EEG Conducts Inter-College Environmental Public Speaking Competition

Under the patronage of H.E Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education, the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) held its 17^th Annual Inter College Environmental Public Speaking Competition on the 27^th and the 28^th of November, in the beautiful venue provided by the Dubai International Academic City. The competition was first initiated in 2001 and since then it proved to be highly popular across the GCC and the MENA region.

The belief that education is key to achieving uttermost environmental success inspires Emirates Environmental Group to serve as a creative platform for tomorrow’s sustainability champions to come together and discuss contemporary environmental issues.  The 17^th Inter College Competition gave a chance for the outstanding undergraduate student participants to showcase their public speaking skills, to express their opinion on contemporary environmental and sustainability issues and also to propose innovative solutions for making a positive change.

The engaging and thought provoking event was bilingual in nature in order to provide both Arabic and English speaking universities with equal opportunities to compete. The event saw participation of 69 teams and around 515 students, teachers, experts and visitors from across the GCC, Levant and North Africa region. Expanding its reach, the 17^th cycle of the competition welcomed students from Sudan, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon along with teams from the GCC and the UAE. The representation of these countries and the coming together of students with different cultural and educational backgrounds is a big achievement for EEG. It allowed for sharing of different perspectives and the variety of responses and delivery styles, developing students’ confidence, critical thinking, research skills and teamwork. It further served as inspiration and motivation for EEG to continue making deeper inroads in its educational programmes and extending its reach to new locations and discovering new talent.

In her opening speech, Mrs. Habiba Al Mar’ashi, Chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group emphasised on the importance of making sound decisions in our daily lives to ensure the future of sustainability for our planet. She highlighted on the purpose of the competition as a forum for the expression of ideas and thoughts and as a platform to develop innovative approaches to address the existing issues around sustainability.  She also stated “EEG acknowledges the significance of moulding the youth, the future generation, to come to the realisation about the significance of sustainability issues and turn that into uninhibited and strong actions. This event is a stepping-stone for all the changes that you as individuals; as academics, will manifest”

Emirates Environmental Group was honoured to receive a surprise visit from the Sultanate of Oman's Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs, Mohammed Bin Salim Al Toobi to the 17^th Intercollege Environmental Public Speaking Competition. He graced the event to witness first hand the performance of the teams from Oman and enjoy the competitive spirit of the platform. EEG would  like to thank its strategic educational partners Emirates National Oil Company and the Sustainable City, who were the main sponsors for this inspiring programme.  EEG is further grateful to its venue supporter, the Dubai International Academic City and long-term catering provider Abela & Co for their commitment and sustenance.

His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC, said: “If we hope to create a sustainable future, turning our youth’s eye towards sustainability is a vital aspect we must focus on today; and our long partnership with Emirates Environmental Group embodies our commitment to raising awareness towards issues related to environmental sustainability among the younger generation. EEG has relentlessly pushed our nation’s green agenda forward through initiatives that encourage our communities to get involved. By continuing to join forces with EEG to introduce initiatives that will rally our communities towards a common goal, we hope to continue to align our efforts with the aspirations of our visionary leaders to create a culture of education and innovation in our society – starting with our young.”

Mr. Faris Saeed, Chief Executive Officer of The Sustainable City added “Public speaking is an important activity that will help mitigate the effects of climate change by promoting sustainable lifestyles. Professional advancement is not only about the knowledge we have gained, but how we deliver that knowledge to influence mindsets. Effective public speaking will help millennials become the positive change makers the planet needs.”