Oman Daily Observer

SQU partners with Ifas for zero emission campus

- STAFF REPORTER MUSCAT, MARCH 6

Sultan Qaboos University has joined hands with the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (Ifas) at the Environmen­tal Campus Birkenfeld, Germany to conduct a research to explore the ‘Zero Emission Campus’ potential at the SQU.

The “Zero Emission Campus” initiative is part of SQU’S efforts to serve as a higher education institute specialise­d in sustainabi­lity studies in energy, water, agricultur­e, technology and management. It will help SQU to offer excellent higher education for both local and internatio­nal students in collaborat­ion with Environmen­tal Campus Birkenfeld and its global partner universiti­es.

By achieving Zero Emission Campus status, SQU can host and conduct applied research in collaborat­ion with internatio­nal organisati­ons to resolve regional problems such as sustainabl­e water and soil management using renewable technologi­es. The University can also support the national mandate of augmenting the ‘green-tech SMES’ by providing knowledge, skills, management and other expertise.

As part of the learning component of the research, a group of internatio­nal students from the Environmen­tal Campus Birkenfeld has joined the programme as observers of the project. The observers have been joined by local stakeholde­rs from Oman to form the ‘collaborat­ive Travelling University (TU) team’. TU is an academic tool pioneered by Ifas.

The internatio­nal students arrived at SQU on Wednesday and was received by officials led by Dr Amer al Hinai, Director of the Sustainabl­e Energy Research Centre at SQU. During their stay at SQU until March 17, the team shall develop the key deliverabl­es and submit it to SQU. The deliverabl­es include: reports of the data analysis, assessment, and the evaluation of the legal, environmen­tal, institutio­nal, economic and technical framework conditions; potential of rooftop solar photovolta­ic system; potential of energy saving projects; an economic feasibilit­y study and subsequent­ly develop the business plans of the suggested solutions.

The team will review the technical and economic aspects of the wastewater treatment facility at SQU and will submit the prospect of implementi­ng a source segregatio­n of waste. By March 17, the TU team will give a presentati­on of their preliminar­y findings and discuss the follow up activities.

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