AUC’s Research and Creativity Convention Kicked off Yesterday with Opening Remarks from the Minister of Environment
The American University in Cairo (AUC) kicked off yesterday the seventh edition of the Research and Creativity Convention (RCC) with opening remarks from Yasmine Fouad, minister of environment of Egypt. RCC includes various activities for graduate and undergraduate students in all disciplines showcasing and sharing original research and creativity outcomes in the sciences, humanities, social sciences, business, and the arts. It also includes competitions for faculty and students in research in different disciplines.
Discussing climate change and global challenges,” Yasmine Fouad, minister of environment, stressed the importance of considering the human dimension when discussing the role of scientific research in combating climate change. She stressed on the need to find the tools and methodologies that would be executed efficiently, and to look into the local initiatives focused on adapting to the effects of climate change, and to benefit from science to come up with viable results. Such steps would help accelerate climate action and engage more partners from all walks of life.
The Minister of Environment also highlighted Egypt’s measures in linking the efforts to limit climate change with preserving biodiversity and combating desertification. “This includes expanding renewable energy and using water efficiently, promoting low-emission public transport and searching for more adaptable agricultural methods and crops,” she said.
She also pointed out how Egypt has adopted a different view of the environment and climate during the past four years, with the restructuring of the environment sector under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Discussing Egypt’s hosting of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27), Fouad emphasized that the forthcoming conference would include various success stories of mitigation and adaptation, and real youth and civil society engagement to accelerate the pace of climate action. She also highlighted the recent launch of the National Climate Dialogue that aims at raising awareness on the issue of climate change and encouraging the exchange of ideas and discussions to successfully engage Egyptians as partners in the conference and participants in the world’s efforts.
Fouad also invited the academics and students to participate in this dialogue and support Egypt’s leadership for climate action.
At the opening ceremony of the RCC, AUC President Ahmad Dallal said: “The RCC aims to enhance knowledge-sharing, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the engagement in projects and initiatives that explore and address critical national, regional and global issues.
Dallal also announced that the University will be launching AUC Climate Change Initiative in June 2022. “AUC started the initiative in the Fall 2021 semester in response to the worldwide climate change challenges and the active role academic and research institutions can and should play in understanding and addressing these challenges, more specifically, in relation to Egypt’s hosting of COP27,” he added.
He added that the AUC Climate Change Initiative includes research activities, student and outreach activities, teaching and learning in the curriculum, and co-curricular activities. “This initiative presents an example of the role AUC plays in harnessing research and creative endeavors activities to address national, regional and international challenges,” said Dallal.
Discussing RCC’s activities this year, Adham Ramadan, associate provost for research and dean of graduate studies at AUC, explained that this year includes various activities that aim to capture the diversity of activities at AUC concerning research and creative endeavors.
These activities include The Annual Conference for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, Entrepreneurship and Creative Achievement (EURECA), graduate activities (Graduate Poster Competition and Science Slam), and faculty activities (Faculty Research Pitch). Adham added that the “RCC also includes activities that discuss the university’s engagement to its liberal arts mission (Liberal Arts Symposium), its teaching and learning (Futurize your course competition), and another exciting event, which is the Design Thinking Daylong Sprint.”
At this year’s 16th EURECA conference, students are provided an opportunity to share in the social construction of knowledge, sharpen critical thinking and expression skills -- written, oral and visual -- and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue. “This year, 216 Egyptian and international students are participating in the conference, with students participating from Boston College and Gettysburg College in the United States and Sinai University in Egypt,” said Susanne Rizzo, director of undergraduate research at AUC.