Manama: Under the patronage of the Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council (HEC) and the Deputy Chairperson of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa, the training programme of the international “Climate Champions” research project for undergraduate students in public and private higher education institutions in the Kingdom, was opened today in partnership with the British Council.
Attended by the UK Ambassador to Bahrain, Roddy Drummond, and heads of higher education institutions in the Kingdom, the programme aims to enhance the research capabilities of students in a way that contributes to addressing environmental and climate challenges and problems in the Kingdom.
Environment, climate and scientific research skills experts, Dan Boyden and Daniel Smith, will lecture during the programme running from October 23 to 28 at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Bahrain Bay.
Addressing the opening session, Dr. Shaikha Rana expressed thanks to the British Embassy and the British Council for their partnership in implementing this training programme, which relates to an important issue closely related to various areas of development, and which also coincides with the national “Forever Green” campaign, launched under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King, to achieve the goals of sustainable development in the areas of climate and the environment.
She stressed the importance of scientific research in the field of environment and climate in addressing the associated challenges from which various countries suffer.
Dr. Shaikha Rana highlighted the distinguished level of this training programme and its participants, noting that it defines the ecosystem, nature and cultural identity, shows how our identities shape our relationship with nature and promotes innovation in climate action.
She also praised the participation of ten academicians and 50 undergraduate students from various disciplines in the kingdom’s higher education institutions.
The HEC Secretary-General added that the programme will continue throughout the first semester of this academic year, as the participants in the workshops will be divided into groups, with each group tasked with preparing a research and a social project on one of the environmental and climatic problems in the Kingdom, based on the recommendations of the Supreme Council for the Environment.
Each group will be supervised by a member of the academic staff participating in the programme, and will contact trainers in the United Kingdom virtually.
The UK Ambassador expressed his pride in working with the Higher Education Council, and stressed the importance of continuing the partnership with the British Council, which is interested in training and empowering students at various educational levels, and in several areas, including scientific research and innovation that serve the Kingdom’s research priorities. He cited the Environmental Leaders Project, which is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and runs this year from 10 September 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Ambassador Drummond also highlighted the importance of tackling the global challenge of climate change, noting that the forthcoming 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow will attract more than 125 world leaders, adding that young Bahraini climate leaders will be supported to come up with ideas and projects to address the environmental challenges facing Bahrain.
British Council- Bahrain Director, Richard Rooze, indicated that the programme is part of the ongoing cooperation programmes with the Higher Education Council, noting that during the previous academic year, a number of training workshops in the field of scientific research were provided for undergraduate students in higher education institutions, and the first National Research Competition was held.
Director of Scientific Research at the Higher Education Council, Dr. Farzana Al-Maraghi, indicated that this programme is within the initiatives of the Bahrain National Research Strategy, as it aims to raise public awareness, spread the culture of scientific research and innovation, and enhance university research capabilities, noting that the programme targets undergraduate students to encourage scientific research so as to serve national research priorities.
