Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour opened on Sunday the Fifth Arab Conference on Higher Education and Sustainable Development, themed ‘The Role of Universities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals’.
The conference was organised by the Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO) in co-operation with the Association of Arab Universities (AARU).
The minister said that sustainable development represents a vital and important topic for the future of the Arab world, especially in light of the multiple challenges facing the world today.
He pointed out that universities are the best place to achieve the integration of the dimensions of sustainable economic, social, and environmental development within a comprehensive framework that fulfils the goals set by the United Nations.
Ashour said universities and scientific research institutions provide young people with the knowledge and skills necessary to face the complex challenges encompassing various societies. This can effectively contribute to shaping policies towards achieving sustainable development.
Ashour stressed the importance of university institutions as incubators of ideas, which contribute to the development of new technologies and solutions that improve sustainability in various fields, such as renewable energy, agriculture, water resources management, and clean technology.
He confirmed the commitment of universities to their responsibility towards future generations in terms of preparing them well and enabling them to solve future challenges such as climate change, poverty and social justice.
He referred to the need to integrate sustainable development goals into academic programmes to offer the students a chance to innovate and think creatively.
The minister pointed out to the efforts made by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education to activate the role of universities in sustainable development issues.
He stressed that the students’ participation in the activities of the COP27 Climate Summit last November was to raise their awareness of environmental issues and encourage them to assume their responsibilities in building a more sustainable future.
The Supreme Council of Universities also launched an electronic platform to make available research papers that serve the goals of sustainable development in all universities with the aim of exchanging experiences and maximising the benefit from results.
Ashour said the conference is an opportunity to build a strong network of co-operation and integration, and to exchange experiences and visions that contribute to enhancing the role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.
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