SABIC’s Role in Driving Science & Technology Education Globally

At SABIC, our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts focus on four priority areas: Science & Technology Education, Environmental Protection, Health & Wellness, and Water & Sustainable Agriculture – areas which contribute to 10 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – along with a commitment to community giving and providing assistance to people who need it most.

As part of this commitment, we work to support advances in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education around the world. The importance of driving opportunities for STEM education cannot be understated - the programs we support enable students to gain access to technology-based education while also providing equal opportunities for all students to train in subjects such as engineering and technology, setting them up for future success.

Technology and innovation are integral to our operations; and digitalization is driving the global chemical industry forward. Yet this drive will require a workforce with new skills and new ways of working.

As an organization that thrives off innovation, we need to future proof our talent and encourage young people to study STEM subjects that ensure our industry can continue to innovate and compete in the global marketplace. Despite some restrictions as we continued to move beyond the pandemic, we were able to continue our educational programs in 2021, transitioning several to a virtual format. 

Ensuring quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning is a prime focus for SABIC. Our goal is to foster innovation, particularly through quality science and technical education, as illustrated by our 45 educational programs and three ambitious education initiatives: SABIC Global Initiative for Education and Innovation, SABIC Global Back to School Initiative, and SABIC Global Science Caravan. 

Intrinsic to our commitment is the SABIC Global Initiative for Education and Innovation, which we launched in collaboration with Junior Achievement Worldwide, a US-based organization dedicated to youth education, and INJAZ Saudi Arabia, a regional NGO providing young people with life skills. The initiative prepares students for professional life by teaching them skills not traditionally learnt in the classroom, such as critical thinking, innovative problem solving, entrepreneurship and leadership. In 2020, the initiative reached 120,000 students in 13 countries around the world. It continued in 2021, benefitting students in China, USA and KSA.

Among the initiative’s programs is “Lights of Our Future”, which introduces students to urban sustainable development from an economic perspective, and encourages students to use critical thinking by applying the knowledge they acquired to create innovative solutions. Since 2014, this initiative has engaged over 124,000 students, bringing real-life case studies into the classroom and cultivating critical thinking and teamwork through experimental learning.

As part of our 2021 Back-to-School Initiative, 50,000 students in Saudi Arabia, across 47 locations, were also given backpacks with school supplies – while 1,000 students were provided with electronic online learning devices in a joint initiative with the Ministry of Education and Takaful Foundation. In total, 13 countries benefitted from this program focused on helping children continue their schooling despite the recent challenges posed by the pandemic.

Moving forward, we remain committed to investing in STEM education to support future innovation and help expand a STEM talent pipeline for our future workforce and the workforce of the chemical industry as a whole. Our initiatives support students and provide them with practical skills, setting them up for future success and providing them with the knowledge and resources required to thrive in this ever-changing industry.