Sharjah, UAE. November 23, 2023 – As a sustainability education leader in the UAE, American University of Sharjah (AUS) is gearing up for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) opening November 30 at Expo City in Dubai.
Focusing on the importance of youth participation and the pivotal role of education in accelerating progress to achieve global climate ambitions, AUS students, faculty and staff will be engaging in a myriad of events and activities in hubs located in COP28’s publicly accessible Green Zone.
In the Greening Education Hub – (Erth), Legacy from the Land of Zayed, hosted by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Greening Education Partnership with its secretariat at UNESCO, AUS faculty will share their expertise on incorporating sustainability into curricula. They will participate in panel discussions on eco-literacy, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), using the activity-based learning approach FunDoo-GreenPal to enhance adolescents’ digital climate action skills, implementing the Greening Education Partnership in Higher Education, and the role of scientific research and research networks in climate change. AUS has been particularly successful in integrating sustainability into the curriculum, with approximately 72 percent of all AUS undergraduate and graduate courses having at least some component related to sustainability.
The AUS Office of Sustainability will lead a joint panel discussion with sustainability professionals from New York University Abu Dhabi and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi on the progress made in measuring and tracking greenhouse gas emissions in higher education institutions in the UAE.
Visitors to the Greening Education Hub will also learn about the sustainability-focused research of AUS students and faculty, including the prominent work of the university’s Dana Gas Chair in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Petrofac Research Chair in Renewable Energy and Riad T. Sadek Chair in Civil Engineering. AUS’ commitment to advanced research and academic excellence will also be underscored as it spotlights its PhD programs in bioscience and engineering, and materials science and engineering, as well as its three newly established research institutes: the Energy, Water and Sustainable Environment Research Center in the College of Engineering; the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Development in the School of Business Administration; and the Materials Research Center in the College of Arts and Sciences.
AUS students will tackle some of the issues closest to the hearts of the youth at the First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) Pavilion in the Climate Finance Hub, from youth ambitions for climate action, climate impact on culture and national identity, eco-anxiety and eco-grief in a climate crisis, to smart cities and UAE youth perspectives on learnings from COP.
AUS student work will also be on display at the Dubai Municipality Pavilion and the Prototypes for Humanity project.
AUS will also be present at COP28’s exclusive Blue Zone, the formal conference and negotiation space managed by the UNFCCC. Julia Carlow, Acting Head of AUS Sustainability, will represent AUS in an UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA) event on “One Year of Impact: UAE Alliance for Climate Action.” A group of AUS faculty members will also take part in a workshop on climate policy-science addressing the gaps analysis on climate change research in the UAE.
As a member of the Universities Climate Network (UCN) and UACA, AUS has been actively engaged in the lead up to COP28, co-hosting the Conference of Youth 18 (COY18), the largest youth conference on multilateral UN climate processes, in Dubai from November 26-28. AUS students will also participate in the Student Energy Summit (SES) held November 29-December 1 under the theme “Reimagining the Future.”
AUS has also held many activities to engage its community in the lead up to COP28. The most prominent of these programs are the launch of a Green Living and Learning Community for students in its residential halls, the Expo City Climate Ambassador Program, the Shams Media Day on “Climate Immediacy” as well as a “Climate Action Awareness Day” for Sharakah School students.
“Universities can be powerful catalysts for change by integrating sustainability in the classroom, fostering impactful research and innovation, and championing environmental practices within their own operations. Our many activities in the lead up to this global conference and our diverse participation in COP28 reflect the many aspects that led AUS to become a sustainability education forerunner. AUS believes in advocating for policies that support sustainability and climate education both within the institution and beyond. It is through these collaborative efforts that we play a pivotal role in instilling a sense of responsibility and stewardship in the leaders of tomorrow,” said Carlow.
AUS remains at the forefront of climate action, actively promoting change through knowledge and research. Recognized among the top five institutions for community engagement in sustainability worldwide by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s 2022 Sustainable Campus Index, AUS has developed a comprehensive Climate Action Plan that aligns the university’s sustainability efforts with the UAE’s 2050 Net Zero strategic plan. To learn more about AUS at COP28, visit www.aus.edu/cop28.
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Where to find AUS at COP28:
Friday, December 1
| Green Zone | Time: 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | Curriculum Design and ESD in Practice Supported by the CoDesignS Learning Design and ESD Framework and Toolkit Participants: Dr. Norita Ahmad, Professor, Information Systems and Business Analytics Dr. May Zaki, Associate Professor, Arabic and Translation Studies |
| Time: 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | FunDoo-GreenPal: Unlocking Digital Climate Action Skills for Adolescents Participants: Dr. Norita Ahmad, Professor, Information Systems and Business Analytics | |
| Time: 5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | Implementing the Greening Education Partnership in Higher Education: Collaborations and Initiatives Participants: Kristina Katsos, Instructor, International Studies Dr. Kristen Doyle Highland, Assistant Professor, English Literature | |
| Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Location: FAB Pavilion in the Climate Finance Hub | Youth COP28 Ambitions for 2030 Student Participants: Omar Alali and Alia Ahli, International Studies |
Saturday, December 2
| Green Zone | Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m Location: FAB Pavilion in the Climate Finance Hub | Climate Impact on Culture and National Identity Student Participants: Khalifa Albah and Shamma Aljallaf,International Studies |
Sunday, December 3
| Green Zone | Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m Location: FAB Pavilion in the Climate Finance Hub | Growing Up in the Midst of a Climate Crisis: Tackling Eco-anxiety and Eco-grief Student Participants: Amal Haneef, English Literature, and Sameera Khan, Environmental Sciences |
Tuesday, December 5
| Green Zone | Time: 12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m Location: Greening Education Hub | Higher Education’s Path to Net Zero: Navigating GHG Emissions Measurement Opportunities and Challenges Participant: Julia Carlow, Acting Head of AUS Sustainability |
| Blue Zone | Time: 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Location: WWF Pavilion | UACA’s Blue Zone Event, titled: “One Year of Impact: UAE Alliance for Climate Action” Participant: Julia Carlow, Acting Head of AUS Sustainability |
Wednesday, December 6
| Green Zone | Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m Location: Masdar Pavilion | Youth for Sustainability: Innovate 4 Climate Jury Panel Participant: Dr. Norita Ahmad, Professor, Information Systems and Business Analytics |
Friday, December 8
| Blue Zone | Time: 6:30 p.m.–7:10 p.m Location: UAE Pavilion | A Climate Policy-Science Workshop: A Gap Analysis on Climate Change Research in the UAE Participants: Dr. Fatin Samara, Professor in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Dr. Ivonne Bejarano, Assistant Professor in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Dr. Yuting Wang, Professor and Head of the Department of International Studies Dr. Adil Al-Tamimi, Professor in Civil Engineering |
Saturday, December 9
| Blue Zone | Time: 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m Location: SDG Pavilion | Integrating Actions for Climate and Biodiversity: Opportunities and Potential Participants: Dr. Fatin Samara, Professor in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences |
Sunday, December 10
Green Zone | Time: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | Visit the AUS booth and learn about: Sustainability-focused research by students and faculty, including the prominent work of the Dana Gas Chair in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Petrofac Research Chair in Renewable Energy and Riad T. Sadek Chair in Civil EngineeringPhD programs in bioscience and engineering, and materials science and engineeringAUS’ three newly established research institutes: the Energy, Water and Sustainable Environment Research Center in the College of Engineering; the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Development in the School of Business Administration; and the Materials Research Center in the College of Arts and Sciences |
| Time: 10:30 a.m –11:30 a.m Location: M42 Green Zone Space | Do you know what’s in your water? Participants: Dr. Fatin Samara, Professor in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences | |
| Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m Location: FAB Pavilion in the Climate Finance Hub | Youth Perspective: UAE’s Youth to Summarize Learnings from COP Student Participants: Jawwad Sheikh, Mechanical Engineering, and Sathya Aamuktha Samrajyam, Chemical Engineering |
Monday, December 11
| Green Zone | Time: 1:15 p.m.– 2:15 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | The Role of Scientific Research and Research Networks in Climate Change Collaborations and Youth Education Participants: Dr. Fatin Samara, Professor in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences |
| Time: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | Visit the AUS booth and learn about: Sustainability-focused research by students and faculty, including the prominent work of the Dana Gas Chair in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Petrofac Research Chair in Renewable Energy and Riad T. Sadek Chair in Civil EngineeringPhD programs in bioscience and engineering, and materials science and engineeringAUS’ three newly established research institutes: the Energy, Water and Sustainable Environment Research Center in the College of Engineering; the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Development in the School of Business Administration; and the Materials Research Center in the College of Arts and Sciences. |
Tuesday, December 12
Green Zone | Time: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: Greening Education Hub | Visit the AUS booth and learn about: Sustainability-focused research by students and faculty, including the prominent work of the Dana Gas Chair in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Petrofac Research Chair in Renewable Energy and Riad T. Sadek Chair in Civil EngineeringPhD programs in bioscience and engineering, and materials science and engineeringAUS’ three newly established research institutes: the Energy, Water and Sustainable Environment Research Center in the College of Engineering; the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Development in the School of Business Administration; and the Materials Research Center in the College of Arts and Sciences |
| Time: 12:00 p.m – 1:00 p.m Location: UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub Pavilion | Impactful interventions through transformative Innovations in the educational sector – MENA and SA region Participants: Dr. Fatin Samara, Professor, Environmental Science |
About AUS
American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah. Sheikh Sultan articulated his vision of a distinctive institution against the backdrop of Islamic history and in the context of the aspirations and needs of contemporary society in the UAE and the Gulf region.
Firmly grounded in principles of meritocracy and with a strong reputation for academic excellence, AUS has come to represent the very best in teaching and research, accredited internationally and recognized by employers the world over for creating graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and drive to lead in the 21st century.
AUS values learners not driven only by academic success, but by those that embrace our dynamic campus life and embody our ideals of openness, tolerance and respect. This combination of academic excellence and community spirit ensures AUS is filled with world-class faculty and students, poised to become the innovators, thinkers, contributors and leaders of tomorrow.