CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - A member of a foreign royal family visited one of the most prestigious universities in the nation.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia is touring the U.S. and visited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday to promote an academic energy agreement.
The second annual “Innovation to Impact Forum” took place in conjunction with bin Salman’s visit, and featured exhibits from by MIT-affiliated companies like robotics group Boston Dynamics, and international businesses like oil company Saudi Aramco.
Bin Salman facilitated a ceremony where new agreements between the university and Saudi entities were signed, including one focused on global energy and sustainable development with Saudi Aramco.
This is part of Saudi Vision 2030, a plan initiated by bin Salman in 2016 to reduce his country’s dependence on oil and develop other sectors like health and tourism.
He and MIT proctored an agreement between Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Saudi Arabia that will focus on medical research projects.
Another agreement brings post-doctoral Saudi women scientists and engineers to MIT to conduct research.
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