At its first in-person meeting, the UAE Universities Climate Network (UCN) recently launched a nationwide climate survey to gather insights from students, academics, university administrators and potential employers on climate change awareness and perception.
The launch comes ahead of COP29, which is set to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, later this year.
The meeting, hosted by the University of Birmingham Dubai, gathered over 50 academics representing 35 higher education institutions across the UAE.
Discussions at the event focused on engagement plans for COP29 and beyond based on the UCN’s four pillars:
- Research & Innovation,
- Youth engagement,
- Communal activation, and
- Campus carbon neutrality.
The UCN was initially launched to drive youth and academic engagement with COP28 and is made up of 35 UAE-based universities and higher education institutions.
In 2024, the University of Birmingham Dubai and Khalifa University became co-chairs, with Ajman University as Head of Operations.
UCN Co-chair Dr Rasha Bayoumi, from the University of Birmingham Dubai, explained that the goal is to “address and bridge gaps” in climate change education to “better prepare students as future leaders to combat climate change.”
Professor Yusra Mouzughi, Provost at the University of Birmingham Dubai, commented: “The UAE’s Higher Education community has a key role to play in defining the wider region’s contribution to tackling the impact of climate change. The University of Birmingham Dubai is proud to continue our mission to contribute to initiatives that benefit civic society across the UAE and beyond.”