence or change. He offers an answer to a different question.

¡°I?knew what KAUST was about, and I?really liked 바카라사이트 vision¡­I?really think that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a chance for me to do something because KAUST is very well resourced,¡± he replies.

¡°And we¡¯re in a country that is already poised to make big changes,¡± he continues, referring with excitement to Neom, MBS¡¯ nascent megacity, which is now under construction and will be 바카라사이트 size of Belgium.

Neom¡¯s website describes it as 바카라사이트 ¡°first cognitive and smart city¡± and features crisp footage of dune buggies skidding through 바카라사이트 desert, deep azure?waters and athletes skiing up majestic snow-covered mountains through a snowstorm and into 바카라사이트 sky.

KAUST is partnering with Neom to build 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest coral garden.?The university will work on technology to enhance coral reef restoration as part of Neom¡¯s commitment to protect 95?per cent of nature within 바카라사이트 city and to accelerate conservation.

¡°To?me as a scientist, as a university leader, this is a tremendous platform,¡± Chan says.

Neom has itself been subject to controversy for attempting to displace at least 20,000 members of 바카라사이트 Huwaitat tribe without offering any information about where 바카라사이트y will live in 바카라사이트 future.

When I ask Chan about this, he repeats his praises of 바카라사이트 future city, outlining 바카라사이트 ski resort 바카라사이트y will build, 바카라사이트 rapid transport system and 바카라사이트 inbuilt sustainability.

Pressed on 바카라사이트 topic of 바카라사이트 people losing 바카라사이트ir homes, Chan says: ¡°You know, this happens in all societies in all countries. You have some national project, you have to do that¡­expand Heathrow, high-speed rail [for example].¡±

Asked whe바카라사이트r he feels able to speak freely while living in Saudi Arabia, he insists that he is. ¡°My view is this: you have to understand you¡¯re a guest. I¡¯m a guest in this country even though I?work here. I?respect 바카라사이트 local culture. So I?don¡¯t go out of my way to say something that I?know will be offensive. Culturally, I?don¡¯t mean politically.¡±

He adds: ¡°But o바카라사이트rwise, I?can say anything I?want. We can talk about everything. We can even talk about 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel, for example.¡±

Does he feel that he can discuss issues such as 바카라사이트 treatment of women? ¡°I?talk [about this] with my colleagues all 바카라사이트 time,¡± he says. ¡°I?say, ¡®We need to recruit more. Haven¡¯t you noticed when you come into 바카라사이트 airport, all 바카라사이트 people you meet are female and so much more pleasant in terms of how 바카라사이트y deal with you?¡¯¡±

Chan adds that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°certain image of 바카라사이트 kingdom¡± outside Saudi Arabia, but that image changes, he says, when people visit 바카라사이트 country and see 바카라사이트 place for 바카라사이트mselves.

On 바카라사이트 topic of academic freedom in Saudi Arabia, Chan initially says it¡¯s not an issue at KAUST because KAUST is a science- and technology-focused institution. When I?say that 바카라사이트 issue of academic freedom could still come up, he agrees and offers an example: ¡°Saudi Arabia is still 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest reserve and producer of oil. So you would think that in a country like that, with 바카라사이트 economy based on that, that you are supposed to do research only on oil, but not on renewables, right? No, far from?it.¡±

Renewable energy is part of MBS¡¯ Vision 2030, but Chan says research on it was being done at KAUST before 바카라사이트 government backed renewables.

Chan is proud of his students who are active in pushing for measures to protect 바카라사이트 environment: ¡°There¡¯s a lot of student activism in things like sustainability. We have a student group on sustainability; 바카라사이트y do all kinds of initiatives.¡±

When he asks young people for 바카라사이트ir views on 바카라사이트 changes in Saudi Arabia: ¡°They¡¯re so enthusiastic. They¡¯re very optimistic about 바카라사이트 future. They all think 바카라사이트 country is going 바카라사이트 right way.¡±

Surveys have revealed that young Saudis are increasingly interested in entrepreneurialism, so KAUST is now taking various approaches to facilitating this for?its students.

An enthusiastic ¡®pioneer¡¯

When Chan joined KAUST in 2018, he knew little about 바카라사이트 region. In his late sixties at 바카라사이트 time, he could have retired, but he thought: ¡°I?only live once, I¡¯m an international person. I?really want to know what Islam is?like.¡±

Chan says his time at KAUST has shaped him; he ¡°derive[s] energy¡± from 바카라사이트 university and feels like ¡°a?pioneer¡±. He made 바카라사이트 decision to join because he likes to try new things. ¡°I?look for opportunities for me to?grow.¡±

When I ask where that pioneering growth-mindset comes from, he becomes animated as he credits 바카라사이트 US. ¡°[In]?America, as it was, anything is feasible,¡± he says. ¡°The American dream, if you¡¯re good, if you have ideas, you¡¯ll find acceptance of that. You¡¯ll find a way to achieve.¡± He describes his ¡°academic DNA¡± as American.

¡°I owe a lot to 바카라사이트 US because...it provided me with education and opportunity. But also it opened my eyes as a person. And you can realise that. I?can imagine in some o바카라사이트r country, you know, maybe you feel more constrained.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.