Author(s): Hamed Ead, Refaat Gabre, Heba Fahmy, Hossam Hassan
Climate change poses serious threats to human civilization, and the fact that Egypt is preparing to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in 2022 appears to offer a good opportunity to create a better future for the Egyptian people if we seize the opportunity to educate students and the public more about this hot topic. Universities face, as do all institutions, clear and growing risks from climate disruption, and thus, university communities must be aware of these risks. Addressing these risks can provide the opportunity to renovate and equip universities for the 21st century to be safe, secure, and active in the face of climate change and to solve real-world problems. Universities have a critical role to play in combating climate change, but the issue’s complexity and multifaceted nature pose challenges to the institution’s traditional operations. Since guidelines for implementing climate change education (CCE) are not yet commonly applied, higher education institutions can support efforts related to that. In continuation of work by the correspondent author that discussed the role that should be played by Egyptian universities in keeping the public’s awareness of climate change and sustainable development, a questionnaire was prepared based on previous studies and administered to 305 staff, graduates, and students at Cairo University (305 votes), selected from different faculties in different stages analyzed. The survey covered demographic information and a range of matters related to climate change and environmental intentions. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Demographic characteristics and the other qualitative measures were presented as counts and percentages (%). There are currently no common guidelines for implementing CCE, and higher education institutions can support efforts related to that. This working paper aimed to explore the relationships between universities and their complex interactions with society as well as education’s impact on climate change; the paper provides a conceptual mapping of the various functions of universities and the pathways through which they might influence climate change. Cairo University is taken as a case study of the normative implications for the role of universities