[:en]International Women’s day at Heliopolis University[:ar] إحتفالية يوم المرأة العالمي في جامعة هليوبوليس[:]

[:en]tree surround by women at HU What comes to your mind when you hear “women empowerment”?  This is how the celebration of “women’s day” started. On March 8, at 9 AM, surrounded by hundreds of pink and red ribbons. Heliopolis University females’ have gathered to take the morning circle lead, with smiles on their faces, groomed with red and pink ribbons on their hair and wrists. “Sekem anthem” was heard in a feminine tone.

Red and Pink Ribbons
Why PINK? To represent our softness, tenderness, caring, love, sexuality, sensitivity.

The ceremony was divided into three parts, songs presented by the audience, a piece about Egypt and its civilization, and then a story from the heart. The attendees shared their stories, experiences, struggles, and aspirations, which increased the moral rapprochement between the working team, women and men.

The joy and celebrations overwhelmed the audience. The positive energy dazzled everyone and made them share their talents, feelings, and aspirations for a better future where women’s role in society is affective. Women's day By mentioning International Women’s Day, that idea is not spur-of-the moment. Instead, many struggles and wars were preceded by women to pursue what we have reached now.

How did the idea of dedicating a day to honour women begin, and why was this day specifically chosen?

The date of March 8 was chosen for the celebration as it marks the day when women in Soviet Russia started protests for the right to vote, which they were granted in 1917. A public holiday was later declared on the same date.

Earlier, the date (March 8) was only celebrated by socialist activists and communist countries. However, the more significant feminist movement adopted it in 1967. The celebration gained legitimacy when the United Nations began commemorating International Women’s Day in 1975, and two years later, the UN General Assembly officially formalized it as International Women’s Day.

 A long history of struggle lived by women until we are now blessed with the luxury of celebrating it.

Happy international women’s day![:ar]tree surround by women at HU

ما الذي يتبادر إلى ذهنك عندما تسمع مصطلح “تمكين المرأة”؟ 

هكذا بدأ الاحتفال بـ “يوم المرأة”. 

في الثامن من مارس، تمام الساعة التاسعة صباحًا، محاطين بمئات من الشرائط الوردية والحمراء. اجتمعت نساء جامعة هليوبوليس لأخذ زمام المبادرة في الدائرة الصباحية، تعلو على وجوههن الابتسامات، تزيّن بشرائط حمراء ووردية على شعرهن ومعصميهن، ينشدون “نشيد سيكم”  بنبرة نسوية ناعمة.

Red and Pink Ribbons
لماذا اللون الوردي؟ لتمثيل النعومة، والحنان، والعناية، والحب، والجنس، والحساسية.

انقسم الحفل لثلاث أقسام، أنغام شارك بها الجمهور، أغنيه عن مصر والحضارة، ثم قصة من القلب.

وفيها شارك العارضين قصصهم، وتجاربهم، وكفاحهم، وطموحاتهم مما زاد التقارب المعنوي بين الفريق العمل نساء ورجالاً.

حيث طغى الفرح والإحتفالات على الحاضرين، ونشر الحضور الرقص والمرح بأنحاء الحرم الجامعي، تلك الطاقة الإيجابية التي استحوذت على الحضور وجعلتهم يشاركون مواهبهم، ومشاعرهم بأريحية، وطموحاتهم لمستقبل أفضل حيث يبرز فيه دور المرأة الفعال في المجتمع.

Women's day

وبذكر يوم المرأة  العالمي، فتلك الفكرة ليست وليدة اللحظة، بل أن تلك الاحتفالات سبقها الكثير من الكفاح والنضال التي خاضتها المرأة لنصل إلى ما وصلنا له الآن.

فكيف بدأت فكرة تخصيص يوم لتكريم المرأه ولماذا تم إختيار هذا اليوم بالتحديد؟

تم اختيار تاريخ 8 مارس للاحتفال لأنه يصادف اليوم الذي بدأت فيه النساء في روسيا السوفيتية الاحتجاجات من أجل حق التصويت الذي منحت لهن في عام 1917. وأعلن فيما بعد عطلة عامة في نفس التاريخ. 

في وقت سابق، تم الاحتفال بالتاريخ (8 مارس) فقط من قبل النشطاء الاشتراكيين والدول الشيوعية. ومع ذلك، تبنته الحركة النسوية الأكبر في عام 1967. اكتسب الاحتفال شرعية عندما بدأت الأمم المتحدة الاحتفال باليوم العالمي للمرأة في عام 1975 وبعد ذلك بعامين، قامت الجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة رسميًا بإضفاء الطابع الرسمي عليه باعتباره اليوم العالمي للمرأة.

 

تاريخ طويل من الكفاح عاشتهُ المرأة قديماً حتى ننعم الآن برفاهية الاحتفال به.

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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[:]