[:en]Heliopolis University hosts a Notable Workshop about Climate Change, Sustainable Agriculture, and Food Security in relation to Human Dignity[:ar]جامعة هليوبوليس تستضيف ورشة عمل حول تغير المناخ والزراعة المستدامة والأمن الغذائي [:]

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In collaboration with the “World Dignity University”-Initiative and the SEKEM Friends Association Scandinavia the network “Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies” (HumanDHS) hosted its 31st annual conference at SEKEM and Heliopolis University from September 21st to 24th. With a special focus on water and agriculture, a series of workshops took place during the first three days at the SEKEM Farm. On the fourth day, a public workshop was held as a crowning event to the conference at Heliopolis University. Students and staff from the university, as well as the participants, engaged themselves in discussing the relevance of human dignity to climate change, sustainable agriculture, and food security issues.

The workshop started with an inspiring art session, through which the participants received insights into the unique Core Program offered by the university. Then, the discussions started and were facilitated by Dr. Omar Ramzy, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics and Mohamed Anwar, Lecturer of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) using the open space methodology. Through that methodology, participants tried to find out new ideas to activate the role of universities in community service and raising awareness about the importance of sustainable agriculture to face climate change and food security challenges, which effectively supports human dignity concepts.

Through interactive working groups, the participants reached several conclusions. The most important one is the need to enhance high quality education and make it available to all. Education has an important role in promoting the concepts of human dignity and any related practices that ensure its protection and vitality for future generations. Approach to education for sustainable development is essential as well, as it includes awareness for burning issues of the society and the responsibility for future generations. In addition, the participants stressed the need for concerted efforts and joint initiatives in the field of sustainable agriculture to benefit from various experiences.

The HumanDHS is a global and transdisciplinary network of like-minded academics and practitioners, whose work is inspired by universal values of dignity, caring and mutual respect. Based on the same notion, the “World Dignity University”-Initiative was founded with the vision of building a human-to-human network as a powerful approach to realizing an inclusive and creative model of learning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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بالتعاون مع مبادرة “جامعة الكرامة العالمية” (World Dignity University-Initiative) وجمعية أصدقاء سيكم في اسكندناڤيا، عقدت شبكة “الكرامة الإنسانية ودراسات الإذلال” (HumanDHS) مؤتمرها السنوي الحادي والثلاثين في استضافة سيكم وجامعة هليوبوليس في الفترة من ٢١ إلى ٢٤ من سبتمبر. مع التركيز بشكل خاص على المياه والزراعة، جرت سلسلة من ورش العمل خلال الأيام الثلاثة الأولى في مزرعة سيكم. في اليوم الرابع، عُقدت في جامعة هليوبوليس ورشة عمل مفتوحة كحدثٍ تتويجي ختامي للمؤتمر. شارك الطلاب والموظفون من الجامعة مع أعضاء المؤتمر في مناقشة أهمية كرامة الإنسان تجاه تغير المناخ وقضايا الزراعة المستدامة والأمن الغذائي.

بدأت ورشة العمل بنشاط فني ملهم استطاع المشاركون من خلاله إلقاء نظرة ثاقبة على البرنامج الأساسي الفريد الذي تقدمه الجامعة. ثم بدأت المناقشات باستخدام منهجية الفضاء الحر والتي من خلالها يستطيع جميع المشاركين تقديم أفكار وحلول جديدة ومبتكرة للمشكلات المعاصرة. وقد قام بتيسير هذه المنهجية للحوار د. عمر رمزي عميد كلية إدارة الأعمال والاقتصاد ومحمد أنور وهو محاضر بمركز التعليم من أجل التنمية المستدامة.

وبعد مناقشات عديدة ومجموعات عمل تفاعلية تخللها فواصل من الفنون والموسيقى توصل الحاضرون لعدة نتائج من أهمها ضرورة التأكيد على جودة التعليم وإتاحته للجميع بجودة عالية لما له من دور هام لتعزيز مفاهيم الكرامة الإنسانية ومما يترتب عليه من ممارسات على الأرض تضمن حمايتها وحيوتها للأجيال القادمة. التعليم من أجل التنمية المستدامة من الأسس أيضا التي يجب التأكيد عليها لنشر الوعي حول القضايا المجتمعية الهامة وتحمل المسئولية تجاه الأجيال القادمة.

كما أكد الحضور على ضرورة أن تتضافر الجهود وتتجمع المبادرات سويا فيما يخص الزراعة المستدامة حتى يتم الاستفادة من مختلف التجارب فى شتى التخصصات. وفيا يتعلق بضرورة إيجاد سبل للحوار والتعاون البناء بين الشرق والغرب والشمال والجنوب أكد الحاضريين أنه لا مفر من التعاون والحوار وأنه لا استمرارية ولا استدامة لأى مبادرات إلا التى تقوم على الحوار المبنى على أسس ومبادىء المستقبل المستدام للجميع والتى تحترم وتعزز الكرامة الإنسانية فى أى مكان لكل إنسان دون تمييز أو تفضيل.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MED-WET Partners Participate in Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, October 2024, Portugal

[:en] The MED-WET partners, including the team from Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, had the opportunity to showcase their excellent results at the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, held during (9-13) October 2024 in Portugal. This event provided a wonderful platform to widely share the project’s advancements, exchange insights, and engage with various international stakeholders in the water, energy and agricultural sectors. During the fair, the HUSD team actively participated in a parallel conference, where they delivered in-depth presentations and speech covering the MED-WET’s goals, achievements, and importance in advancing sustainable water management for climate-resilient agriculture among the rural and desert communities. At the heart of their presence was the MED-WET stand, which attracted significant attention of the majority of participants. It served as a focal point for information dissemination, providing an interactive space where farmers, agricultural experts, policymakers, and researchers could learn more about the project’s innovative approaches to water conservation and irrigation technology in arid regions. The stand featured detailed explanations of the project’s outcomes, including key findings and 3-D prototypes of the three technologies “Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco”. This obviously proven the MED-WET’s success in realizing efficient water management practices that contributed to sustainable farming and addressed water scarcity challenges in the Mediterranean region. Overall, the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair was a highly productive experience for all participants. It allowed the MED-WET team to expand their network, raise awareness about the critical issue of water scarcity, and underscore the project’s role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices across the Mediterranean region. The fair highlighted the increasing importance of collaborative efforts in addressing water conservation and irrigation challenges in agriculture, reinforcing the relevance of the MED-WET initiative. [:]

[:en]Showcasing the Med-Wet Project: Partners Participated in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Marketplace in Cairo[:]

[:en] One of the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development’s successful research projects called “MED-WET” is selected among the top successful and highest performing 20 EU–Prima projects worldwide this year 2024. An international conference and fair was conducted on 3 Oct., 2024 in Cairo organized by Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in association with the European Commission (EC) office in Cairo. In which, a team from HUSD and MED-WET’s partner countries from Malta and Germany presented the key results of the MED-WET project, including the successfully developed three technologies (Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco). That mega event allowed HUSD to showcase the innovative solution of the low-cost, low-energy and nature-based “Instream Constructed Wetland” model addressing water challenges and climate change in the Mediterranean. Such innovations aim to conserve water, improve irrigation efficiency and tackle water scarcity (climate-resilient agriculture). The marketplace offered meaningful exchanges with international partners. HUSD’s team discussed potential collaborations with stakeholders who are interested in new research projects, which will help further amplify the impact of the Med-Wet project. The conversations done with promising future partners underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation and innovation in addressing complex environmental challenges, on the top of them “water scarcity and climate change”. [:]

[:en]Announcement: Heliopolis University Low Carbon Energy Report Released![:]

[:en]Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is proud to announce the release of our latest report on Low Carbon Energy Usage across campus! This report highlights our commitment to a greener future by measuring the amount of low-carbon energy utilized in our operations. Through this analysis, we’re taking bold steps toward sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. Key Highlights: A detailed breakdown of renewable energy sources powering our campus Insights on energy efficiency improvements across our facilities Actionable goals for expanding clean energy use in the coming years Together, we’re paving the way for a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this report possible! Stay tuned for more updates as we continue working towards a 100% low-carbon campus! #HeliopolisUniversity #SustainableFuture #LowCarbonEnergy #CleanEnergy See the report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/122aDtID_M3wxZSzZnKuzx-VcHolUbxh5/view?usp=sharing[:]