ESO celebrates Oman’s win in regional inter college environmental public speaking competition in Dubai

MUSCAT: With the support of the Environment Society of Oman (ESO), four teams representing the Sultanate participated in the 18th Regional annual Inter College Environmental Public Speaking Competition in UAE. Organised by Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), the event brought together over 380 like-minded students from across the MENA region to debate environmental conservation topics including ‘Sustainable built Environment: Are we achieving it?’, ‘Impact of fashion and makeup industry on the environment’, ‘The future of Agriculture in the Middle East’, and ‘Impact of wars on the environment’.

The 2018 edition of the competition saw the Oman teams rise to the challenge, securing top positions against tough competition from their peers. Team “Synergy” from the Higher College of Technology won first place for their compelling discussion on the ‘Impact of fashion and makeup industry on the environment’, while team “Naqa” from Sultan Qaboos University followed in third. The “Kaizen” team from A’sharqiah University took second place for their discussion on ‘The Future of Agriculture in the Middle East’ while Team “Bunya” from Sultan Qaboos University were awarded third place in the ‘Sustainable built Environment’ debate. Team “Green Footprint” from Military Collage of Technology came third in the discussion on the ‘Impact of Wars on the Environment’.

Dareen Mehdi, Board Member at the Environment Society of Oman, said, “We are incredibly proud to see these teams recognised for their amazing ambition. They have showcased true passion for the environment, and making a change through thought-provoking research and discussions. The regional competition was a great opportunity for them to exhibit their talents and learn from talks presented by their international peers.”

Habiba Al Mar’ashi – Chairperson of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) said, “We were pleased to see these teams from Oman come so far in this competition. They had the opportunity to learn about important environmental issues and build their confidence, and also offered them a platform to become young ambassadors of their country, representing the educational calibre of Oman.”

ESO has partnered with EEG to roll out the competition in the Sultanate of Oman in 2012 launched the local ICEPSC in 2012 and since then has helped hundreds of teams from across the Sultanate to participate in the regional competition.

This year’s edition saw over 160 students forming 40 teams representing colleges and universities in Oman compete for the opportunity to go to UAE and present their ideas on environmental conservation.