Scrutiny of Universities' Saudi Ties

By Elizabeth Redden. Universities are coming under scrutiny for their ties to Saudi Arabia following the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident journalist, in a Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said in a recent message to faculty that it is conducting a “swift, thorough reassessment of MIT’s Institute-level engagements with entities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia so that we can determine a course of action for the Institute.” A “Global MIT” website lists more than 20 university initiatives involving partners or projects in Saudi Arabia, many of which deal with research on energy or water issues. More...