The Center of Excellence for Energy participated in the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) held in Sharm El-Sheikh from November 6–18, 2022. The center hosted a booth in the Green Zone of the conference where they were one of the few invited to present projects. The booth showcased eight students and recent graduates from engineering programs at the center’s Egyptian partner universities. Visitors to the booth met with students to learn about their experiences in the program as well as key project activities, such as the first cohort of exchange students due to arrive at Arizona State University in Spring 2023.
Students presented innovative projects related to sustainability and climate change—including a portable solar-powered water desalination unit; an efficient, small-scale wind turbine; and a net-zero house incorporating local materials and traditional Egyptian design elements. The students spoke with many visitors including Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of International Cooperation, and the Minister of Trade and Industry. They also met with representatives from the United States including the Deputy Director of Energy from the White House Office of Science and Technology, more than twelve members of U.S. Congress, top-ranking officials from the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, and members of the USAID mission in Egypt, in addition to many other stakeholders from the energy and climate industries and non-governmental organizations.
