First Online Symposium on SDGs
Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, who is the World Bank Group’s Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, UN Relations, and Partnerships, and who currently serves as a board member on the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, as well as an observer to the EU Multi-Stakeholder Platform for the SDGs, delivered a lecture on the 20th of May 2021 at October University for Modern Sciences and Arts, titled: “Future of Youth in SDGs”. The lecture was moderated by Dr. Doaa Salman after introductory remarks by Dr. Nawal ElDegwi. Dr. Mohieldin stated the adverse impact of the COVID crisis on the youth, especially on their education and jobs.
Dr. Mohieldin warned of the uneven diverging recovery between the rich countries and the developing countries, which can be clearly seen in the uneven response to the crisis and the uneven access to the vaccine. This divergence will only worsen the progress towards achieving the SDGs.
Dr. Mohieldin concluded his remarks by highlighting the importance of pushing investments in sustainability and the green economy, digital transformation, governance systems, and social safety nets, which all shall be executed within the holistic framework of Sustainable Development Goals. Those investments need to take into consideration the new global dynamics of the fourth wave of debt, digital disruptions, and shifting center of global economic gravity.
During the symposium, Dr. Nawal El-Degwi, on her part, stressed the importance of taking into account the sustainability dimension in all university activities due to its effects on all other fields, especially pointing to the students’ keenness on including it in their projects and research implemented at the university, and the university’s consideration of the future of sustainability.
Event Link: https://msa.edu.eg/msauniversity/events/academic-events/future-of-youth-in-sdgs
Additional Resource: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/unenvoymm_pdf-future-of-youth-in-sdgs-activity-6801204609881800705-0tiQ/
Link to the presentation: https://lnkd.in/df6QiaU
Total number of attendees: 1,500
Second Online Symposium on SDGs
On the 24th of May 2021, the Minister of Environment of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, participated in the symposium hosted by October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA) and the Faculty of Management Sciences on “The Role of Youth in Serving Sustainable Development Issues”.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, participated in the symposium through the video conferencing feature, in the presence of a number of university professors and students.
During the symposium, the Minister of Environment explained that the Egyptian government attaches great importance to the environmental sector due to its great effects on all aspects of life, noting that the government seeks not only to protect the environment but also to sustain resources to ensure their survival for future generations, and there are many programs that are implemented to reduce pollution rates in all areas. Its forms include air, water, soil, and other pollution. The government is also working to integrate the environmental dimension into all sectors of the state through coordination and cooperation with all ministries. The government is also aware of the importance of raising citizens’ environmental awareness of various environmental issues through the Prepare for Green initiative that was launched to raise environmental awareness.
During the symposium, the Minister of Environment answered the students’ questions, through which she explained the efforts made by the ministry to limit the use of single-use plastic bags, referring to the law regulating waste management, for which the executive regulation is being worked on and which will regulate all activities related to waste in all its forms. She explained that there are about 3,000 facilities working in the field of plastic manufacturing and that the decision to completely ban the use of plastic will lead to their closure, and there are workers who earn their living from this profession. Therefore, the state seeks to organize that process and to work on converting these facilities to work in biodegradable plastic that does not pollute the environment, as well as finding other alternatives to plastic that are suitable for the daily use of citizens.
The Minister of Environment also answered the inquiries of some students about the implementation of projects that won an international award, noting that the ministry is working on implementing a youth project in the Saluga and Ghazal Reserve, which won an international award in the field of ecotourism. She explained that the ministry provides assistance to any young person who submits a distinguished project idea to the Ministry.
During the symposium, the Minister of Environment touched on biogas projects as a model for any young person wishing to work in the environmental field and make a financial profit. The implementation of these projects is also within the initiative of A Decent Life.
The Minister of Environment thanked the university’s faculty members for the invitation and for their interest in environmental issues and gave a lot of advice to young people on the need to preserve the environment and start with themselves. Individual behavior, such as turning off unnecessary lights, turning off the tap, and using bicycles, is simple behavior, but it affects the overall environment.
During the symposium, Dr. Nawal El-Degwi, on her part, stressed the importance of taking into account the environmental dimension due to its effects on all other fields, pointing to the students’ keenness on including it in their projects and research implemented at the university, and to the university’s consideration of the environmental dimension ever since its inauguration, as it was originally designed to have a large percentage of green spaces. Dr. El-Degwi added that regarding the separation of waste, a number of students in the Department of Architecture implemented a model of building bricks that were made of sand to be compatible with the environment instead of bricks that depend in their manufacture on eroding the soil, and the process of burning them during their manufacture leads to polluting the environment. This project obtained an invention patent.
Total number of attendees: 1,000
Third Online Symposium on SDGs
In continuation of the biggest sessions related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), MSA University and the Faculty of Management Sciences held a symposium, moderated by Prof. Doaa Salman, Head of the Economics Department and Vice Dean for Environmental Affairs and Community Service at the Faculty of Management Sciences. The guest speakers were as follows:
- Prof. Ahmed Farouk Ghoneim, Head of the Economic Authority of the Museum of Egyptian Civilization and previously the Cultural Counselor for Egypt in Berlin.
- Prof. Andres Artal-Tur, a professor at the University of Cartagena (Spain) and Research Associate at the Institute of International Economics, University of Valencia (Spain). He is an expert in regional and international economics.
- Assistant Prof. Essmat Kamal, Faculty of Management Sciences at MSA University. She is an expert in regional and international economics and serves as the Acting Head of the Quality Unit in the Faculty of Management Sciences.
During the symposium, the speakers shed light on the Regional Value Chains (RVCs) of merchandise trade between the Southern Neighbourhood (SN) and the European Union (EU). Their speeches presented a comparative analysis of trade flows and barriers between both partners before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis was supported by evidence from the literature and historical statistical data on bilateral merchandise flows between eight SN countries and the EU.
Furthermore, they traced the extent to which the pandemic had exposed the vulnerabilities of RVCs for merchandise trade between both partners. They also covered:
- The future role of youth in international trade.
- The landscape of Regional Value Chains (RVCs) for merchandise trade during COVID-19.
- Nearshoring of RVCs to minimize trade costs during COVID-19.
- The interplay between skilled youth and digitalization in maximizing RVCs in trade flows.
Date and Time: Thursday, 3rd of June 2021, at 5:00 PM.
Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/MSAUniversityOfficial/posts/4657559274274114
Total number of attendees: 1,050
Third International Conference on Resilience and Sustainability in Management (2024)
In continuation of MSA University’s commitment to promoting sustainable development and encouraging multidisciplinary research, the Faculty of Management Sciences held its 3rd International Conference in 2024, entitled “Resilience and Sustainability in Management: A Multidisciplinary Outlook on Global Trends.”
The conference focused on resilience, sustainability, and emerging global trends in management, providing a platform for presenting research findings and exchanging academic perspectives on contemporary sustainability challenges. Through its multidisciplinary approach, the conference addressed issues relevant to sustainable development and encouraged research-based discussions on approaches to tackling global challenges.
The conference proceedings document the research contributions presented at the conference and provide a resource for further research and discussion on sustainability-related challenges and potential approaches to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through its research-oriented activities and the dissemination of conference proceedings, MSA University supports academic knowledge exchange and promotes evidence-based approaches to sustainable development. The conference proceedings can also serve as a reference for examining comparative approaches and research findings relevant to sustainability, subject to the scope of the published papers.
Conference Proceedings (PDF): https://msamsj.journals.ekb.eg/article_388608_1118c4f4aec2623bb50fae599617559d.pdf
Relevant Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.
