Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), members of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), presented a range of student-led sustainability research projects at an event held at the HBKU Student Centre last week.
The research projects were carried out by students taking the Sustainability Fundamentals and Tools course as part of their assessment for the Sustainable Environment and Sustainable Energy master’s and Ph D programmes at HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering.
Delivered by QGBC, the course aims to provide the postgraduate students with an understanding of the principles of sustainability and the tools that will enable them to implement effective sustainable projects during their careers.
Dr Alex Amato, head of Sustainability at QGBC, said: “One of the vital contributions that QGBC brings to an important institution like HBKU is its ability to create a bridge between academe and industry. It is imperative that graduates of this programme understand industry’s sustainability needs and are able to address these practically, if sustainability initiatives are to be implemented successfully.”
Dr Amato said “in the medium- to long-term future, it is vital for Qatar to have a pool of graduates and postgraduates that have a sound understanding of sustainability and able to embed their knowledge in Qatar’s industry. QGBC’s collaborations with institutions such as HBKU are helping to create an intellectual resource that will enable long-term sustainable growth in Qatar.”
Focusing on the grand development challenges of Qatar, the region and the world,  HBKU’s recently launched Sustainable Environment and Sustainable Energy master’s and Ph D programmes aim to invest in human capital in order to help in creating a knowledge-based economy and ensuring long-term sust-
ainable development in Qatar.
Dr Muammer Koç, professor and co-ordinator of the Sustainability Division at HBKU’s College of Science & Engineering said: “HBKU’s sustainability master’s and Ph D programmes are an important addition to the range of courses offered by the university. Within our programme, students conduct original, guided research that concentrates on the most pressing environmental sustainability issues in Qatar and the wider region.”