INSTITUTE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

On Monday 20 March and Tuesday 21 March 2023, the Institute of Sustainable Development launched For The Love Of The Planet, a new two-day festival putting the UAE’s future leaders at the heart of student-driven solutions to the issues of sustainable fashion, food sustainability and developing a circular economy. 

During this initiative, MDX worked in partnership with Thift For Good, a non-profit organisation with the mission to rehome preloved items to reduce waste and help children around the world. Boxes were installed around campus encouraging students, staff and faculty to give in any unwanted clothes that otherwise would have been thrown away. 

This drive resulted in 425 items (or 124kg) saved from landfill, with the majority going to resale, and 30 items to recycling. This potentially offsets 13kg of carbon emission and could raise around AED 5,875 for Thrift For Good, which will then be used to provide education for four children for one year.

Rhoderick Romano, UG Business Faculty and Member of the Institute of Sustainable Development – Middlesex University Dubai, participated in a Multi Stakeholder Dialogue as part of Sustainability Week 2022 at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce Centre for Responsible Business on 25^th November 2022. Rhoderick delivered the keynote speech about Materiality Assessments and was part of the panel discussion. The event also had Rana Hajirasouli, COO of Cyrus Group of Companies and Raji Hattar, Chief Sustainability Officer of Aramex as speakers. 

Middlesex University Dubai was also represented by Rashita Puthiya, Accounting & Finance Faculty, and our some of our Accounting & Finance students. This was a great opportunity for students to go beyond the classroom and see how goals for sustainability are approached from different institutions. Middlesex University Dubai was able to fulfil its role as a responsible corporate citizen being a Community Partner of the Chamber.

The School of Law and Politics and The Institute of Sustainable Development were delighted to welcome Sunil Lalvani, founder & CEO Project Maji on Monday, 21 Nov. Sunil presented to a wide range of students and faculty his unique perspective on sustainable development. Sunil shared his personal journey with the students, where having initially worked for his family’s electronics business, Binatone, he then pivoted his career to focus on water provision for rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa. His journey started after he witnessed a very common seen of children collecting dirty water from roadside puddles. Sunil’s story touched on the challenges and opportunities of raising capital, designed for purpose water solutions, and developing sustainable water solutions for rural communities. 

Sunil founded Project Maji in 2014, a social enterprise focused on providing sustainable access to safe water in rural communities throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Sunil now runs Project Maji from its office in Dubai at the International Humanitarian City. Project Maji was the proud winner of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award in 2020 as well as being selected as a YPO Global Impact Award Winner that same year.

On October 19^th 2022, Head of the Institute of Sustainable Development, Mr. Andrew Mackenzie had the privilege of presenting Honorary Certificates to Dr. Frank Appel, CEO and specialist in Corporate Communications, Sustainability & Brand, and Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa @ the DHL world tour of town halls. DHL are a valued sustainability partner and through the ISD Middlesex University Dubai look forward to future collaboration and outreach projects across the MENA region. 

Dr. Appel, is the CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world’s leading mail and logistics services provider, and they define their purpose as "connecting people, improving lives." Middlesex and been proud to be a small part in the at training and development. 

Our greatest achievement to date is the contribution to building a Sustainable Mindset, and to build from the recognition of the sustainability challenges facing DHL and apply sustainability practice in Community Outreach programmes in Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe in 2022.

Middlesex University Dubai’s Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) has collaborated with Water Alliance UAE on its RE-NEW Student Water Innovation Challenge to deliver workshops to school students. The partnership aims to make a difference in the sustainability of water use locally and globally, and thereby contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The RE-NEW Challenge is open to students across the UAE.

The workshops focused on imparting knowledge and developing skills to inspire innovative thinking and find ways to combat environmental challenges of pollution and climate change. They comprise part of a broader programme developed by the Water Alliance and supported by ISD that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on "clean water and sanitation for all", and the UAE’s 2030 National Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Middlesex ISD Ambassadors and former University students, Aishwarya Nair and Mrigeesha Mehta, who ran the workshops under the mentorship of Head of ISD, Andrew Mackenzie, both said, “Our discussion focused on design thinking, a key component of providing sustainable solutions to environmental problems and concerns. The student’s comprehension of this concept and the ideas they came up with were truly amazing. It’s inspiring to see the passion and capabilities of these young students.”

The winners of the RE-NEW challenge will present their innovative idea in Stockholm at the World Water Week in August 2022. The ISD is a proud knowledge partner of the Water Alliance.

Final year students of MDX BA Business Management (Finance) had a fantastic opportunity to listen to Mr. Hassan Bouadar, Vice President Legal, Regulatory and Human Resources at FedEx Express at Dubai, UAE. The speaker enlightened the students on the importance of personal integrity in all realms of life. The interactive session, organised in conjunction with the Pearl Initiative, witnessed students raising a range of questions on personal growth, career prospects, and key success factors. The event was part of The Business Pledge which was launched in 2017 at the Pearl Initiative and United Nations Global Compact Regional Forum “Sustainability in Action”. The Business Pledge highlights the key role the Private Sector plays in promoting responsible and sustainable growth based on good corporate governance practices in the Gulf region.  The purpose of the series is to bring business leaders and youth together, informing, and inspiring students on how these topics are applied in practice by businesses in the Gulf region.

Thank you, Mr. Hassan for the intelligent answers and for driving the essence of integrity throughout the session. Thanks to Aya Ibrahim, Mahine Ahmed, Rory McConnon, and Rashita Puthiya for coordinating the event.

Sustainability Mindset 2.0: Leadership Development Program

To develop a “Sustainability Mindset” in managers, and develop their purpose in line with the DPDHL purpose.

Last week saw the culmination of an exciting and extremely successful training and development programme with DHL across the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD) delivered an intensive 3-day training suite, developing a sustainability Mindset for DHL management across 11 MEA countries. This was the first time the Institute has conducted such a training and it was a novel and learning experience for all involved. 

The process began in March 2021 when the ISD was awarded the contract ahead of a prestigious field of consultancy groups and top tier universities. The delivery team was an integral part of our success, having such a diverse, experienced and professional group, led by ISD head Andrew Mackenzie and SDG ambassador Stephen King. The team consisted of Rhoderick Romano (Global Reporting Initiative, Social Impact reporting and Design Thinking), Mahine Rizvi (Gender Equality and Sustainable Governance), Rory McConnon and Dr Sreejith Balasubramanian, (Vehicle and Facilities sustainability, Life Cycle Analysis and Route planning for sustainability). 

The DHL theme of Connecting People, Improving Lives remained the focus throughout, and we were successful in developing an awareness of and involvement with issues related to Corporate Citizenship, harnessing the capability and willingness to engage with community and social development at the ground level. The countries participating were Bahrain, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Qatar, UAE and Zimbabwe.

Participants successfully completed training in developing a sustainability Mindset and completed knowledge transfer in multiple topics including Creating Shared Value, Understanding the UN SGDs, Governance and Stakeholder Involvement, Design Thinking, Factor Weighting Modelling, Life Cycle Analysis and Life Cycle Costing, screening Stakeholders Identification and the Triple Bottom Line. 

We also conducted a panel discussion with leaders in sustainability from both industry, the United Nations and the governmental and non-governmental sector, giving DHL an opportunity to engage with other stakeholders on key issues around sustainability and collaboration. Guests included Princess Adewumi Mojisola, Nigeria, Hania Tabet Sustainability and Environment at Airbus, France, and H.E. Mr. Poem Mudyawabikwa, Zimbabwe government's Trade Attaché to the UN in Geneva

The next stage of this partnership is to build from the recognition of the sustainability challenges facing DHL and apply sustainability practice in live Community Outreach programmes in Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe in 2022. 

We look forward to future collaborations with DHL as well as rolling out such initiatives and trainings for other corporates and the government sectors going forward. 

Andrew Mackenzie

The Middlesex Institute of Sustainable Development fosters the advancement of sustainability into the university, community and global practices. Through outreach, research and training, ISD is a thought leader in sustainability advocating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

The objectives of ISD are to strengthen stakeholder collaboration by aligning academic knowledge and professional practice and by promoting partnerships with businesses, civil society and government to reach a sustainable future.

Connecting with future change makers, designers, and consumers to promote sustainability in the fashion industry

30^th May 2021, Dubai, UAE - Middlesex University Dubai’s Institute of Sustainable Development, Fashion Department, and Middlesex Dubai Icon Studio joined forces throughout March and April to present a webinar series on “Sustainability in Fashion”. The series aimed to drive awareness and affect change among emerging designers and young consumers across the university’s student body.

The dark side of this glamourous and stylish industry was brought to the forefront with shocking figures and statistics being revealed. Industry experts speaking during the series shared their knowledge, experience and how they have contributed to initiating change in the region’s fashion sector via their businesses and projects.

The webinar series consisted of four sessions. Each edition was dedicated to one on the ways producers and consumers of fashion can implement sustainable practices. The sessions and speakers were:

• 21^st March 2021 - Modupe Omonze: Initiating Brand Activations to Promote Regional Activities 
• 28^th March 2021 - Aracelli Gallego: Starting an Online Platform for Sustainable Products 
• 4^th April 2021 - Ayesha Siddequa: Global Sustainable Activities with A Regional Focus - Fashion Revolution 
• 11^th April 2021 - Suzanna Varghese: An Introduction to a UAE-Based Eco-Conscious Store, To Eliminate Plastic and Harmful Chemicals and Shift Towards A More Natural and Sustainable Lifestyle 

Fashion is one of the world’s most polluting and wasteful industries, with more than 13 million tonnes of waste produced globally each year. It also a contributor to greenhouse gases and chemical pollution through its manufacturing processes. These issues make it a key topic of concern for consumers, governments and businesses alike. This webinar series highlighted key issues to students and provided inspiration and examples of how they themselves can affect change. 

Middlesex University Dubai’s Fashion Department works closely with the university’s Institute of Sustainable Development to encourage the students enrolled on its BA Fashion Design course to incorporate environmentally-conscious practices into their practical and theoretical work. The Middlesex BA in Fashion Design is now in its third year of intake, with 12 students across the department. The students will be showcasing their collections to their peers and industry attendees at the upcoming End-of-Year show, which is set to take place on 20^th June.

The department’s students have fully embraced the principles of sustainable fashion during their design work both at university and in industry. On Thursday 22^nd April, six Middlesex University Dubai made it to the finals of Fashion Revolution UAE’s Sustainable Fashion Competition Digital Show, where they showcased three original ready-to-wear pieces that incorporate circular design strategies. Three Middlesex students went on to take first, second and third place in the competition.

The CAS Team has been busy providing online support to students since the start of the academic term. Not only are the students seeking these services themselves, but it is great to see that the lecturers are signposting and referring at-risk students to CAS so that they can get the right assistance in a timely manner. 

Faiza Umar Head of CAS has ensured that our students are supported across a range of services which is evidenced by the year on year increase in our students’ academic success.

Siobhan McNiff has been a huge support to all our students, especially the students with a declared learning disability. So far, she has offered 155 individualappointments in this term. She and Faiza have also been facilitating the daily online individual drop-in sessions attended by 178 students so far. Between the two of them, they have also delivered approximately 70 Academic Enrichment Workshops across all UG and PG programmes catering to roughly 1800 students. These workshops have ranged from a focus on developing academic skills amongst the new cohort of students to customising sessions around coursework or exams.

Suzannah Fernandes is the first point of contact for students requiring the services provided by CAS. The Under-18s pastoral care support service has also transitioned completely on line and she has so far consulted with 152 of our under-18 students. Her guidance is instrumental in helping them settle into University. Suzannah coordinates the Student Learning Assistant (SLA) programme  and this year a total of 80 SLAs have been recruited across IFP and UG Programmes. Suzannah also designed and delivered the Digital Literacy Pre-sessional workshops that were attended by approximately 600 students.

The latest addition to the CAS Team is Nora Tahir who has joined as the Student Support Counsellor. Nora has started offering counselling services to students through online appointments and will work towards the emotional well-being of our students. 

Apart from all of this, CAS has also completed the Inclusivity Framework review and has liaised with academic and administrative departments to determine action points to make our University even more inclusive. There will be a consistent evaluation of these initiatives to ensure that the University is upholding the shared values of diversity, equality and inclusion, contributing to the UN SDGs!

As we commemorate International Women’s Day, we recognize the tremendous challenges facing women that have been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic has meant further reduced mobilities for women, many may find themselves isolated in violent situations or removed from loved ones when they need support through maternity. Due to the feminization of front line jobs, women are increasingly exposed to the virus. In addition to this, globally care and domestic work has increased which has largely been born by women and is already impacting on their future career options. 

Faculty and Students at Middlesex University Dubai are engaged in a range of multi-disciplinary research projects and international collaborations which aim to make women’s lives better. Some of the recent research publications highlighted below are contributing, and in some cases, shaping wider research agendas.

Andrews, N.C.Z, Martin, C.L., Cook, R.E., Field, R.D., England, D.E. (2019). Exploring dual gender typicality among young adults in the United States. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(4), 314-321. 

Atifmal, W.**, Ahmad, M., and Paris, C. (2020). The career women of Kabul and their struggle for an empowered identity. International Journal of Society Systems Science, 12(2), 118-135. 

Eger, C., Vizcaino-Suárez, P., & Jeffrey, H. (2020). Introducing Critical Debates on Gender-Based Violence in Tourism. In Tourism and Gender-Based Violence: Challenging Inequalities (pp. 1-13). CABI Publishing.

Endendijk, J.J., Andrews, N.C.Z, England, D.E. & Martin, C.L. (2019). Gender-identity typologies are related to Gender-Typing, Friendships, and Social-Emotional Adjustment in Emerging Adults. International Journal of Behavioral Development. 43(4), 322-333.

England, D.E., Miller, C.F. (2018). Gender socialization. In M. Bornstein (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. 934-936. Washington DC: SAGE

Jeffrey, H., Riccio, A., & Paris, C. (2018). Let’s sit at the table for Women’s Empowerment. e-Review of Tourism Research, 14(4/5), 440-449.

Jeffrey, H.L. (2018). Tourism and Women’s Rights in Tunisia. In Cole, S. (Ed.). Gender equality and tourism: Beyond empowerment. Wallingford: CABI, 96-107

Jeffrey, H. (2018). Tourism and gendered hosts and guests. Tourism Review.74(5), 1038-1046

Jeffrey, H.L. (2020) Maternity Protection and the Tunisian Tourism Industry. In: T. Baum and A. Ndiuini (Eds.), Sustainable Human Resource Management in Tourism. Springer

Jeffrey, H.L. and Rumens, N. (2020) The Influence of Tourism on Tunisian Femininities. In Novelli, M. Adu-Ampong, E. and Ribeiro, A. eds. Routledge Handbook of Tourism in Africa. Routledge

Jeffrey, H & Stephens, S. (2021) The subversion of women’s anger in travel guidebooks, Annals of Leisure Research

Khokhlova, O., & Bohner, G. (2020). A Russian Version of the Acceptance of Modern Myths about Sexual Aggression Scale: Validation with a Female Online Sample. Psychology in Russia. State of the Art, 13(2).

Kyriazi, T (2020). Trafficking in Human Beings in the Tourism Industry: Trends and Approaches. in Vizcaino, P. Jeffrey, H.L. and Eger, C. (eds.) Tourism and Gender-based Violence. Wallingford: CABI

Kyriazi, T. (2018). Trafficking in human beings in the Middle East. In Piotrowicz, R. Rijken, C. and Uhl, B. (eds) The Routledge Handbook on Human Trafficking. Routledge

Kyriazi, T. (2015). Trafficking and Slavery: The Emerging European Legal Framework on Trafficking in Human Beings - Case-law of the ECHR in perspective. International Human Rights Law Review, 4 (1), 33-52

Lamba, N., Jadva, V., Kadam, K., & Golombok, S. (2018). The psychological well-being and prenatal bonding of gestational surrogates. Human reproduction, 4, 646-653.

Lamba, N., Jadva, V., (2018). Indian surrogates: Their psychological well-being and experiences in CrossCultural Perspectives on Surrogacy and Gamete Donations. Palgrave Macmillan.

Mendonca, C*., Shrivastava, A., Pietschnig, J. (2018). The effect of adaptive capacity, culture and employment status on happiness among married expatriate women residing in Dubai. Current Psychology, 1-9 

Nielson, M. G., Martin, C. L., Rogers, L. O., Miller, C. F., & England, D. (2020). Quantifying gender norm resistance. Journal of Adolescence, 84, 219-229.

Vizcaino, P., Jeffrey, H., & Eger, C. (Eds.). (2020). Tourism and Gender-based Violence: Challenging Inequalities. Cabi.

Vreckova, A., Paris, C., & Jeffrey, H. (2020). A gender analysis of intercultural sensitivity among flight attendants. e-Review of Tourism Research, 18(3), 363-374.

A team from Middlesex University were delighted to engage with EXPO 2020 at the Sustainability Pavilion. The visit was the foundation to engaging in curated educational tours for Middlesex Students in 2021. The programme will provide remarkable real-life case studies of the latest inter-disciplinary ideas. Andrew Mackenzie, head of the ISD plans to engage with EXPO Sustainability and Innovation tours, and be part of the EXPO environmental conversation, as some of the world's most forward-thinking leaders and environmentalists come together at Expo 2020 to share ideas, best practices, and find creative solutions. 

The Institute plans to involve students in innovation tours, discovering green approaches to meeting the worlds energy and water demands. Learning how communities, cities, organisations and countries from around the world are working to restore the Earth’s natural balance and discover the latest in cutting-edge environmental technologies. Students will learn that we all have a role to play in securing a more sustainable future.

Ed Ryan and Margo Tummel, are developing plans to be involved with the Arts, Architecture & Design tours. Expo 2020 is bringing together some of the world’s greatest artists, architects and designers. Our students will see contemporary masterpieces in a once-in-a-lifetime tour. Michael Kloep through IEBE, is looking forward to the Business & Entrepreneurship tours with dedicated tour guides. Now more than ever, businesses and entrepreneurs must work together to create positive change around the world.

Stephen King, ISD Ambassador, participated in the Clarifying Impact Webinar Series on Wednesday afternoon - Jan 20, organised by AMPUZ and the UNGC Pakistan. APMUZ is a social enterprise managed by Ayla Bajwa previously the UNGC head in the UAE and worked closely with our Institute of Sustainable Development on a number of projects including the UNGC certification.

Steve moderated discussions with two Pakistan tech-ed companies:

• WonderTree - which provides education games for children with special needs
• Amani Institute - which is in the adult learning space, developing individuals with the skills to contribute to social issues and sustainable development

In collaboration with the Global Compact Network Pakistan, the discussion focused on the inclusion of girls in the online classroom, trends in education during the pandemic and technology enabling access to a wider student population.

This year we had many diverse and exciting designs for our sustainability awareness competition ran by the Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD) at Middlesex University Dubai.  

The main theme was to highlight the message around recycling and/or sustainability, in partnership with the Simply Bottles initiative developed by DGrade.

The designs were narrowed down to the final 10 and voted on by judges including industry leaders, Emma Barber, Director at DGrade, Emma Davies, Operations Manager at Light Touch, Margo Tummel, MDX Lecturer in Graphic Design, and members from Marketing and the Institute of Sustainable Development. 

The winning design will be printed on sustainable t-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles, some collected from the University! Over the past year the programme at Middlesex has diverted over 40,000 bottles from landfill to fabric – a staggering figure that we are truly proud of. 

1^st place went to Nicholas Mendoza, for a wonderful panel design, which was a clear favorite with the judges, highlighting sustainability and the Simply Bottles process! 

2nd place went to Patrick Aguilar, a great, visual appealing and subtle bottle and ocean animal sketch.

3^rd place was awarded to Michael Sayinet, with a lovely butterfly themed design, while highlighting the sustainability and recycling theme.

Congratulations to our students on their fantastic designs!

Dr Heather Jeffrey Course Programme Coordinator for postgraduate tourism, hospitality and events has recently co-edited a book on the topic of tourism and gender-based violence. The launch of the book edited by doctors Paola Vizcaino, Heather Jeffrey and Claudia Eger will included dialogue with contributors, editors, and grassroots organisations.

Provides a critical approach to gender-based violence as part of broader social structures of inequality and discrimination in the tourism and hospitality industries. It draws on a range of disciplinary approaches, including gender studies, geography, international relations, law, sociology and tourism studies.

You can get a copy of the book now from the CABI store.

Middlesex University Dubai hosted Juan Pablo Celis Garcia, a youth activist with the UN Association of New York, who offered a series of inspiring talks on the UN and sustainable development to approximately 200 of its students. He was invited by University's Institute of Sustainable Development with the aim of promoting sustainable practices, research and advocacy. He also shared insight into how to engage, and potentially find employment within the UN's network of agencies and affiliates.

Juan Pablo Celis Garcia currently holds the position of youth representative and communications associate with the United Nations Association of New York (UNA-NY) and is an active member of the Civil Society Youth Representatives Steering Committee of the United Nations' Department of Global Communications. Previously, he was the focal point of the Association at the Coalition on Youth Engagement and Public Mobilisation of the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit 2019 and served as Co-Chair of the Youth Subcommittee for the 66th United Nations Civil Society Conference on Education for Global Citizenship in South Korea.

 

Forging partnerships and engaging men in conversations around gender equality, the Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD) at Middlesex University Dubai joined hands with SAP Next-Gen and Dubai Blockchain Centre to launch the global UN Women HeforShe Dialogue Series in the region.  The inaugural event was held on 25 May 2019 at ‘Office of the Future’, the world’s first 3D printed office at the Dubai Future Foundation.

The Majlis style event welcomed HeforShe advocates and champions from the region to encourage and empower men to become active participants of the gender disparity conversations. These included Alex Malouf, Corporate Communications Lead at Procter & Gamble, Sameer Sortour, CEO of SquareCircle Global and representatives from the Gender Balance Council, Ministry of Community Development and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

“SAP Next-Gen is very excited to have successfully launched the HeforShe Dialogue Series in Dubai in partnership with Middlesex University Dubai and Dubai Blockchain Center. We would like to encourage men and boys to take up this mantle and advocate for gender balance by 2030. The goal of these meetups is to build a cross-sector, inclusive platform that addresses gender balance, inclusive leadership, and diversity management,” commented Wissam Kadi, Global Director of SAP Next-Gen Labs.    

“Dubai Blockchain Center is pleased to launch the HeforShe Dialogue Series initiative to promote inclusiveness and reach gender balance. Engaging in this gender dialogue with our stakeholders is extremely important for us,“ shared Dr Marwan Zarouni, CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center.

HeforShe Dialogue Series by UN Women aims to engage men, women, boys and girls of all ages to participate in gender dialogues and stand in solidarity with women to create a united front to fight inequality. Identifies champions to drive conversations at their respective workplaces and in the community. More than 2,000,000 people have pledged their support and committed to HeforShe on heforshe.org.

“The HeforShe Dialogue Series initiative creates a space where both men and women can discuss gender-related issues that affect their lives. We look forward to creating more spaces in the future to keep the dialogue active,” shared Dr Belisa Marochi, Head of the  Institute of Sustainable Development at Middlesex University Dubai.

The Institute of Sustainable Development at Middlesex University Dubai fosters the advancement of the sustainable development goals in the university, community and global practices.  Creating awareness and providing solutions for Sustainable Development Goal #5 Gender Equality is one of the missions of the Institute.

A group of 2^nd year business students from Middlesex University Dubai, led by the Campus Programme Coordinator Rory McConnon, visited Masdar City on 28^th February 2019. Through interactive exhibitions, students were able to learn about Masdar’s international clean energy projects and key initiatives within the UAE, as well as gaining insights into how building structure and design can create comfortable urban environments, and how they can reduce carbon emissions naturally.  Students were also able to inspect the newly opened ‘Bustani’ Smart Home Eco-Villa prototype which demonstrated emerging home food and water production, energy saving, and recycling solutions that will help UAE residents become more self-sufficient in meeting their everyday needs. This learning experience fits in well with their modules in Sustainable Products and Business Environment Analysis. Middlesex University Dubai fosters the advancement of sustainable development through its Institute of Sustainable Development. Masdar is supporting the UAE’s transition towards a knowledge-based economy and is demonstrating how the business community can deliver on the global sustainability agenda.

Airbus and DP World hosted a training session organised by DP World and the Institute of Sustainable Development at Middlesex University Dubai.  Dr Belisa Marochi, Head of the Institute designed and led the interactive session aimed at training 50 attendees representing over 25 companies on the UN Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

The session expanded on the principles of gender equality and encouraged companies to share ideas about how to design and implement initiatives to attract and retain women in male dominated industries.

“At Airbus we strongly believe in the positive impact of inclusion and diversity on innovation, performance and communities. We are a proud signatory of the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and it was a great pleasure co-hosting with DP World their breakfast series to raise awareness about the WEPs and meet with peers who are engaged to do the same,” shares Hania Tabet, International Director for Responsibility & Sustainability at Airbus.

The 2-hour session on 22 February was part of the DPWorld4Women Breakfast series and was hosted by Airbus at the Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZA) at the Airbus offices.

Mr Stephen King, Lecturer in PR and Media studies here at Middlesex University Dubai recently acted as a judge for the first phase of UNSC held at GEMS Our Own Indian School. 13 schools comprising of almost 65 students across the UAE participated in the event of which there were 3 committees, UNESCO, Economic and Social Council and Human Rights Council.