Under the patronage of Prof. Ahmed Farag El-Kased, President of Menoufia University, the University’s Sustainable Development Unit organized the closing ceremony of the training program for the Sustainable Development Ambassadors Initiative, aimed at qualifying university students for leadership in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030. During the event, the University honored the winning student teams under the slogan “Be an Ambassador… Make an Impact” toward a green campus.
The ceremony was attended by Prof. Sobhi Sharaf, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development and Acting Vice President for Education and Student Affairs; Prof. Iman Talaat Abou El-Kheir, Initiative Coordinator and Coordinator of the Sustainable Development Unit; Eng. Madiha Darwish, Director of the Quality Projects Department at the Ministry of Environment (Tanta Branch); Eng. Noha Salama, Media and Awareness Officer at the Ministry; Mr. Ihab Hegazy, Regional Director of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency in Menoufia; Mr. Ashraf Omeira, Deputy Regional Director; and Mr. Ahmed Allam from the Agency.
Prof. El-Kased affirmed that honoring the winning student teams reflects appreciation for their leadership and innovative roles in serving the nation, and underscores the vital role of Menoufia University in continuously enhancing students’ capabilities in leadership and innovation. He noted that this comes within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the University, the Ministry of Environment, Menoufia Governorate, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency to adopt and implement students’ ideas on the ground. He emphasized that university youth possess the creativity and potential to lead national development efforts.
He also praised the student projects, which align with the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals and Egypt’s Vision 2030, as well as with the state’s direction toward rationalizing fuel and energy consumption. He stressed that such recognition reflects the University’s leading role in activating presidential initiatives aimed at preparing a generation capable of contributing effectively to sustainable development, supporting the transition toward a green economy, and building a more sustainable future.
Prof. El-Kased further commended the initiative for opening new developmental horizons in enhancing leadership skills among university youth, raising environmental awareness, and encouraging innovative solutions to environmental challenges. He highlighted its role in promoting sustainable practices, supporting renewable energy use, improving resource management (water, energy, and waste), addressing climate change and carbon footprint issues, and preparing students for community leadership beyond the university campus.
For his part, Prof. Sobhi Sharaf, accompanied by members of the judging panel from the Ministry of Environment and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, reviewed student project presentations, praising their innovative efforts to transform the university campus into a green campus, create productive job opportunities, and convert waste into sustainable development products.
He also commended the efforts of the Sustainable Development Unit at Menoufia University in developing and implementing sustainability policies within the campus, preparing carbon footprint reports, and enhancing student awareness through workshops and training sessions. These efforts contributed to qualifying students in sustainability, green entrepreneurship, and climate change, in addition to strengthening partnerships with Menoufia Governorate, particularly in supporting the most vulnerable villages such as “ميت عافية” in Shebin El-Kom, transforming them into models of smart and sustainable communities.
Prof. Iman Abou El-Kheir, Initiative Coordinator, explained that the training program included a series of integrated training and dialogue sessions covering theoretical, practical, and economic aspects of sustainability over the course of a week. The program contributed to building students’ personalities, integrating them into national sustainability issues, promoting green economy concepts, encouraging sustainable daily practices, supporting renewable energy use, and developing leadership and teamwork skills.
She added that participating students presented interactive project proposals and discussions before a judging panel from the Ministry of Environment, featuring implementable green initiatives both within and beyond the university. All participating teams were awarded certificates, while top-performing teams received financial prizes across three categories: EGP 3,000 for the first category (6 projects), EGP 2,000 for the second category (6 projects), and EGP 1,000 for the third category (6 projects).
Prof. Ahmed El-Kased and Prof. Sobhi Sharaf also honored the judging panel members and university trainers with certificates of appreciation, in addition to awarding participants certificates of completion for the Sustainable Development Ambassadors Program.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, students expressed their satisfaction with participating in the initiative and the valuable experiences and leadership skills they acquired. They affirmed their commitment to supporting national sustainability initiatives, expanding student participation, and implementing their innovative ideas to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals both within and beyond the university.