Cairo, 9th November 2022—Prince Edward Island and Toronto Metropolitan University, Cairo branches, join forces to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference “COP27” taking place in Sharm El Sheikh from 6th-18th November. Hosted by the Universities of Canada in Egypt (UCE) in a state-of-the-art campus at the New Administrative Capital, the leading universities aim to highlight the role of higher education in providing innovative solutions for the climate challenges.
On Thursday, 10th November, which marks the Science Day, UPEI’s Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering will present a policy paper, “Making A Case for A Net Zero Carbon Emissions Future Via Innovative Technological Solutions and Community Mindset Transformation.” It is a distinguished academic contribution done in collaboration with the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. The lecture will reveal the researchers’ most important findings and recommendations, taking into account the Egyptian government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
UPEI and TMU Cairo will then team up in a panel discussion, “The Interchangeable Effect of Educational Research and Climate Change”. The session will be moderated by Dr. Kim Critchley, Provost of UPEI, Cairo Campus, and includes notable sustainability engineering experts from both Egypt and Canada: Dr. Ahmed Shaker, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Sciences at TMU Cairo and President of the Canadian Remote Sensing Society; Dr. Rasha El Shafei, Associate Dean, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE) at UPEI Cairo; Dr. Ammar Ewis, lecturer at FSDE, and Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, Associate Dean of UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation and Associate Professor of Sustainable Design Engineering, Charlottetown, Canada.
Prior to the official inauguration of COP27, the two universities posed as strategic academic partners in the UN Climate Change Conference of Youth “COY17”, held from 2nd-4th November in Sharm El Sheikh, under the banner of YOUNGO- the official youth constituency of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). UPEI Cairo exhibited a number of projects designed by FSDE students in addition to launching a climate change simulated video game designed by students of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computational Sciences, aiming to raise awareness of the United Nations sustainable development goals.
Dr. Hadia Hamdy, Vice President for Academic Development and Strategic Partnerships at UCE, stated that “educating students on sustainability and climate change is an integral part of the philosophy and vision of UCE and its hosted universities (University of Prince Edward Island and TMU University). Therefore, our participation in COP27 emphasizes the importance of transferring technology from classrooms to industry, and how we can find innovative and easy-to-implement solutions to offset the negative impacts of climate change.”
UPEI Cairo offers futuristic programs such as Sustainable Design Engineering, with focus areas in mechatronics, sustainable energy and bio-resources; Mathematics and Computational Sciences program, with majors in video game development, data analytics, and business analytics; and Entrepreneurship program, including majors in accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and organizational management. With a holistic approach to building character, UPEI Cairo prepares its students to be the next generation of successful leaders.
Furthermore, TMU Cairo comes from the heart of Toronto, Canada to emulate the authentic Canadian education experience by offering innovative, career-oriented programs. It currently includes the Creative School, covering media production, sport media and fashion, and the Faculty of Engineering & Architectural Science (FEAS), with majors in civil, electrical, mechanical, computer, and aerospace engineering.
