Sunday, January 17, 2016

Dubai, UAE

'Sustainability' is the capacity to endure.  The development of this capacity connects together issues of ecology, economics, politics and culture and is enabled by legal frameworks, policies on urban planning, construction and transport, and the choices we each make about our lifestyles and consumption. The British University in Dubai is the region's leading postgraduate and research-based university. It promotes the importance of sustainability in its Masters and Doctoral programmes and supplies the UAE with graduates skilled in practices that increase this 'capacity to endure'.  

On 17th and 18th January 2016 BUiD hosted the international Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2016 - Dubai.  The conference is part of a series of events taking place in different countries, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme's Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative, the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, and the International Council for Building. It provides a platform for professionals in the fields of engineering, building, design and construction to develop sustainable practices and to discuss how strategies that lead to sustainability will differ according to variations in ecological, social, economic and political contexts.

Welcoming delegates to the event BUiD's Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdullah Alshamsi said, "BUiD is committed to promoting sustainability, as recognized this month by the Sheikh Zayed Foundation for the Environment in its award to the university of the Emirates Appreciation Award for Environment.  BUiD is therefore delighted to be the venue for the SBE16 conference and to greet participants from all over the world".

Keynote speeches were presented by Eng. Essa Almaidor, Deputy Director General of Dubai Municipality, Dr David Bryde, Professor of Project Management at the Liverpool Business School, UK, Mr. Saeed Alabbar, Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council and a Board Member of the World Green Building Council, Ms. Shaima Alaydarous representative of The Directorate of Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and Mr. Nils Larsson Executive Director of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE).  These covered the outcomes of the Paris 2015 Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change, methods of delivering sustainability in the Gulf region, the role of the built environment in the UAE's policy on sustainability, and activities of the International Initiative for Sustainable Built Environment. Additional papers covered green technologies and innovations, future prospects of the renewable energy sector and sustainability strategies, climate-adaptive building shells for offices, and indoor environmental quality.

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About The British University in Dubai
The British University in Dubai (BUiD) was established in 2003 to be the Middle East's leading research-based postgraduate university, facilitating world-class education, training and research. It provides an important and growing community and resource for young professionals, leading academics, corporate managers and aspiring leaders of all description.

BUiD located in Dubai International Academic City, a truly local university, is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and internationally (NARIC) recognised for its top quality education, which is on par with British standards thanks to its association with UK-based universities including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University, and the University of Glasgow.

BUiD offers full and part-time research based Masters Degree programmes, PG Diplomas and Certificates; the regions first accredited Doctorate in Education and the PhD in Project Management, Ph D in Architecture & Sustainable Built Environment, and PhD in Computer Science and recently PhD in Business Management. Masters programmes and Post Graduate Diplomas in: Education, Finance and Banking, Human Resource Management, Informatics (Knowledge and Data Management), IT Management, Project Management, Construction Management, Systems Engineering, Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, Sustainable Design of the Built Environment , Intelligent Building Design and Automation, Business Administration (MBA),Structural Engineering  and Engineering Management.

The non-profit university has attracted academic experts to develop regionally tailored programmes, in which they extend and challenge the boundaries of knowledge, understanding and research.

BUiD works in collaboration with leading organization and institutions including Atkins, Emirates Green Building Council, , the federal Ministry of Education, government and associated bodies Human Resource Forums agencies for Academic  and professional development across the UAE's public and private sectors.

The founders of the University are the Al Maktoum Foundation, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Rolls-Royce, the British Business Group and the National Bank of Dubai. The University is governed by a Council under the chancellorship of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

© Press Release 2016