AUS student named as ambassador for Student Energy Summit

In November 2023, Abu Dhabi will host the Student Energy Summit, the world’s largest youth-led energy summit, coinciding with COP28, which is also being hosted by the UAE this year, highlighting the vision and success of the UAE’s energy transition. The summit’s international and interdisciplinary programming aims to empower youth from 120 countries, enabling them to establish important relationships with peers and industry professionals while collaborating on energy solutions.

Among the nine students selected as ambassadors for the Summit from various universities across UAE, Khadijah Minhas, a mechanical engineering at American University of Sharjah (AUS), proudly represents the university. 

The Summit’s ambassador program will equip students like Minhas with the knowledge, skills and support necessary to effectively advocate for a sustainable energy future. Participants receive the tools and support necessary to raise awareness about climate change, the energy transition and the need to take action to address these challenges on a local and global scale. Through a series of interactive activities, workshops and online resources, the program aims to foster an understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change while identifying and implementing strategies for mitigating its impacts and accelerate the energy transition. The program also seeks to prepare youth for the energy workforce in the UAE and involvement in strategic initiatives such as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy and Abu Dhabi's Energy Plan. Participants will also gain access to Student Energy’s vast network of energy experts and 50,000 young energy leaders worldwide. 

The Summit’s ambassadors have a vital role in raising awareness about global climate issues and the energy transition among university students in the UAE. They facilitate partnerships and promote collaboration among students from different universities and encourage community engagement. Additionally, they provide a platform for young people to voice their opinions, network and develop leadership skills.

Minhas expressed her enthusiasm for the role, stating, "I will be spreading awareness and conducting events within the university during the upcoming fall semester, as well as creating a hub for students interested in energy sustainability. Although a commonly discussed topic, there is still much to know and do to effectively bring sustainable changes in our lives and communities. In the future, I will be given the chance to attend COP 28 and participate in the immersive COP experience at Expo City Dubai. I look forward to learning from experts in the field and networking with professionals and policymakers. It is crucial that the voices of young people are heard in climate-focused debates, and the summit’s ambassador program is one way to ensure this happens".

About sustainability at AUS:

AUS is widely recognized for its sustainability initiatives. It is a member of the Universities Climate Network, which comprises UAE-based universities and higher education institutions facilitating dialogues, workshops, public events and youth participation in the lead up to COP28. With the goal to reduce carbon emissions, AUS has developed its first comprehensive Climate Action Plan, which further aligns the university’s sustainability efforts with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic plan. AUS is a member of the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA), a domestic alliance of stakeholders led by Emirates Nature-WWF. UACA is the flagship non-state actor program for the UAE in the lead up to COP28, which aims to increase momentum towards achieving net zero targets in line with science and the Paris Agreement. 

A member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), AUS was the first university in the GCC to be rated in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), and currently holds a STARS silver rating. Additionally, AUS is one of the top five institutions worldwide for community engagement in sustainability, according to AASHE’s 2022 Sustainable Campus Index.

In 2019, AUS became the first university in the UAE to launch a single-use plastics campaign to educate the university community about the detrimental environmental impact of single-use plastic and introduce more environmentally friendly solutions on campus. Additionally, the university’s Engineering and Sciences Building received a highly sought-after 2 Pearl rating by Estidama, a sustainable development initiative of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. AUS was also the recipient of the Green Audit Award as part of the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency’s Sustainable Campus Initiative for university students. 

72 percent of all AUS undergraduate and graduate courses have at least some component related to sustainability. AUS students are encouraged to participate in the many extracurricular activities at AUS that are related to sustainability, including the AUS EcoRep program, which sees students educating their peers on issues such as waste reduction, energy conservation, diversity and tolerance, and more.