Dubai / Emirates Business
Emirates Green Building Council — an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices — has joined hands with Heriot-Watt University to host a forum for students to highlight the importance of green building industry.
At the forum, graduate and undergraduate students from Heriot-Watt University, American University of Sharjah, The British University in Dubai and Dubai Men’s College had the opportunity to hear first-hand from experts including Tushant Suri, Sustainability Coordinator, Brookfield Multiplex; Simone El Henoud, Specification Market Development Manager, Dow; Hari Kishan Meka, Regional Sustainability Manager, Al Futtaim Carillion LLC; Jack Marcos, Business Development Manager – Turnkey Solutions, Trane; and Basel Kotob, Practice Leader, HOK Dubai.
A panel discussion was held focusing on the current state of the green building industry led by Dr. Kirk Shanks, Director of Studies, Architectural Engineering School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
Panelists examined the trends expected in the green building sector as well as future needs in the industry. Highlighting the projects they have worked on as well as what they will be focusing on in the coming years, they identified what they will be looking for from graduates in terms of research interests, credentials, degrees and experience.
Saeed Al Alabbar, Chairman of Emirates GBC, said: “Aligned with the ‘green economy for sustainable development’ vision by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, both the public and the private sector are putting the spotlight on green building and energy efficiency.
“We have therefore witnessed an increase in the number of qualified professionals but, as the industry grows, we will need even more professionals with a thorough understanding of green buildings. It is important that we identify the credentials and expertise that will be needed in the future and guide our graduates through the path that will benefit their career prospects while ensuring a healthy future for the green building industry.â€
The participants agreed on the increased demand for expertise on energy efficiency and green building and the importance of education and training to ensure the region has enough qualified professionals in the future. They identified green building credentials in demand including: LEED Green Associate and Accredited Professionals and Energy Management credentials from the Association of Energy Engineers (CEM, CEA and CMVP).
EmiratesGBC aims to serve as a catalyst for collaboration and a hub for excellence to promote sustainability of the built environment. The Council has placed a strong focus on education and regularly hosts and participates in conferences and forums. It has also developed a suite of activities, inclusive of networking events, technical workshops, focus days and facilitated training based around specific issues related to the built-environment that meet the needs of its members, of the UAE community, and the wider Middle East.