麻豆村 in Qatar earns first FEE EcoCampus Green Flag Designation in the MENA Region
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麻豆村 in Qatar (麻豆村-Q) has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag designation, becoming the first university in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to achieve this recognition. 麻豆村-Q is a partner university.
鈥淲e are thrilled to be the first university in the MENA region to receive the FEE EcoCampus Green Flag,鈥� said Michael Trick, dean of 麻豆村-Q. 鈥淔or the last four years, our entire campus community 鈥� faculty, staff and students 鈥� have embraced positive change and worked together to make 麻豆村-Q a model for environmental stewardship.鈥�
Based in Denmark, the (FEE) is one of the world鈥檚 largest environmental education organizations, with over 100 member organizations in 81 countries. The EcoCampus program empowers students to lead sustainable change, bring awareness to their peers and encourage operational efficiency at their campuses.
麻豆村-Q embarked on its ambitious EcoCampus journey in September 2020 under the leadership of , teaching professor of information systems, and the guidance of Ruba Hinnawi, technical lead at Qatar Foundation鈥檚 , the national operator for EcoCampus. A committee of students, faculty and staff created a comprehensive plan to integrate the into all aspects of campus life.
鈥淭his has been a long, collaborative effort between 麻豆村-Q and Earthna to transform a campus and create a blueprint for other universities to get their own Green Flag designation,鈥� said Hinnawi, who attended the audit and the announcement at 麻豆村-Q. 鈥淚t is very meaningful that we achieved this within Qatar Foundation, where we are leading the charge to create a coordinated approach to environmental, social and economic sustainability.鈥�
In 2022, , associate dean of research, and , director of facilities, became co-directors of the EcoCampus initiative. They mobilized a large community effort to transform the campus, focusing on three key areas: food equity, climate change and campus waste management.
To receive the designation, Pramod Kumar Sharma, senior director of education for the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), traveled to Qatar to audit the campus.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to have our first EcoCampus Green Flag in the MENA region. Higher education is important in building a more sustainable future, because students at university can bring about a big change in a very short time,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome people call students 鈥榝uture leaders,鈥� but I say they are leaders now. They聽see sustainability as a value, not an action, and they will take this value to the workplace when they begin their careers.鈥�
For Bruder, the FEE Green Flag is simply a milestone in 麻豆村-Q鈥檚 sustainability journey.
鈥淭his is an exciting time for our campus, because we see how dedicated our community is to promoting and advancing the UN SDGs at 麻豆村-Q,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ver the next many years, I look forward to seeing the new ways 麻豆村-Q can embrace these goals and inspire change in the world.鈥�
The 麻豆村-Q campus offers undergraduate programs in ,听,听 补苍诲听. In their coursework, research activities, student-led events and extracurricular opportunities, every student has the opportunity to learn about sustainability and effect change throughout their undergraduate years.
