2.5.4 Prioritise purchase of products from local, sustainable sources
SDG2
Details:
Assiut University
Purchasing Policy
Egypt launched in 2016 its first version of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development
commonly known as the “Egypt Vision 2030”. This vision was made as a cornerstone for broad
developmental processes to tackle the Egyptian’s grand challenges to secure a dignified and decent
life for the Egyptian people. The vision identified several strategic goals, among which were the
diversified and knowledge-based economy, and the governance and cooperation, which encompass
several main goals, such as administration sector reform, transparency, ant-corruption strategy, and
inclusive monetary system. In this context, Assiut University followed the “Egypt Vision 2030” and the
National Anti-corruption Legislation, and designed its Purchasing Policy as follows:
1- Purchasing national instruments instead of foreign imported instruments for sustainable
development and support to the national industry and economy.
2- Purchasing foreign imported instruments in case of having no national alternatives, but those
foreign instruments must incorporate high percentages of national added value to support
transferring high technologies to Egypt.
3- Purchasing national instruments and chemicals must abide to the Egyptian Environmental
Protection Law, where the use of the instruments and chemicals must help protect the
environment from air, land, and/or water pollutions.
4- Purchasing of national/international imported instruments must be energy-saving and
preferably those depend on electricity and/or renewable energy instead fossil fuel.
5- Purchasing of national/international imported instruments that depend on fossil fuel must follow
the Egyptian legislations of environmental protection, and most importantly produce low
carbon emission to help minimize the total amount of greenhouse gases, and thus reduce the
carbon footprint.
6- Purchasing of foods and/or domestic goods for practical teaching, student events, workshops,
conferences, etc.. is preferred to be directed to the Assiut University Food Production
Facilitates (Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Veterinary) and to local merchants as
alternatives to reduce energy consumption needed for goods/food transportation and thus
minimizes the carbon footprint.
7- Purchasing of goods and material for practical teaching, student events, workshops,
conferences, etc.. is preferred to be hand-made to reduce energy consumption and minimize
the carbon footprint.
8- Purchasing of foods for any university events is preferred to focus on vegetarian diets and to
minimize purchasing of meat and other dairy products to minimize emission of the greenhouse
gases (methane and carbon dioxides).
9- Purchasing of goods and office materials for administration work, teaching, and any university
event is preferred to be recyclable.
10- The university develop and maintain e-payment services, where all purchasing and payment
processes must be run via the university e-payment system.
11- Payment in cash is limited up to 500 Egyptian Pounds (LE) and any higher amount must be
paid via the e-payment services to minimize the use of cotton/linen and plastic-made bank
notes to help protect the environment.
12- Purchasing of biological and/or botanical materials for university teaching and/or research
purposes must follow the ethical rules and guides provided by the Assiut University
Research Ethics Central Committee (AUREC).
13- Payment of goods and instruments for university teaching and/or research purposes must be
checked by the General Administration for Internal Review and Governance to assure that
university specifications and purchasing rules are met.
14- Purchasing of similar goods and instruments for university teaching and/or research purposes
must be made via the bulk purchasing system of the university.
15- Purchasing of instruments for university teaching and/or research purposes must be
accompanied with a valid maintenance contract for sustainable use of these instruments on
the long run.
16- Person/Faculty staff/Student who is in charge of purchasing of any materials for the
university/faculty must adhere to Anticorruption-Rules, Code of Ethics for University
Staff, Code of Ethics for Public Sector Employee, and Code of Ethics for University Students.
17.2.5 collaborate with NGOs to tackle the SDGs
13.3.5 - The University's collaboration with NGOs regarding climate adaptation
SDG13
Details:
Collaborating with NGOs, Assiut University supports initiatives focused on climate adaptation. These partnerships strengthen local resilience efforts, addressing both immediate and long-term climate challenges. Tree Planting Initiatives at Assiut University under the "Go Green" Initiative
4,000 Jojoba trees were planted at the Faculty of Agriculture's demonstration farm, in collaboration with the Egyptian-Gulf Agricultural Land Company.
• In 2023, a nursery for mahogany trees—high-quality wood for furniture making—was established, utilizing wastewater/industrial drainage/well water.
• During the 2022/2023 academic year, 655 fruit trees and 612 non-fruit trees were planted across the Assiut University campus.
• Under the presidential "100 million Trees" initiative, 1,000 fruit trees were planted at Assiut University during the 12th International Conference on Development and the Environment in the Arab World, held from February 25–27, 2024.
Stemming from the university's environmental commitment, despite the lack of hydropower plants, solar panels, or wind turbines for generating renewable energy, the university has a significant percentage of renewable energy production projects carried out by STEM students (approximately 80% of their projects), under the supervision of professors from the Faculties of Science, Engineering, and Education."
"On Monday, November 11, [2024], Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy, President of Assiut University, inaugurated the environmental projects exhibition for fourth-year students of the STEM Bachelor's program at the Faculty of Education. This took place in the presence of Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Mawla, Vice President of the University for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Aleem, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development, and Dr. Gamal Bader, Vice President of the University for Postgraduate Studies and Research, and under the supervision of Dr. Hassan Heweil, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Dr. Mohamed Gaber Kassem, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Education and Student Affairs, and Dr. Marian Milad, Professor in the Department of Curricula and Teaching Methods at the Faculty of Education and STEM Program Coordinator. The exhibition is part of the 9th International Conference of the Faculty of Education, held over two days, November 11 and 12, under the title 'The Role of Arab Education in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.'
Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy inspected the student products included in the exhibition, which consisted of applied products based on the academic and theoretical studies conducted by the students throughout their years in the STEM program. These products offered innovative solutions to contemporary societal challenges and problems, using modern technologies, in line with Egypt's Vision 2030. Examples included: a staircase project for generating electricity, an electronic application project for kidney dialysis patients, a plastic tile project resulting from the recycling of plastic waste, a device project for re-purifying electricity, a furnace project for burning waste and generating electricity, and a solar-powered farm project (STEM students' projects.pdf).
Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy praised the student projects featured in the exhibition, which highlighted the students' creative and scientific skills and their ability to apply their theoretical studies in the form of practical projects that contribute to solving contemporary societal and environmental problems. He affirmed that the exhibition is an opportunity to qualify student cadres for the labor market and to refine their talents and skills in implementing projects, thus benefiting society and promoting sustainable development. These projects were inaugurated in the exhibition opened by Professor Dr. El-Menshawy, the University President."
"STEM students also presented an innovative idea for extracting groundwater by generating electricity from sunlight using an LED."
And other projects in various fields can be viewed through the following link
The projects implemented at the university to address climate change: A total of 7 projects will be executed at a total cost of 1.5 million euros as part of the "Improving Energy Efficiency in University Buildings" project, which involves 18 Egyptian public universities under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Universities and funded by the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW). These projects are considered models that can be expanded in the future at the level of Assiut University and will lead to a reduction in consumption by approximately 3.2 gigawatt-hours. The green projects, which emerged from the initiative of Assiut University, were adopted, where two teams of students from the Assiut University Green Initiative won second and fourth places during their participation in the global "Climathon" conference, organized by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the European Union and the German International Cooperation Agency in Egypt on October 30 and 31, 2023, under the title "Climathon Upper Egypt - Towards Localizing the National Climate Change Strategy Egypt 2050." This was under the supervision of Professor Dr. Ahmed El-Manshawi, President of the University, and Professor Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Aleem, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development. The participation of Assiut University in the activities of the Climate Summit of Upper Egypt came within the framework of efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development in the context of implementing Egypt Vision 2030, through environmental preservation to improve the quality of life, considering the rights of future generations, and implementing the National Climate Change Strategy 2050.
•The team (Eco-Fuel Innovators) won second place for their project on recycling solid agricultural waste, especially rice straw, sorghum husks, and other agricultural residues that farmers burn, leading to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases and resulting in environmental pollution. The student team includes:
Shamous Abdel-Sami (Faculty of Science), Dina Gamal Abdel-Nasser (Faculty of Engineering), and Bula Francis Habib (Faculty of Engineering).
The concept of Eco-Fuel is based on recycling solid agricultural waste, especially rice straw, fine corn husks, and other agricultural residues that farmers burn, leading to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases and resulting in environmental pollution. By using anaerobic bacteria and the fermentation process, these residues are converted into biogas as a primary product and other secondary products such as animal feed. • The team (Blast-tech) also won fourth place for their project on extracting diesel fuel from plastic through pyrolysis and processing to produce environmentally safe fuel, reduce carbon emissions resulting from plastic waste accumulation, and mitigate climate change. The student team includes: Yusuf Mohamed (Faculty of Engineering), Nuran Alaa El-Din (Faculty of Agriculture), and Zainab Abdel-Mawla (Faculty of Medicine). • The University of Assiut also encouraged one of the green project teams to implement the "Liquid Tree" project, which revolves around creating a container that holds 600 liters of water. Microalgae use carbon dioxide and produce pure oxygen through photosynthesis. In this way, the Liquid Tree is considered a tangible and effective solution to reduce emissions and improve air quality in densely populated cities where green spaces may be limited. The initiative of Assiut University Green aims to raise environmental awareness among students and university staff regarding sustainability, in addition to implementing work strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change for the benefit of our community.
Assiut University's Carbon Neutrality Strategy: The university has developed a strategy to achieve "zero carbon emissions" on campus, aiming to make Assiut University a carbon-neutral campus through the following steps
Current Carbon Footprint Assessment:
Conducting a precise evaluation of the university’s current carbon emissions.
Analyzing the primary sources of emissions (electricity, transportation, building consumption, etc.).
Adoption of Clean Technology:
Utilizing renewable energy technologies and systems, such as solar and wind energy.
Investing in improving building energy efficiency and using green building techniques.
Enhancing Transportation:
Promoting the use of public transportation and encouraging environmentally friendly transportation, such as bicycles and electric vehicles.
Encouraging carpooling among students and staff.
Waste Management:
Improving waste management, recycling, and proper waste disposal processes.
Promoting a Culture of Sustainability:
Raising awareness among students and staff on the importance of sustainability and how they can contribute to reducing carbon emissions.
Organizing events and workshops on environmental topics.
Partnerships with the Local Community:
Collaborating with local entities to advance sustainability and secure financial and technical support.
Continuous Evaluation and Monitoring:
Periodically assessing the university’s progress toward achieving the target.
Monitoring environmental performance and documenting improvements and challenges.
By implementing this plan, the university can achieve its goal of a carbon-neutral campus and contribute to local and global environmental sustainability.
Tree Planting for Climate Adaptation: The university is planting trees to absorb CO₂, leveraging the process of photosynthesis, in which trees use sunlight to absorb CO₂ and convert it into sugars and oxygen.
Estimated Carbon Absorption by Trees: Based on tree species and environmental conditions, large trees such as oak and pine can absorb significant amounts of CO₂ (ranging from approximately 10–30 kg of CO₂ per tree per year).
Carbon Absorption by Tree Type:
Pine: Large pines can absorb approximately 21 kg of CO₂ annually.
Eucalyptus: A mature eucalyptus tree can absorb about 25 kg of CO₂ annually.
Oak: Mature oaks can absorb about 15–20 kg of CO₂ per year.
Beech: Large beech trees can absorb around 20–30 kg of CO₂ per year.
Cedar: Mature cedar trees absorb approximately 20–25 kg of CO₂ annually.
Palm: Mature palms can absorb around 20 kg of CO₂ annually.
These are estimated values that may vary depending on environmental conditions and other factors. In addition to carbon absorption, smaller trees and shrubs also contribute to environmental improvement.
Additional Environmental Benefits of Tree Planting: Beyond CO₂ absorption, tree planting improves air quality, provides shade, enhances the local environment, reduces dust accumulation, and provides habitats for wildlife.
Duration of Impact: Tree planting represents a long-term investment in environmental improvement and emission reduction, with effects lasting for decades.
Impact Factors: Tree species, growth conditions (such as temperature and humidity), and vegetation density all influence a tree's CO₂ absorption efficiency.
Tree Planting Initiatives at Assiut University under the "Go Green" Initiative:
In 2021, 4,000 Jojoba trees were planted at the Faculty of Agriculture's demonstration farm, in collaboration with the Egyptian-Gulf Agricultural Land Company.
In 2023, a nursery for mahogany trees—high-quality wood for furniture making—was established, utilizing wastewater/industrial drainage/well water.
During the 2022/2023 academic year, 655 fruit trees and 612 non-fruit trees were planted across the Assiut University campus.
Under the presidential "100 Million Trees" initiative, 1,000 fruit trees were planted at Assiut University during the 12th International Conference on Development and the Environment in the Arab World, held from February 25–27, 2024.
Assiut University hosts an environmental seminar on the "Carbon Footprint" as part of the events of the First Student Green Dream Conference.
Assiut University hosts an environmental seminar on the "Carbon Footprint" as part of the events of the First Student Green Dream Conference (November 2023).
Collaborate with NGOs on climate adaptation Report
13.3.3 -The University-government partnerships to face climate change issues
SDG13
Details:
Assiut University actively uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of its Energy and Climate Change strategies in alignment with SDG13.
• Planning:
• GIS mapping and renewable energy simulation software are used to identify suitable locations for
solar and wind energy installations.
• The university promotes climate awareness via digital platforms across 312 undergraduate and 134
postgraduate courses related to climate action and sustainability.
• Implementation:
• ICT-based project management tools are used during the installation of solar panels and energyefficient
systems.
• In 2023, 18% of total university energy consumption (112,508 GJ out of 182,124 GJ) came from lowcarbon
sources.
• Clean energy agriculture projects, such as Jojoba cultivation, are monitored using digital tools.
• Monitoring:
• Renewable energy output, electricity consumption, and CO₂ emissions are continuously tracked
through digital dashboards and smart metering systems.
• Data is recorded and analyzed to ensure progress toward emissions reduction.
• Evaluation:
• The university follows the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol framework for evaluating its carbon
footprint and planning for carbon neutrality.
• ICT supports documentation and reporting of climate mitigation activities, including:
o 4,000 Jojoba trees planted,
o 1,000 fruit trees planted in 2024 under the “100 Million Trees” initiative,
o Digital monitoring of waste reduction and eco-friendly transportation initiatives.
13.3.2 - Climate Action plan
SDG13
Details:
The Faculty of Engineering at Assiut University proudly integrates principles of sustainable design across its buildings, serving as a practical model for green architecture. This is exemplified in both the historic structure on the Old Campus and the modern facility on the New Campus. These buildings are equipped with fundamental passive and active green systems, including self-ventilation systems to promote natural airflow, strategic daylighting to maximize the use of sunlight, and energy-efficient LED lighting throughout.
Beyond these core features, the buildings employ advanced technologies for superior energy management. This includes a periodic monitoring system for energy consumption to optimize efficiency, and inverter-based air conditioners and water heaters that significantly reduce electricity use.
Smart building implementation = (????? ????? ???????? ????/????? ???????? ???? ) ×???%
*Total Building Area: ??,??? ??
(11,450 m2)/ (???,??? ??) ×???%=?.?%
Note that their are a smart area alocated faculaty of enginering whch optine some of smart fuiter such as solar panal wind mesurment devices and free mobile chanrge . this area abroximate 75629 m2
13.3.1 -Local education programs/campaigns on climate change consequences.
SDG13
Details:
Assiut University has introduced a range of programs and courses, including 312 undergraduate courses and 134 postgraduate courses. Additionally, it has developed 8 new study programs to promote climate and environmental sustainability concepts and 6 new courses to raise sustainability awareness among university students.
The university has provided numerous scholarships to researchers in various scientific fields, including 123 study leaves, 29 joint supervisions, 58 scientific missions, and 54 international scholarships, thereby enhancing research topics related to environmental sustainability.
Believing in the role of a knowledge economy to elevate its ranking among Egyptian, Arab, and international universities, Assiut University has increased its knowledge output with 127 books and publications, as well as 770 scientific research studies related to climate and environmental sustainability.
Attach the courses names in different faculties
1. لينك لمؤتمر التنمية المستدامة
https://www.aun.edu.eg/main/ar/almwtmr-aldwly-althany-shr-lltnmyt-walbyyt-fy-alwtn-alrby
The President of Assiut University welcomes a committee from the Ministry of Environment to explore ways to enhance the use of clean energy in university hospitals (December 2023).
Stemming from the university's environmental commitment, despite the lack of hydropower plants, solar panels, or wind turbines for generating renewable energy, the university has a significant percentage of renewable energy production projects carried out by STEM students (approximately 80% of their projects), under the supervision of professors from the Faculties of Science, Engineering, and Education."
"On Monday, November 11, [2024], Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy, President of Assiut University, inaugurated the environmental projects exhibition for fourth-year students of the STEM Bachelor's program at the Faculty of Education. This took place in the presence of Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Mawla, Vice President of the University for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Aleem, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development, and Dr. Gamal Bader, Vice President of the University for Postgraduate Studies and Research, and under the supervision of Dr. Hassan Heweil, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Dr. Mohamed Gaber Kassem, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Education and Student Affairs, and Dr. Marian Milad, Professor in the Department of Curricula and Teaching Methods at the Faculty of Education and STEM Program Coordinator. The exhibition is part of the 9th International Conference of the Faculty of Education, held over two days, November 11 and 12, under the title 'The Role of Arab Education in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.'
Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy inspected the student products included in the exhibition, which consisted of applied products based on the academic and theoretical studies conducted by the students throughout their years in the STEM program. These products offered innovative solutions to contemporary societal challenges and problems, using modern technologies, in line with Egypt's Vision 2030. Examples included: a staircase project for generating electricity, an electronic application project for kidney dialysis patients, a plastic tile project resulting from the recycling of plastic waste, a device project for re-purifying electricity, a furnace project for burning waste and generating electricity, and a solar-powered farm project (STEM students' projects.pdf).
Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy praised the student projects featured in the exhibition, which highlighted the students' creative and scientific skills and their ability to apply their theoretical studies in the form of practical projects that contribute to solving contemporary societal and environmental problems. He affirmed that the exhibition is an opportunity to qualify student cadres for the labor market and to refine their talents and skills in implementing projects, thus benefiting society and promoting sustainable development. These projects were inaugurated in the exhibition opened by Professor Dr. El-Menshawy, the University President."
"Students of the STEM Teacher Preparation Program, from the first to the fourth year, present their Capstone course projects (this course is taught over four years = 8 academic semesters) focusing on rationalizing energy consumption and generating it in an innovative way. Among the innovative energy conservation projects by STEM students is: a speed bump that converts kinetic energy into electrical energy through a sensor. The generated energy is then stored in batteries to be used for lighting streetlamps and traffic signals."
"STEM students also presented an innovative idea for extracting groundwater by generating electricity from sunlight using an LED."
And other projects in various fields can be viewed through the following link
The projects implemented at the university to address climate change: A total of 7 projects will be executed at a total cost of 1.5 million euros as part of the "Improving Energy Efficiency in University Buildings" project, which involves 18 Egyptian public universities under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Universities and funded by the German Reconstruction Bank (KFW). These projects are considered models that can be expanded in the future at the level of Assiut University and will lead to a reduction in consumption by approximately 3.2 gigawatt-hours. The green projects, which emerged from the initiative of Assiut University, were adopted, where two teams of students from the Assiut University Green Initiative won second and fourth places during their participation in the global "Climathon" conference, organized by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the European Union and the German International Cooperation Agency in Egypt on October 30 and 31, 2023, under the title "Climathon Upper Egypt - Towards Localizing the National Climate Change Strategy Egypt 2050." This was under the supervision of Professor Dr. Ahmed El-Manshawi, President of the University, and Professor Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Aleem, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development. The participation of Assiut University in the activities of the Climate Summit of Upper Egypt came within the framework of efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development in the context of implementing Egypt Vision 2030, through environmental preservation to improve the quality of life, considering the rights of future generations, and implementing the National Climate Change Strategy 2050.
•The team (Eco-Fuel Innovators) won second place for their project on recycling solid agricultural waste, especially rice straw, sorghum husks, and other agricultural residues that farmers burn, leading to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases and resulting in environmental pollution. The student team includes:
Shamous Abdel-Sami (Faculty of Science), Dina Gamal Abdel-Nasser (Faculty of Engineering), and Bula Francis Habib (Faculty of Engineering).
The concept of Eco-Fuel is based on recycling solid agricultural waste, especially rice straw, fine corn husks, and other agricultural residues that farmers burn, leading to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases and resulting in environmental pollution. By using anaerobic bacteria and the fermentation process, these residues are converted into biogas as a primary product and other secondary products such as animal feed. • The team (Blast-tech) also won fourth place for their project on extracting diesel fuel from plastic through pyrolysis and processing to produce environmentally safe fuel, reduce carbon emissions resulting from plastic waste accumulation, and mitigate climate change. The student team includes: Yusuf Mohamed (Faculty of Engineering), Nuran Alaa El-Din (Faculty of Agriculture), and Zainab Abdel-Mawla (Faculty of Medicine). • The University of Assiut also encouraged one of the green project teams to implement the "Liquid Tree" project, which revolves around creating a container that holds 600 liters of water. Microalgae use carbon dioxide and produce pure oxygen through photosynthesis. In this way, the Liquid Tree is considered a tangible and effective solution to reduce emissions and improve air quality in densely populated cities where green spaces may be limited. The initiative of Assiut University Green aims to raise environmental awareness among students and university staff regarding sustainability, in addition to implementing work strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change for the benefit of our community.