AUC Partners With The Housing And Building National Research Center At The Green Smart Sustainable Building Conference

Demonstrating its commitment to sustainable urban development, The American University in Cairo (AUC) partnered with The Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC), an affiliate of the Ministry of Housing, at the international conference "Future Vision & Challenges for Urban Development: Green Smart Sustainable Building Between Present & Future,” held from December 14 to 17. The event gathered a distinguished group of government officials, experts and academic leaders to address critical urban challenges. AUC President Ahmad Dallal delivered the opening remarks and led a delegation of senior AUC academic leaders, expert professors and AUC students who participated in the specialized sessions. 

In his remarks, Dallal thanked HBRC for its trust and partnership with AUC in this conference and congratulated it on 70 years of critical contributions to Egypt’s construction and housing sectors. “Our partnership with HBRC over the years has fostered joint research, capacity-building initiatives, and the development of national building codes. These efforts align with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and demonstrate the power of collaboration in advancing sustainable and inclusive urban environments,” he said. 

Dallal noted that rapid urbanization, resource scarcity, climate change and regional conflicts are reshaping the world’s cities and posing shared challenges that require innovative and collaborative solutions. “This conference provides a valuable platform to rethink how we design, build, and manage urban spaces in light of such challenges,” he said. “By focusing on smart technologies, green infrastructure, and inclusive planning, we can improve the quality of life and address the unique needs of our region, while advancing global sustainability goals,” he added.

Dallal concluded that by fostering partnerships among academia, government, and industry, we can turn challenges into opportunities for innovation and progress. “Collaboration is key. The Arab region has much to contribute to global efforts in sustainable urban development, and can gain even more by sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices.” 

Inspired by its involvement in COP27, AUC held a booth, curated by Ibrahim Abotaleb, associate professor at the Department of Construction Engineering and Sherif Goubran, assistant professor at the Department of Architecture at the Egypt Permanent Green Building Exhibition (EGBX) at the conference. The booth integrated cutting-edge technology and design to feature a dynamic combination of faculty-led research and student projects. These works explored forward-thinking solutions in green construction materials, resilient infrastructure, zero-carbon urban futures, and sustainable design tailored to local and global contexts. Highlights included groundbreaking work using virtual reality, research and teaching initiatives, outcomes from sustainability-focused courses, models, and samples generated by students and faculty, reflecting AUC’s hands-on approach to sustainability education. 

AUC's active involvement in the conference underscores its leadership in fostering innovative solutions and preparing future generations to address global challenges effectively.