The Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities (MBZUH) is launching a number of climate and sustainability initiatives to coincide with the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to be held in the UAE this November.
The initiatives are part of the university’s answer to the global call for climate action and its aim to contribute to COP28’s goals.
The UAE, acknowledging the need for collective action, is spearheading the global response to mitigate the worldwide effects of climate change. As part of these efforts, MBZUH is championing sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
Among these projects include the university's centre of excellence in the Arabic language which introduced the Dictionary of Human and Sustainable Development. With more than 5,000 sustainability terms, this dictionary offers researchers, scholars and the general public a valuable asset to accurately understand and use sustainability terminologies. Their work emphasises the importance of linguistic precision in framing and addressing environmental issues.
It provides the correct Arabic pronunciation of words through international phonetic writing to ensure that the national identity is strengthened by learning such words. The dictionary will be available in physical form at various book fairs and as a digital database on an upcoming dedicated website.
As part of the COP28 initiatives, MBZUH also announces the launch of a dynamic youth podcast. This 10-episode programme, to be aired on the Baynounah channel in Abu Dhabi, will feature discussions about the environment and climate and how they connect to our everyday lives.
MBZUH will also actively shape dialogues during climate sessions at the Green Education Centre. MBZUH will explore diverse themes such as youth empowerment, the interaction of human behaviour and the environment, promoting green initiatives, the role of art in sustainability, and the ethical dimensions of environmental issues in five interactive sessions led by nine professors and two students.
Highlighting youth-led initiatives, the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, and discussions on green education collaborations in the UAE, MBZUH further emphasises the importance of green education, youth empowerment and wider sustainable efforts on campus and beyond.
Proving the global nature of their commitment, five MBZUH students will participate in a COP28 simulation conference at the British University in the Arab Republic of Egypt. This global youth initiative, supported by the United Nations Development Programme, aims to bring together 130 students from 46 universities across 33 countries to propose real solutions for climate action.
The conference also aims to empower young people to take effective action against climate change, and participation allows students from various universities around the world to meet with one another and share their innovative ideas about combating this problem.
Students at the university’s Environment and Sustainability Club also participated in the Climate Ambassadors Programme. This was organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Expo Programme for Schools. The programme aims to provide training to students in the UAE and enable them to participate in sustainability efforts. Some of the activities participated in by students included direct simulation of the challenges, policies and procedures necessary to combat climate change and ensure a better future for the global community.
Over the past four months, MBZUH has launched 22 initiatives in the field of sustainability and climate, showing their determination to combat climate change in innovative and impactful ways.
Ultimately, MBZUH will keep setting new benchmarks in the pursuit of sustainability, enriching COP28 with their contributions, and inspiring a generation ready to advance the fight against climate change.
