February 12th, 2015: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) lecturer, Mr. Ryan Sisson, joined a panel of leading local and international experts to discuss sustainable development in higher education at the UAE’s first Sustainable Campus Initiative conference, hosted by the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD).
The inaugural conference set out to establish a platform for debate, exchange of ideas, and transfer of international best practices on sustainable development measures in the higher education sector. It heard from international experts from Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, who shared their experiences of sustainable campus principles from across the globe.
With his experience of sustainable campus initiatives in Canadian higher education, and his campaign efforts on campus at CUD, Mr. Sisson was invited to join a panel of higher education practitioners to discuss the need for mainstreaming sustainability across universities and colleges in the UAE.
Alongside other experts from UAE universities, Mr. Sisson gave his insights into what sustainable campuses in the country might look like, and spoke about the values, policies and competencies that would be required to develop and operate a sustainable higher education organization.
The Sustainable Campus Initiative was launched by EAD in November 2014 to encourage university students, educators and administrators across the UAE to address conservation issues, develop sustainable initiatives, and establish effective policies to raise awareness and promote actions towards sustainable development.
CUD has been recognized among the leading higher education institutions in Dubai for sustainability measures, winning a DEWA Conservation Award in 2014. Mr. Sisson was also among a team representing the University at DEWA’s event to mark World Energy Day last year.
Speaking of his latest contribution to the sustainability debate, Mr. Sisson said, “As educators we have an important role to play in building the capacity of future generations, and this initiative has helped to position universities at the front line in terms of developing sustainable infrastructure and services, as well as teaching and learning.
“The conference was a valuable opportunity to reinforce our commitment to this agenda, and also to learn from international experts in the field, particularly on how we can develop initiatives that apply students’ environmental learning to positive measures on campus.”
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