JEDDAH: The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is to host the Times Higher Education’s Global Sustainable Development Congress in Jeddah from May 30 to June 1.
More than 1,000 leaders and innovators from higher education, government, business, and civil society will discuss urgent sustainability crisis solutions at the event.
More than 200 speakers will focus on a variety of topics that can assist universities to take the necessary actions to help society achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
KAUST President Tony Chan said that there was a need for universities to be far more radical in their response to the human and ecological emergency.
He added: “Universities, along with other sectors of society, are proceeding largely [in a] business-as-usual [manner].
“We are in a state of climate and sustainability crisis, and universities throughout the world must begin to act like it.”
Integrating thought-provoking panels with collaborative workshops, the three-day event will deliver bold insights and forge powerful new alliances between sectors.
Delegates will immerse themselves in four tracks aligned with the transformations needed to achieve the goals: health and demography; sustainable energy and industry; environment; and cities and communities.
Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at THE, said that Saudi Arabia was a “vital strategic force in the delivery of the SDGs.”
Duncan Ross, chief data officer at THE, said: “The congress is designed to inspire strategic change for universities committed to supporting the SDGs, and to offer practical, tangible plans for transformation.”
