The College of Graduate Studies at the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), in collaboration with the Consultation, Training, Continuing Education, and Community Service Center, inaugurated the third batch of students in the Professional Diploma Programme in Waste Management. The students represent various sectors, including the industrial, commercial, educational, business, and investment sectors from both the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The college organised a ceremony to launch the new batch under the patronage of His Excellency the President of AGU Dr. Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid.
The ceremony was attended by Prof. Waheeb Essa Alnaser, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Scientific Research at AGU, Dr. Soud Al Mahamid, Dean of the Graduate Studies College as well as the Director of the Consultation, Training, Continuing Education, and Community Service Center Dr. Afaf Bugawa. The programme’s founder and coordinator Dr Sumaya Yusuf Hasan Abbas, Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering and Sustainability, was also present.
The programme has attracted the interest of various sectors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries since its launch in 2021, including the municipal, industrial, and healthcare sectors. So far, the programme has graduated 44 students who represent a group of experts in the field of sustainable waste management, enriching the communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The programme is offered in the evening and follows a flexible dual-mode of virtual and in-person education. It receives direct support from the United Nations Environment Programme, West Asia Office, and is accredited by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.
Dr. Alnasser highlighted the challenges faced by countries worldwide, particularly the issue of climate change and the increasing rates of waste generation and their implications for community sustainability. He also emphasised the unjust treatment and aggression faced by the Palestinian people, which affects the sustainability of resources, countries, and global efforts towards achieving the desired sustainability.
Meanwhile, Dr. Al Mahamid praised the capabilities embraced by the GCC countries and stated that this programme has produced experienced professionals in the field of sustainable waste management, with 44 graduates since its launch in 2021. He extended an invitation to establish a system that includes all experts, professionals, and specialists from the programme’s graduates to contribute their skills and expertise in supporting the sustainability of waste management in the sector.
Dr. Yusuf, on her part, highlighted the major challenges faced by countries worldwide, particularly urgent environmental challenges. She emphasised the need for concerted efforts to mitigate harm and enhance benefits by transforming challenges into opportunities.
She considered the timing of the launch of this important programme to be significant, as it coincides with the proceedings of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The conference brings together world leaders, government representatives, and decision-makers to determine emergency action plans to mitigate the effects of climate change and discuss urgent global environmental issues.
She said, “AGU, as a prestigious regional Gulf university, has endeavored to meet the requirements of the current and future stages and to prepare well for facing future challenges by offering numerous academic and professional programmes. These programmes aim to develop and build the capacities of its students in the GCC countries,”
She stressed the importance of innovation and the promotion of green technology and circular economy in protecting the environment and ensuring community sustainability. She called for changing unsustainable consumption patterns that exacerbate the waste problem.
She pointed out that unsustainable urban development and consumption patterns have led to the worsening of a problem considered one of the most significant environmental issues faced by many societies.
These issues threaten their sustainability and exacerbate waste production and mismanagement, resulting in resource waste and the loss of potential opportunities that could have been harnessed as a renewable resource forming the basis for many industries and business models.
She highlighted the adoption of the circular economy model, which focuses on reusing and recycling materials, as a means of preserving resources and achieving sustainability in the GCC countries.
From her side, Dr. Bugawa affirmed the center’s support for the introduction of these distinctive and rare programmes, which contribute to supporting sustainable development in Gulf communities as part of the center’s plans and programmes offered to serve the communities of the GCC countries and their citizens. She praised the role and efforts of the programme’s founder and coordinator in the success of this programme.
