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COP28 logo with green background featuring a large circle depicting animals, humans, and nature. AUC Climate Change initative logo in bottom right corner

AUC at COP28

December 18, 2023
Global connections

AUCians across disciplines made their voices heard in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference which is the world’s largest climate conference. Faculty, students and alumni shared their expertise on topics such as green buildings and education, showcased award-winning sustainable startups, and delivered powerful speeches. Read more about AUC at COP28 below.

Learn more about the University's Climate Change Initiative.

Alumni

Two men stand smiling in front of a presentation booth

George Efram ‘20

Sustainability Analyst, Oscar Limited

Exhibited a startup company in the Green Zone and organized the panel, "Sustainable Procurement: How It Can Help the UAE Meet Its Net Zero Target"

man with black hair smiles at camera

Amir El-Shenawy ‘13

Award-Winning Film Director and Producer

Screened his short documentary, Drowning Fish, which follows one of the last fishermen of Qarun Lake in Fayoum, Egypt, at the Green Zone during a panel, "Local Storied, Global Impact" and at the Blue Zone.

man in grey suit stands in front of a blue background with white COP28 logo on it

Ramy Saleh ‘12

Chief Business Development and Sustainability Officer, El Marakby Steel

Panelist and promoted partnerships within the private sector as well as between NGOs and the private sector, focusing on sustainable steel production

three people sit in front of a presentation screen

Yamama Kenawy ‘96

Founder and Managing Director, Tadweera

Led the panel, "Tadweera's Initiative for Green Education in Sustainable Communities"
 

Other Alumni Participants

Karim Refaat ‘98 ‘03; Manal Hassan ‘90; Dalia Kamar 17; Minister Rania Al Mashat ‘95,; AUC Trustee Ahmed Ismail ‘97; Amir El Shenawy ‘13; Haytham El Maagergi ‘99; Miray Zaki ‘04; Mirna Arif ‘02 ‘07; Samar Negida ‘11 ‘14; Sherif Hafez ‘99; Shereif Rostom ‘05; and Soha El Turky ‘94 ‘98

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AUC Researchers Link Rising Temperatures to Women’s Cancer in Landmark Study

A new study correlating rising temperatures with women’s cancer in the Middle East recently attracted global media attention, seizing headlines in outlets like The Washington Post, Daily Mail, Fortune and more. Behind the research are authors Wafa Abu El Kheir-Mataria (MPA ’18, PhD ’23), a senior research fellow at AUC’s Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (IGHHE), and Professor Sungsoo Chun, who conducted the observational study at IGHEE.“This research rang an alarm that we need to be aware of in health policies,” said Mataria. She initially proposed the topic due to her concern over gender disparity in healthcare and the broader vulnerability of the region with climate change. Her alarm rang loud and clear, with the paper scoring in the top 5% of all research outputs and the top 1% for high attention as compared with papers of the same age, according to Altmetric (a platform that measures and ranks the engagement that research articles receive beyond traditional citation counts).The study analyzed data from 17 countries over a 20-year period, checking for correlations between temperature increases and mortality rates from four types of female cancers: breast, uterine, ovarian and cervical. “This research rang an alarm that we need to be aware of in health policies.”While the overall correlation was the first result, a country-by-country breakdown provided secondary results. “Is this valid for each and every country or not?” Mataria inquired. The correlation was ultimately found to be statistically significant for six countries, with the most striking results in Gulf states. It was also particularly strong for breast and cervical cancers. Mataria unpacked some likely causes based on the literature: “Heat increases exposure to pollutants and disrupts healthcare systems, delaying diagnosis and treatment. It may also alter cell structure. Women are more vulnerable due to limited access and cultural taboos around breast and cervical cancer,” she said. Chun added that the best thing countries can do now is abide by multilateral climate-targeted policies, such as the Paris Agreement (an international climate treaty signed in 2016 that seeks to curb global warming). “The Paris Agreement is one of the clearest guidelines on how to stop rising temperatures. Implementing its exact recommendations for each country is essential to stopping climate change,” he said, though he noted that many nations are failing to meet the treaty’s criteria.“Although we promised only one paper, many journalists are concerned about the severity of the findings. That means that this is a really urgent, in-demand topic to solve globally.”Beyond women, Chun emphasized that vulnerable populations will suffer disproportionately if global conditions don’t change. “Post-colonial populations, older people, children and, of course, women have unique weaknesses in certain periods, such as during childbirth. So we should make clear programs or policies to support these vulnerable populations, especially through a strengthened healthcare system,” Chun said.This research is not just relevant to those facing health problems or working in the health sector; it can be used to inform health policy, address gender gaps and understand the impacts of climate change. “This concerns not only people in the health sector, but also in policy, sustainability and other areas. Health is relevant to all fields, and it’s good to work together,” said Mataria.Mataria views researchers at institutions like AUC as indispensable to the field. “We open people’s eyes on certain topics. Research and evidence draw attention,” she said, “Numbers talk.”   Mataria and Chun are also hoping to receive more grants to continue the novel research. “Although we promised only one paper, many journalists are concerned about the severity of the findings. That means that this is a really urgent, in-demand topic to solve globally,” said Chun. “There’s not much on it yet,” added Mataria.Even as the pair’s findings are making waves in the media, they were quick to point out that more research will be needed to understand the results. “This research is preliminary, but it’s a good start,” added Mataria. “There are so many contributing factors to the instance of cancers. We need to make another experimental design controlling not only for the setting but also for community levels,” said Chun.The trailblazing article is now paving the way for international research focused on the intersection of climate change and women’s health. Mataria said, “It’s really just one point in a sea of research. There is a lot to do.”
Science and Tech
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July 21, 2018

Building Sustainable Dreams

By Katherine Pollock | This story appeared in the July 2017 edition of AUC Today.This is the cover story for the July 2017 edition of AUC Today."It was a huge responsibility. In school projects, if something goes wrong, the worst-case scenario is that you'll get a bad grade. But as real-life architects, there is no such thing as a bad grade. Money, time and people's lives are at risk."This is how Shaymaa Hesham, a graduating senior majoring in architecture, described her experience in the Sustainability in Architectural Design Studio class, taught by Khaled Tarabieh, assistant professor of sustainable design. In the class, students were empowered to create their own architectural designs based on real-life community needs. They were challenged to not only create the architectural designs, but also develop a holistic plan that includes financials, feasibility studies and other practical concerns."It helped a lot to focus on the financial aspect of my design, not only the aesthetic part of it," said Farah Wahdan, a graduating senior majoring in architecture.Students completed two major projects in this class: one drawing heavily on Cairo as an extension of the classroom to address community needs, and the other using the New Cairo campus as a field site for practical learning. "Both projects engaged students in experiential, hands-on education that enhances their creativity, adaptability and professional skills," said Tarabieh. "This learning-by-doing approach makes all the difference." El-Teseen StreetThe first project was a community design initiative for New Cairo, whereby students surveyed community needs and site conditions at various locations across El-Teseen Street. Based on their community needs assessments, the students proposed projects ranging from an outpatient medical clinic and community center to a government services building.Emphasizing the real-world application of such proposals, the student projects were submitted to the LafargeHolcim Awards for Sustainable Construction, the world's premier sustainable design competition. Each student in Tarabieh's class submitted an entry to the competition, with AUC representing 33 submissions out of 120 entries from Egypt and 620 from the Middle East and Africa. This year, AUC was also chosen to host the regional jury cycle of the awards, becoming the first University in the region ever to do so."Because we were taking part in the LafargeHolcim Awards competition, we made extra sure our projects were practical, buildable, culturally compatible and, of course, sustainable," said Sara Seyam, who is majoring in architecture. "The idea of ensuring practicality and cultural compatibility in one's design is vital, as it produces projects that are realistic and capable of responding to human needs with the addition of experiential spaces. We developed an eye for detail that drove us to produce thorough, well-thought-out designs.""Researching new technologies, materials and means of sustainability while customizing them to suit our environment and target group was both challenging and rewarding." - Hadeel Koura To read more about what architecture students had to say, scroll down.As many students noted, the El-Teseen Street project was not without its challenges. "It was my first sustainable design project," said Wahdan. "It was really challenging to research and come up with an innovative and sustainable technology that would simultaneously fit with the context and environmental conditions here in Egypt.""The best part of this project is that students were left on their own to interact with theclient as professional architects. They were given a request for proposal, and they presented it in a typical manner conducted by real-life professionals."Hadeel Koura, another architecture student, added, "Researching new technologies, materials and means of sustainability while customizing them to suit our environment and target group was both challenging and rewarding."Architecture student Rawan Sohdy noted that the project taught her to "include sustainability in every aspect of the design process: economic sustainability through entrepreneurship, social sustainability through multi-use, and environmental sustainability by including environmental techniques in the making of kinetic walls and roofs, instead of the typical solar panel add-ons."For Sohdy, taking part in the LafargeHolcim Awards competition was a dream come true. "Last January, I found myself scrolling through Google for student architecture competitions," she recalled. 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The designs had to focus on sustainability, both in the types of crafts available for dorm residents and in the design, construction and ongoing operations and maintenance of the craft house itself. Some of the sustainability ideas proposed by students in Tarabieh's architecture class include installing green walls and solar panels in the craft house as well as recycling material for different purposes, such as: using clay, wood, rice-straw and paper tubes as building materials; soda cans as tin bricks; car tires and cardboard to make furniture; and aluminum cans to make screen walls."The trickiest part was being both sustainable and economic," recalled Sohdy. "Hence, my group and I relied on touching down on Egyptian heritage by using clay. 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Using student expertise to provide solutions to the University, especially in creating a sustainable, energy-efficient environment that minimizes waste, is an overall effective strategy that can further position AUC as a sustainability leader in Egypt and the region."In addition to advancing AUC's reputation as a regional leader in sustainability, Tarabieh emphasized the importance of helping students gain real-world experience. "It is critical for students to be trained as professionals and to interact with clients before they graduate," he said. "This gives them an edge in the market and allows them to understand market needs and the professional language of practice." 
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Student Experience
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