Agenda

Educating for Resilience: Universities Driving Global Climate Action

Day: 17/11/2026
Time: 15:00 -
 16:30 (Türkiye local time, GMT+3)
Place: Room 6, Blue Zone / Online: https://unfccc.int/cop31/virtual-meeting-platform
Organised by: Union for the Mediterranean; UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union; Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development (Egypt); Monash University (Australia); Office for Climate Education - French Meteorological Society (France); Yale Student Environmental Coalition (USA)

This side event presents higher education as a driver of resilience, connecting curricula, campus practice, and community engagement to the COP31 agenda.

The session is anchored in two items of the COP agenda: Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) and the Climate Action Education 2035 milestone, referenced in a recent letter from the COP presidency. The milestone extends beyond climate literacy to skills and leadership, which allows higher education to be framed as preparation of young people to make a difference.

Partner contributions span a broad spectrum of action, from transforming higher education curricula and strengthening campus infrastructure to supporting sustainable community development. Their impact becomes particularly tangible when campuses are framed not merely as educational facilities, but as living laboratories and community hubs where innovation, civic engagement, and resilience-building converge. In this sense, universities can play a pivotal role in translating knowledge into action and supporting local responses to climate and sustainability challenges.

The discussion will also incorporate two complementary perspectives. First, climate education must be approached as a continuum that bridges secondary and tertiary education, ensuring a coherent progression of knowledge, skills, and values throughout the learning journey. Second, efforts should extend beyond the higher education sector itself. At a time when climate-related issues are increasingly affected by misinformation and political polarization, universities have a responsibility to engage wider audiences, foster public understanding, and strengthen trust in science. Achieving meaningful impact will require collaboration not only within academia, but also with schools, civil society, policymakers, and local communities.

Agenda

Opening Remarks

  • Fadi Hajali, Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean
  • Marcello Scalisi, Director, UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union (online)

 

Moderation: João Lobo, Project Analyst, Union for the Mediterranean
Rapporteur: Laila Ayman, Head of Research and Innovation Support Unit, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Egypt

Round 1: Education for Resilience

Curricula and climate literacy; skills and leadership in line with the 2035 milestone; transition from secondary to tertiary education.

  • Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, Founding President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Egypt
  • Benjamin Quesada, Dean and Climatologist, Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
  • Guy Jackson, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Pacific Action for Climate Transitions, Monash University, Australia
  • Emily Khym, Student, Yale Student Environmental Coalition, USA
  • Djian Sadadou, Head of International Relations and Communications, Office for Climate Education, France

 

Round 2: Campuses and Communities

Campuses as spaces to engage local communities and build resilience; community development and rural programs; the role of youth in governance and action; accountability and mobilization of resources, with indicators and benchmarking; infrastructure examples.

  • Ahmed Elshazly, Vice-President for Community Development and Partnereships,Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Egypt
  • Taban Malihi, Student, Yale Student Environmental Coalition, USA
  • Julia Bekin, Founding Director of ARANDU, Monash University, Australia
  • Adil Salhi, Coordinator of UNIMED’s Subnetwork Climate and Environmental Change & Euromed University Initiative for Climate Action, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Morocco

    Language: English only

AGENDA

Speakers

Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry
Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry
Founding President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Egypt
Professor at Cairo University and Vice Chairman of Heliopolis University, is a leading Euro-Med science diplomat. Former EMUNI President, he now co-chairs PRIMA and led Egypt’s Horizon Europe association negotiations.
Benjamin Quesada
Benjamin Quesada
Dean and Climatologist, Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
Climatologist and Dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering at Universidad del Rosario (Colombia). An IPCC and IPBES contributor, his research focuses on climate change, deforestation impacts, water and carbon cycles, and climate education.
Guy Jackson
Guy Jackson
Senior Lecturer, Centre for Pacific Action for Climate Transitions, Monash University, Australia
Senior Lecturer at PACT (Monash University & Fiji National University). Climate policy expert, he researches loss and damage, adaptation, disaster risk reduction and climate finance, linking academia with climate action across the Pacific and beyond.
Emily Khym
Emily Khym
Student, Yale Student Environmental Coalition, USA
Senior at Yale University, founder of the Renewable Future Alliance. Her work spans clean energy, policy and finance through roles with the World Economic Forum, Yale and HEET, promoting energy literacy and climate action.
Djian Sadadou
Djian Sadadou
Head of International Relations and Communications, Office for Climate Education, France
Head of International Relations and Communications at the Office for Climate Education (UNESCO Centre). With expertise in climate education and youth engagement, he leads global efforts to empower teachers and advance climate education.
Ahmed Elshazly
Ahmed Elshazly
Vice President for Community Development & Partnerships, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Egypt
Professor of Marine Geology at Alexandria University and Egypt’s National Contact Point for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Coordinates international research projects and contributes to global climate, ocean, and sustainable development initiatives.
Taban Malihi
Taban Malihi
Student, Yale Student Environmental Coalition, USA
Student in global governance and sustainability, explores how interdisciplinary courses can connect science, policy and finance students around climate action, while promoting sustainable campus design and energy-efficient infrastructure.
Adil Salhi
Adil Salhi
Coordinator of UNIMED’s Subnetwork Climate and Environmental Change & Euromed University Initiative for Climate Action, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Morocco
Expert and consultant to leading international organizations and a multiple award-winning researcher on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction across Africa and the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Julia Bekin
Julia Bekin
Founding Director of ARANDU, Monash University, Australia
Brazilian architecture student at Monash University and founder of ARANDU, an international nonprofit linking architecture, education and climate justice. She advances climate-positive design, sustainable schools, and youth-led climate action.
Fadi Hajali
Fadi Hajali
Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean
Secretary General ad interim since July 2026. A Lebanese diplomat with 30+ years of experience, he has held senior posts in Europe, Middle East and Russia, specializing in multilateral diplomacy and regional cooperation.
Marcello Scalisi
Marcello Scalisi
Director, UNIMED - Mediterranean Universities Union
Director of UNIMED since 2008. Joining the organization in 1998, he advanced from project manager to lead its international initiatives. He oversees a network of 200+ universities across 25+ Euro-Mediterranean countries.
João Lobo
João Lobo
Project Analyst - Higher Education, Union for the Mediterranean
Project Analyst at the Union for the Mediterranean, specializing in higher education, research and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. With over 30 years of international experience, he has led projects, partnerships and large-scale events.
Laila Ayman
Laila Ayman
Head of Research and Innovation Support Unit, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Egypt
Research and innovation specialist working across startups, NGOs, academia, and social enterprises. Focuses on program design, impact measurement, and fundraising. Member of the Forbes Middle East Youth Council and Heliopolis' Partnership Community.